Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-17

w lzG Ntft+ VIZ '4+A+-N < 1Er. Birchrn0feY ! demanded curtlys 1aE 1 | was getting to feel something IilEe con- tempt for my intended fathersn-1aw. It is not easy to respect man who, under whatever stress of circumstances, allows another man to make slave of him.
 Tt was that fellow Slurk, and he de- serves good horsewhipping for itr' re- piled Birchmore, thrusting his hands resolutely into his pockets
 q think he deserves at least that, 1" I feioined, with significant laugh, ssand whenever you're inclined to operate on him I'll stand by you"
 Mir. Birchmore said no more, and we went down stairs in silence. Kate was already seated in the carriage Slurk was on the box, with large basket con- taining our provisions for the day be- side him. MT. Birchmore and took our places-one of us, at least, with heavy heart. The landlord stood at the door and nodded us surly farewell.
 ssWhere is Christina2' asked him.
 s'She has gone to the town to sell eggs; did the Herr want anythingY'
 s'I should liked to have sent for screwdriver, but probably can get one on our way back, 1" was my answer, and with that we drove away.
 In about half an hour, proceeding by unfrequented roads, we came in sight of Kohlstein. It was a vast four sided mass of gray rock, scanned with deep clefts and Assures running horizontally and vertically, so that it appeared to have been built of gigantic blocks of stone. It was considerably over one hundred feet in sheer height, and it stood upon rising ground of shifting sand. Slender trees grew here and there out of the crevices of it's headlong sides and struggled nakedly along its level summit, outlined against the sky. It was an ideal place for robber strong hold; impregnable, certainly, to any at tack save that of the heavest modern artillery.
 "Wemust get out and walk from here, remarked MT. Birchmore. "There's only one way of getting to the top, and that's on the other side. I have got touch of my rheumatics today and hardly think shall be able to do the climbing. However, that needn't interfere with you young people, of course"
 exchanged covert look with Kate as helped her to descend from the car riage, and she pressed my hand and smiled. I admired her courage as much as lamented the apparent lack of it in her father. The horse having been un- harnessed and tethered where some cool grass grew beside 8 stream, we struck off across the sandy upland; Slurk car rying the big basket, MT. Birchmore walking with rather feeble step near him, and Kate and I in front. It was an even hotter day than yesterday, and the tramp was wearisome one. By the time we arrived at the foot of the Stein, we were quite ready to rest few minutes in the shadow of the rock, for coolness and breath.
 ttNo, can't do itr' said MT. Birch more, wiping his forehead and glancing hopelessly up at the narrow white foot path that seemed to mount almost straight upward to the distant summit "Just leave me here, with few sand wiches and bottle of hook, and shall do very comfortably till you come back. !"
 It was certainly very arduous work clambering up that ladderlike path, and doubt whether Kate's determine tion and mind would have held out had the motive which urged us been merely one of curiosity. But the top was gained at last, and we threw ourselves down on the dry grass to rest and to be famed | by the welcome breeze that blew there. Slurk placed the basket in a little hol- low where some bushes kept off the di- rect rays of the sun and stretched him. self atfull length beside it.
 "Now let us walk about" suggested | Kate, at length, in an undertone; i've | must see what there is to be seen." We had already arranged all the steps by which we were to proceed to the achievement of our purpose and we felt that the sooner it was ended now the better. The surface on which we stood, though preserving general level, was full of irregularities and uneven ness; it was overgrown with low bushes and parched grass, with perhaps half a dozen starved and meager trees. Here and there the naked rock jutted forth from the thin soil, crumbling and weather worn, it's surface stained in places with dry lichens. The entire table was scarcely two-thirds of an acre in area; and more forlorn and uncon. genial spot it would be hard to find, even in the midst of summer. The cave in which the robbers lived was somewhere lower down; we had passed its entrance on our way up; but it was here proba- bly,, that an outlook was kept over the country, to spy out the approach of vic tims or of enemies. It struck me that il was hardly worth while to be bandit if one must put up with such bleak and unattractive quarters in which to carry on the business.
 Kate and wandered over this barren summit hand in hand. The moment was now very near that was to make 6 great change in the world for both ol us. We felt, somehow, as if we were taking leave of certain part of oul lives then. At least remember gazins Lout across the wide expanse of sunlight country that stretched far away or