The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-10-09

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evild ,ers and held them toward Gil
Der
''lf thee will put these on, that we
Igy have no fear from thy violence
When the mob are gone, we will con.
ceal thee safely, and when the search
is over send thee back to thy lawful
guardian. That is all. cannot place
myself and my daughter at the mercy
of one who may have none. Will
thee consentY
She was only prudent. Gilbert
bowed silently and extended his
hands. 1t was his only chance fol
life, and it would be the height OF
folly to object. Yet a faint color
came into his face as the cold steel
snapped on his wrists, rendering him
helpless-yet scarcely more 50 than
fatigue had already made him.
The hesitation of both was over
now. Ernestine babe him remove his
muddy shoes, while she swiftly closed
the door and drew down the blinds,
and the mother hurried into another
room. Thither Ernestine beckoned
him to follow, pausing only to thrust
! the shoes out of sight.
At the door she turned. 1T is Da.
vid's room" looking keenly into his
face. Come I'M"
Did she think he would draw back
Guilt itself would hardly have done
that now, with the pursuers so near.
IF David can see, know he is
willing" Gilbert answered quietly.
1t was a small, plainly furnished
room. Mrs. Westford had drawn the
bed from the wall and thrown back
the last breadth of carpet, revealing
tiny trapdoor. At his entrance she
opened it and motioned him down.
1t is only four feet. You can drop
that far, said Ernestine encouraging
ly. There is no outer door. You
will be quite safe"
Her mother smiled sadly. "How
many frightened fugitives have slept
there in safety! But that was years
ago-before the war. Thee need not
fear. Now-but stay, thee must be
faint. / will bring thee food and
drink"
She hurried away, and he swung
himself down. 1t was not very easy
with his manacled hands, and Ernes-
tine helped him. His heart thrilled
at touch of her cold, trembling fin
gers.
"She shrinks from my touch. She
thinks my hand stained with her
brothers blood, he thought bitterly.
But another glance at the pure,
pale face relieved him. She was lis
tening anXiously and said, with hur-
ried kindness: There is an old bed
down there. Look while / hold the
light down. THERE Even half an
hours rest will help you, but you
must eat and rest in the dark, for
this cellar extends under the kitchen,
which is carpetless and has cracks in
the floor. Here comes mother"
Very hurriedly Mrs. Westford
passed the well filed dish and pitch
er to him, reporting the mob almost
before the house.
"Cover up quickly, Ernestine. l
am going to wake Harry"
That was her youngest son, still
sleeping soundly up stairs.
She hurried away, and Ernestine
quickly lowered the trapdoor and
pushed back the bed.
Shut down in the darkness, Gilbert
CROPPED his way to the old bed and
sank down on it in utter exhaustion.
He could do no more, be it life or
death. He heard the girls quick
steps, the closing door, the louder
steps directly overhead, and a slender
spur of lamplight came down through
O crack. She was back in the kitch-
en-and there were stern voices in
distinctly to be heard without. Err
nestine heard them more plainly and
stood with clasped hands and pale
face praying silently; but, oh, so
earnestly, that the Innocent, if he
were innocent, might be saved, when
her young brother came rushing
down stairs just as there came a
laundering knock at the door.
Mrs. Westford had told him no
more than that a crowd of men with
lanterns were approaching, and it
was in perfect good faith that he
flung open the door and angrily de-
manded their business. They soon
satisfied him.
1.-THE tramp that murdered your
brother is at large, and we are hunt
ing for him. We have looked all up
and down the road, for we know he
came this way, and it looks nightly
as if he had slipped into your prem
ises and hidden somewhere. Your
folks will have no objection to our
searching, reckon2"
mot a bit. l don't think he would
stop here, but if he did hope you'll
catch him and hang him to the near
est tree" the boy answered fiercely.
The fugitive, plainly hearing every
word, shuddered, but he had no idea
how many times that old house had
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