Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-06-21
nip or darkened for ever soul i'm.

against the suspicion that at last
Harvey Jameson admitted 1t with a
sigh.
Who had robbed him Of his hard
earnings, save some stranger? for his
neighbors were his friends, and
honest, as he knew.
In TalmleY there was but one who
had not been born there, and that one
was Dick Levoe, the stranger who
had crossed his threshold six months
before to ask for employment.
Jameson wanted hand in the mill
and hired Dick, taking him as a
boarder. The young man had 'flne
ways" as Greene said.
He was not especially handsome,
but he was cheerful, courteous, and
willing to work, and yet, for all that,
showed unmistakable signs of having
had no occasion to perform any labor
at some time not far past. He was
Saskatchewan Jennie, who had
spent year at boarding school, could
be instructed by him.
'.Tu just keep my eyes open, an
not let on for awhile" thought the
miller; "but as Greene said, who else
could have stolen the money!"
He perceived no change in Dick,
no confusion, no sign of guilt; but
greatly to the good mans consterna-
tion, he discovered something else
The young man was in love with
pretty Jennie, and she was fully con-
scIous Of the fact.
There was new difficulty, and one
which the miller did not care to
meet.
He was pondering on it one day,
three weeks after the robbery, when
Glayin Of the Hollow called and paid
him ten pounds which had been due
some time.
II hear your house isn't very Sc
cure place for money" said Glavin,
with smile; "but 1 hope nobody
will walk off with this while you're
asleep"
"Ill take care OF that" answered
the miller, conscious that Dick could
hear. II don't calc'late on bein'
robbed twice by the same person; an
I've got over thinkin' everybody |
meet is honest. Good-day, sir. Much
obliged"
Glavin departed, and the miller
went into the house.
Jennie was singing softly as she
sewed at a window; Mrs. Jameson
was not in, having zone to visit a sick
neighbor.
Without word the old man passed
into his chamber, and there secreted
the ten pounds, frowning as he did 50.
'I'll send that fellow packin' soon,
whether l find him stealin' or not, 8"
he muttered. sit amt none too
comfortable feelin' to know you've
got to lock up every shilling you get,
and not tell anybody where you put
it,"
He ate mis- supper that evening in
silence; Jennie and Dick chattering
incessantly, and Mrs. Jameson told
about every ache and pain that
racked the woman she had been to
visit.
But the miller could only wonder
whether or not that frank, manly
face and those cherry tones of his
employee belonged to a knave and a
scoundreL
"An' Jennie and him seemed to
understand one another far too well, :"
he soliloquized; II used to like the
lad, but now I'd as lief see my girl
care for old blind Jack the fiddler as
this fine gentleman. As Greene says,
he's too fancy about himself to be
honest I've often heard the greater
the rascal, the more eenteel, an 1
guess I'll load the rifle"
He did load his rife, and placed it
near his bed, telling his wife that he
''warn't going to lose any more
money, but the first one that came
for dishonest purposes would lose his
life"
Mrs. Jameson was very nervous
concerning the proximity of the rife;
she begged her husband to put it
farther away; declaring he might
touch it in his sleep, ''an' make the
thing go off," and probably kill her.
II never move in my sleep, so you
needn't be scared" he told her "If
1 touch the gun, you can be sure il
will go off: but I'll not touch 1t in my
sleep; 1 sleep like an honest man,
do"
So he went to bed, and thought
more of his daughter than of the
money under the carpet. However,
he did think of his money sometimes,
and, in fact, his thoughts ran from
that to Jennie, as the thoughts of
the money-lender ran from his ducats
to his daughter.
At last he slept, but not any too
soundly; dreams visited him, and I'M
pleasant ones they were. Vision af-
ter vision came and faded, and his
wife was alarmed beyond measure to
see his unconscious hands go out
again and again, perilouSly near
to the loaded rife.
1t was midnight before she slept at
all, but then her sleep was profund.
1t was broken at last by the strangest
and most thrilling of sounds, no less
than a heavy fall, and:a
loud, harsh. reverberating report, as
though cannon had been fired at
her ear.
No woman is ever too frightened to
scream, and Mrs. Jameson's shrieks
were loud and shrill as she covered
among the bedclothes; and a scramb-
ling in the darkness and muttered
words she could not understand did
not tend to calm her.
There was a rush of feet in the hall
stout shoulder sent the
door inward with crash, and Dick
Levoe, who had made this uncere-
nonious entrance, stood there, with
4 lighU high above his head, his keen
eyes scanning the apartment swiftly.
1t took him a moment to compre-
bend, and then he laughed with i'm
amusement.
The miller, clad but lightly, was
,prawling on the floor, a dazed won
Ter in his face, the old rifle, which he
had struck as he fell, lying harmless
beside him, and now unloaded; win
low was open, and through it came a