The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-16

/ "You've the DooIittIe eyes, David,
Don't bs afraid"
TIE door of Ma-cia's room hai opened
suddenly, and she stood there with a
shawl thrown lightly around her. Tha
| next instant she cried out:
"Oh, it's David-my brother David !"
The tramp Of feet was heard outside.
| Tie look Of amazement on the boys
face gave place to one Of terror, aad
Aunt Nance said, quickly:
"Go in there with your sister, David"
4 moment later six or seven rough
| looking men fled into the cabin. Aunt
Nancy knew them every one. Sac NET
them standing with her back to tne door
of the room David and his sister had
entered.
"He come il here, didn't he, Aunt
Nance?" said Joe Hasain, the leader OF
the crowd. awe seen nm, and we
! want him. Now, didn't lie CO.., il
| here2'
Aunt Nance replied fearlessly, 81 don't
| tell lies, and won't tell one now. He
did come in here, Joe Haskin. Ee's in
here now, and what's more, he's going
to stay in herei"
"Do you know what him and another
feller done2"
II neither know nor care" replied
Aunt Nance, boldly, "butI know this
you men aiat his judges. Vengeance
don't belong to you it belongs to
| Himw
She pointed upward as she spoke, and
then she added, "You can't lay your
hands on that boy tonight. He's in
this room behind me, and you are six OF
eight ,nen to one woman, but there's not
one of you that'll lay your hands on me
to move me from this door.
"You wouldn't, Joe Hsskin, when you
remember how I walked three miles in
tho worst snow storm we had last winter
20 nurse you back to life and strength,
when you was at deaths door with pneu'
nony.
You wouldn't, Iii Sanders, when I
had you brought right here and took care
CT you myself when you had that broken
leg last fall.
"You wouldn't lay hands on the
woman who closed your wife's eyes in
death less than year ago, Tom Lesson.
FEvery man Of you has set at my table
agin and agin, with or without money
| it made no difference.
'Touch mea Why, I don't believe I,
myself, could keep you from using that
rope you've got outside, on the man
who'd lay rough hands on Aunt Nance
Afford"
"No, you couldn't" said Joe Haskir.
"You're right-we'd make mince-meat
of himl An if you're goin' to stand fore
that door and"
~ am," interrupted Aunt Nance, "ana
there aint no other way into the ROOM"
She waved her hand lightly toward
! the open door. "Good night!" she
said.
They went out into the darkness.
Before noon the next day Joe Haskin
rode up to Aunt Nance's cabin. She
went to the door, and he did net dis.
mount.
"Well," he said, "if things don't turn
out queer sometimes! We got after the
wrong fellow, sure enough, last night.
You see, there's been garg OF cut
throats and hoss-thieves lurkin' about on
Taylor Mountain. The boys got tired OF
EN-, an last night they took after
couple of the sneaks.
sIt seems that this young elbow told
The truth when ne said he didn't belong
to 'em. He was wandering along on
bis way to Eagle Cliff, and took refuge
from the storm with some o the gang.
THE guilty ones was caught this
morning down in Deer Gulch, ,auo ney'd
the grace to ssy that the young fellow
with 'en didn't belong to their gang. Il
you've got him in your cabin yit, you
sort o pologize to i'm for the little in.
convenience we put i'm to last night, an
say that we'll do anythin' we can fol
him, now't he's out O. bad company"
he was done with bad company from
that day forth. The promise ne had
made in his terror he kept faithfully, al
though he did not i've to go back to
New Hampshire to keep it.
| Invading lines y: :s-7o;lrnad have driven
the numbering Old stage-cos1eeea- and
their jolly drivers to other parts Of the
mountains, and there is now a little
brown railroad station on the spot where
the cabin of Aunt Nance stood.
It is dinner station, famous all along
the line; and if you travel that way, you
would be likely to he met at the door b!
tidy and tslkative old lady, who would
be no other than Aunt Nvuce herself,
| while David and Marcia Merrick, IN
homes of their own, may be found In
the prosperous little town but few
miles distant.-VoutNs Companion.