Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1891-02-06

on rhe heights from which she could
look some distance down the gorge
Beneath its dropping boughs she her
self was hidden-and as she stood
there, waiting. her black shawl blown
backward by the strong gusts, the
sound of deep suppressed voices came
up from the narrow pathway under
the cliff.
"There's corpse in the house Old
Mother Griffin in living there dead l
tell you / wouldn't go there for twice
the money -
"Shut up. YOU fool - returned a
shriller accent "She was buried this
morning"
"She warn't -
"She icds Sim Dollard saws so ~
Sims altar He can't tell the
truth if he was to try ~
Hes told it this time. you'll see.
Fifteen hundred dollars in gold
Think of that, Pierre Such a find
don't come opr way every day in the
week. And nobody in the house but
a girl -
More muttering-more sullen growl-
ing-more ch-heedling infections OF
voice-and then the tones died away.
Seleda stood there very pale with
clasped hands.
Il must hide myself and the money
somewhere in the woods said she to
herself. But haven't time They're
not the people to waste a second
and besides they would track me at
once, Oh. what shall do?'
Selenda Griffin, brought up in those
wildernesses, was not girl TO ask
questions or depend on the opinions
OF other people in an emergency. She
was quite used to making up her own
mind, and this occasion was no eX-
ception to the general rule. She was
determined to guard the gold, even
if it should be at the expense OF her
own life-and she was well aware OF
the idiotic superstitions common to
these ignorant Canadian Frenchmen.
Even to make themselves rich they
would not invade the dreaded pres-
ence Of Death
Over the frozen snow she fled swift
lv back to the cabin, from whose win
dow her mothers sweet pallid face
would never more smile greeting to
her, and rushing in, she caught up a
piece OF black crepe, with which she
had been trying TO trim bonnet
and knotted il around the porch pill
lar-mute emblem Of death. Then,
with the strength OF mountaineer
daughter, she dragged the heavy
cherry-wood coffin, which her fathers
whim had kept standing in the ang e
of the bedroom wall all these years,
into the little front room mounted it
on two wooded benches instead OF
trestles. and, lighting a pair OF can
dies in lead sconces, placed them at
the head and foot on homemade pine
stands. She wrapped the tin box in
a towel and put it under a pillow in
the coffin head, and then, hurriedly
enveloping herself in sheet OF home
spun linen, coarse and worn, but
beautifully white, deliberately got
into the grisly receptacle and stretch
ed herself out there straight and stiff
as any corpse Her head, covered
with one Of her mothers close. fitting
caps, lay on the precious tire lsnre;
her hands were folded on her bosom.
and her eyes were closed.
Il think they will scarcely disturb
me here she thought, a strange
thrill creeping through her veins.
But have nerve to Keep this up?
| must have! will have! Once the
very thought of such a horrible mas
ouerade as this would have driven
me wild with terror: now / think only
of guarding the money which Abram
Ayres has committed TO my charge.
Hush Voice were sounding out
side in the winter dusk.
Hang it. there's crepe on the door.
You told us she was buriedr'
That was the tone OF Pierre Subiton.
so she is. Vokes told me the fu-
neral was this morning" growled
Simon Dolard
"Vokes is a liar. Look for Yourself!
That's nothing Knock at the
door; they've forgotten TO take the
Grape Off"
knock yourself; I'll have nothing
to do with it, don't rob dead pso-
pler'
A low-muttered imprecation sue
ceeded.
Dead or alive growled old Mi
chael Dindean, I've commenced this
thing, and mean TO go on with it,
Selenda lay quite still. but even
though her closed eyelids she was
conscious Of the stealthy fash Of
dark lantern. The cabin door had
been opened-the little band was
crowding noiselessly in. Suddenly
Pierre Subtion's voice sounded thro'
the room in a terrific yell as he be-
held the oblong object in its center.
He turned and fed. Dindean and
Dollard, shrinking back, exchanged
hurried whispers, during which Sc
lenda's heart seemed 10 stand still
with horror.
He never left it here" said Dol
lard Mike Vokes's last drinking