The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-08-25


the wind cllnc so keen around the rocks,
and mast a.pulled 1t out with that, and
everything too pitch dark around me to
wee. Oh, Miss Ruth, I'm 80 osarryl Please
don't report me, there's goo. oung lady,
or shall lose my place"
lswallowed down great imp OF dis
comfture in my throat and tfied TO laugh.
Report you, Mrs. Gludget" snd !, "of
course not. 1t wasn't your fault II you
hadn't kindly thought OF me, and started
10 bring 1t on your way to Romney's, you
never would have lost it,"
"And quite true" said Mrs Glndge rue
fully, "but all the same wish hadn't been
co thoughtful. I'll send the boys out TO
look for it just as soon asi'---
"uh, never mind the letter." inter.
rupted. 81 dare say it's only from Jack
Tomorrow morning will do very well for
that. But, Mrs Giudge, you'll come back
aud stay with me till Peter gets back'
jean is away. you know, and"-
''Yes, my dear. I'll do that, i" assented the
woman, evidently relieved to be let off so
caSiiy Oh bhrsCole ol bhc ictoCt. auu ~
won't be long first. It's only short half
mile TO Romney's, il the wind didn't blow
W liks all possessed"
Wieh a good humored nod she disap-
peared into the rain and darkness, and
ran back to pile fresh logs on the waning
Gre. Bank burglars, extradited wander
trs, lnnatic at arge-with all these pos.
sibilities whirling in my brain it is not
strange that lighted second lamp In or
der effectually To Danish all lurking shad-
ows from the angles Of ths room, and
started nervously when a sudden blast Of
wind shook the window shutters as II with
some imperi0us hand
"Pll go up to the garret and bring down
some buttetnuts," thought !, "and then
I'll get some cider from the cellar. 1t will
be fun to crack the butternuts and watch
the shells blaze In the fire, and Mrs. Gludge
will like drink OF cider when she comes
back all wet aud chill"
Cheered by this happy thought, caught
up lamp and flew to the garret OF the
roomy old house where my iather had
bestowed ell the nutty treasures OF the
autumn woods. Somehow, Priscilla, the
cat had got locked into the garret, and
had TO release her from durance vile, and
replace box or two which she had knock
ed of from the window sill, before came
down, driving her estship before me, with
the lamp in one hand and an aprontul OF
butternuts in the other. Through the
open keeping room door streamed ray OF
rnddy light into the Cimmerian darkness
of the hall stopped abruptly. Surely
had closed that door when came out, re-
membering certain trick 1t had OF slam
ming to and fro in windy weather like
this. And at the same time curious con
sciousuess Of some human presence near by
crept over me like an unseen magnetic cur
rent.
Nor was 1t false premOniti0n. As
stretched my neck to peep cautiously into
the room. | saw seated before the fire a
gentleman-a youngish gentleman, pale,
blsea haired. and. as thought, rather un-
settled OF aspect And decidedly wet
and mud bespattered gentleman, whose
raiment steamed in the glorious blaze and
erack1e Of the pine logs, az he sat there
holding out his hands to the genial
warmth.
How had he gaiued an eutrancei Had |
careIessly neglected 10 bolt the big door
after Mrs Gludee's departureI Yes, /
must have done so, and that was proof Of
how utterly unfit | was TO be left by my
self. For second stood there qualing
and quaking, my heart humping like u
triphammer, cold sweat breaking out
upon my forehead, before | decided what
to do.
bad never seen bank burglar. to be
sure, but | was pretty certain this white
| handed gentleman could not belong to that
race. Aud did not think he acted like
any other scoundrel who was fleeing from
| the rgors Of the law. He must be the
English gentleman, gone wrong in his
head, who had escaped" from Stephen
sons.
| was alone In the house with maniac;
and at the idea my heart beat more vio-
lently than ever and the cold drops grew
colder ou my brow.
| With sudden instinct | decided that
there was nothing for it but flight. The
worst feature Of the case was that could
not get out OF the house (be it remembered
that Peter had taken away the key Of the
back kitchen door in bis pocket without
passing directly through the room where
the escaped lunatic sat basking before the
fire This, however. must be faced; there
was no remedy for il, aud with one blind
rush preciptated myself through the
room, tumblipg over the cat and scattering
shower Of butternuts AS | went and
darted headlong through the door, with an
involuntary shrek that might have rent
the ceiling, II ever ceilings were rent in
that way except in the pages Of romance,
Directly into the arms of-Jack, my own
brother Jack, who was coming in from the
van with light yalise in one hand and a
dripping carriage robe in the other.
"Halloo!' bawled Jack, staggering under
the blow Of my very unexpected appear
ance. "Why-what the--I declare II 1t
isn't Ruthyp
"oh, Jacki oh. Jackf screamed, clutch.
ing at him like the drowning man at the
proverbial straw.
"Where are all the folksi What has be-
come OF the stable keys2 What have you