St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-07-14

Olid Mrs HArkins, lean, fretfuI
female, who slways wore = sunbonnet,
winter or summer. indoors or out. and
shuflled around the house In tapping
carpet slippers You're late. ain't yoa,
Miss Glare? And, good land alive,
how pale you bel"
IL walked very fast" said Sophy,
with convulsive catching Of the breath
and turning paler than ever - she saw,
longing on the wooden settle, just
within the huge stone chimney. the
very man whose voice she had heard
half IN hour ago in the twilight woods
Hal Tucker himself!
Involuntary she drew back, falling
almost into the arms of honest Hosea
Harlins himself. who had just como
In from the mill. with his working
clothes on. and his hair and eyelashes
powdered over with -four.
Hello" said that worthy. "You
amt a-goin' to faint away, be you, Miss
SophyY'
But spirit and courage had come
back to the Yankee schoolma'am once
again. She drew herself up and
pointed to the lurking vagabond on
the wide, wooden settle
MIR. Harkins," cried abe. you are .
constable. are you nOt?'
wal, l guess be-" answered the
miller. staring with all his might out
OF pair Of pale-b blue cyeA
In that case" said Sophy, Il call
upon you to arrest that villsin-that
murderer" And she pointed straight
At Hal Tucker.
.Eh?" said the miller. his eyes more
like over-ripe gooseberries than ever.
.'Eh!" echoed Mr.. Tucker himself,
coming upright all in . heap. like .
jointed doll
II heard him plotting in the woods
this night" she gasped out, with his
confederate Slocum! Let him deny It.
il he dares!''
Il swan to gracious, was there!"
said Hal, scratching his head. me
and jerry"
LET him deny" went on Sophy,
with an unconsciously tragic effect.
that he was plotting to murder-with
= sharp kaife-when all the Hardness
were At singing-school tonight: Oh!
Mr.. Harkins, arrest him! For heavens
sake, save my life! It was that was
to have been the victim!"
The miller stared harder than before.
Hal Tucker seized his head in both
hands. Is il apprehensive that it might
split II not safely guarded
Hold on, Miss Clare. hold on" said
he. you're clean wrong, Is it hap
pens! T wasn't you at all IS we was
Qoin' to murder. Good Lord above for
bid! 1t WAS little Polly's pet LIANT
there. And the missus wanted to turn
il in toward the butchers account. and
she wanted it took away on the sly. be-
cause of the children And me and
Jerry we thought it would be = good
chance tonight. when they was all of
to singin'-schooL But the cats out o.
the bug now, reckon"
Sophy Glare sat down on the old
patchwork-covered lounge, with burst
Of relieved laughter that was almost
hysterical The miller clapped his
hands on his thigh with = force that
surrounded him with IN aureole Of
-four dust Mrs Harkins smiled grim
" under the shadow OF the sun bonnet,
and the children. one and set up .
howl Of depreciation over the fate Of
their beloved, woolly lamb!
"Mr. Tucker" said Sophy Glare, -
soon as she was able to regain COM
mand over her voice. don't take poor
little Snowflake away! I will pay her
value to these good people for the sake
OF the relief now feel And the chill
dren shall not lose their pet"
"It's only . lamb said Miller Har-
kins, who did not know what sentiment
:Rut,, i'm. the children's darling"
pleaded Sophy.
/. And so SnowAalas,A life was saved,
and Sophtksairs Insight all went for
nothing: rs:=.rsEst
But she could never pass jeremiah
Slocum aftsrward, without = shudder.
And the very sound Of Hal fuckers
voice, speaking In. the twilight was
enough to blanch her cheek.
For she had been terribly frightened
poor little Sophy Clare!-Amy Ran.
dolph, in N. Y. Ledger.