Connecticut western news., 1893-03-16
,r breath Then,D trembling in every

for breath.i Then,D trembling in every limb, she looked again.
 My Godr' she faltered.s ''Am l dreamin2 Surely it can't bend yeti must believe my own eyes.n
 Acting under new impulse she turned and fled along the trail leading to the stin.1 Arrived there she found the place in the furnace and nothing to be heard butthe cries of the whippoorwills upon the, mountain side.
 Full of painful forebodings she Ter traced her steps and once more crouched beneath the peddler's window. There she waited, until her limbs became cramped and the night air chilled her to the bone. ci
 Il might ias well lie down again" she thought. ''I reckon uncle's gone down the valley, for he lowed today as he'd could wake the man up, but somehowl dassn't. He might think was forward.p
 But a second trial,of the bed was no better than the first. The peddler's heavy breathing was ever in her ears. and her thoughts reverted constantly. to theisense of peril that vaguely, yet per sistently kept her upon the ,tenterhooks of anxiety.s
 a "I wish ,mornin would come," she said flor thes hundredth time. "Lord, what a meeting there'l be thenp
 The sound of stealthy footfall upon the gravel without, brought her to sit o% IIax-h hno orf loudly asshe listened breathlessly. Yes, it was moving around the house. Now she. ,hearditrno more. Could she have imagined it all? No; there it was again lin the back porch.
 Then--then-7she heard gentle creak- ing sound. AhI The shedroem doorl She sprang out of bed, and nasty bound brought her to the door leading into4the back g-porchse She wrenchedfi 1t open just in time totcatch a glimpse of 2 tall shadow that disappeared within the shedrooml
 "Good Lord. help mel" she faintly Sejaculated asshe sprang forward, nerved to. desperation by this dreadful fulfill ment of her fears
 She entered the room. There lay the peddler, slnmbering heavily in the white glow of the moonlight His face was strangely altered, ,a for the heavy beard had fallen off. leaving exposed 8 clean shayen,l youthful face.a But the white bearded old man bending over the pros trate formJwith uplifted knife saw noth- ing distinctly To his morbid iimagin- ings only the, form of hated spy lay |. IL I~of h A fr,f f hnc ice of the detestedff 'revenoos," who had robbed him of his only and well beloved SonssJ
 a .sUncler'i screamed Nan, dragging him back ''Unclela You shall not. Can't you see?a It's John--our John your JohnR
 The peddler woke and stared upward in a bewildered ,way.. The knife fell to the floor as Nose, his eyes almost start ing from his shead, stared at his sons white face. Suddenly he comprehended, and the effect descended upon him like a tffunderbolt,i
 ] Uttering 8 low, quiyering cry he sank to his knees by the bedside, and his head fell forward. Mans and Johns eyes met in a mutually recognizing glance; then they turned their attention to the4old man. As they laid him upon the bed Aunt Whey, awakened by the noise, came in. She fell as though confronted by ghost.
 !, "Johnip she exclaimed. "Yet it can't shorely bel"
 "Yes, it is, mother. I didn't know how you'd all take my bein so long iu the pen, so when the governor pardoned me eutI lowed I'd come home as a ped dler nd in disguise till I found out ii you all cared for me any more."
 While J. ohm was speaking Nose opened his eyes, and tears blinded them as he gazed.
 My son, my sonr' he murmured brokenly. And I might have killed himl My minds made up. There'll be no more ,stillin done in Bear holler after this.'
 Do you reckon Nan cares for me any more, father?" asked John, while his eyes sought those of Nan.
 B. "Of course she do. Hasn't she bee. grievin herself away ever since you was took She never looked at another man."
 Nan's confusion seemed to sanction this.
 "There's only one thing to be done, interrupted Aunt Whey decisively They've just got to go over to the circuit riders next Sunday nd git married. Af ter that's over nd done with, Nose, I dc hope you'll behave yourself in futur'."
 "Hain't I said I weren't a-goin to still uyhis lxv opy r,ora21 said Moaa ,Sti1liT,s been at, the bottom of all our troubles.
 While the old folks talked John took Nan's hand in his, and they steathily kissed each other.-William Perry Brown in Philadelphia Times.