The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-07-13

doner o merciful heaven! Can it be
that there are such brutes in the
world? 'H&rliins' folks going to sing
ing-school tonight, and the coast will
be clear' Oh, the peril l should have
been in If had not been fortunate
enough to overhear those horrible
words! l must hasten home at once
and tell Mr.. Harl1ins. But, oh, if l
should chance to meet these rutfians on
the road agaiuF'
She stood still and listened, but no
sound greeted her ears other than the
rush of the wind in the tree tops over
head and the murnur of the river be-
low and the wild beating of her own
heart.
SAT all risks" she thought, 81 must
get homo. | can't stay here in the
forest all night, though perhaps the
perils from wild beasts would be less
than the dangers from my own llindl'
And flying in desperate haste
through the gloomy paths, where the
first faint silver rays of the starlight
were beginning to irradiate the scarce
ly visible way, she came at last in sight
of the old stone mill by the waterfall,
with the long, low dwelling OF the
Harlzins' at it's side, all shining with
welcome lights.
"Suppcrs ben ready this half hour"
said Mrs. Harkins, lean, fretful
female, who always wore q sunbonnet,
winter or summer indoors or out, and
shufhcd around the house in tapping
carpet slippers. You're late amt you,
Miss Glare? And, good land alive,
how pale you be!'
'I-I walked very fast" said Sophy,
with convulsive catching of the breath
and turning paler than ever as she saw,
lounging on the wooden settle, Just
within the huge stone chimney, the
very man whose voice she had heard
half an hour ago in the twilight woods
Hal Tucker himself!
Involuntarily she drew back, falling
almost into the arms of honest Hosea
Harkins himself, who had just come
in from the mif, with his working
clothes on, and his hair and eyelashes
powdered over with flour.
Hello" said that worthy you
amt a-goin' to faint away, be you, Miss
Sophy?"
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
tine wide, wooden settle.
Mr.. Harkins,' cried she, you are a
constable are you not?"
wal, l guess l be-" answered the
miller, staring with all his might out
of pair of pale-blue eyes.
SIN that case" said Sophy, II call
upon you to arrest that villain-that
murderer" And she pointed straight
at Hal Tucker.
Chip said the miller. his eyes moro
like over-ripe gooseberries than ever
''Eh!' echoed Mr.. Tucker himself,
coming upright all in heap, like a
jointed doll.
II heard him plotting in the woods
this night" she gasped out, with his
confederate Slocum! Let him deny it.,
if he dares!''
81 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
a sharp kaife--when all the Harkinses
were at singing-school tonight! Oh!
Mr.. Harlins, arrest him! For heavens
sake, save my life! 1t was l that was
to have been the victimr'
The miller stared harder than before.
Hal Tucker seized his head in both
hands, as if apprehensive that it might
split if not safely guarded.
Hold on, Miss Glare, hold on!" said
he. YOU'RE clean wrong, as it hap
pensl IT wasn't you at all as we was
goin' to murder! Good Lord above for
bid! 1t was little Polly's pet lamb
there! And the missus wanted to turn
it in toward the butchers account, and
she wanted 1t 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 off
to singin'-school. But the cats out of
the bag now, l recl1on!"
SophY Clare sat down on the old
tchworlS-coveredl lounge, with burst
of relieved laughter that was almost
hysterical. The miller clapped his
hands on his thigh with force that
surrounded him with an aureole of
flour dust Mrs. Harl1ins smiled grim.
ly under the shadow of the sun bonnet,
and the children, one and all, set up
howl of depreciation over the fate of
their beloved, woolly lamb
"NIr. Tucker" said sophy Glare, as
soon as she was able to regain com.
mand oyer her voice, don't take poor
little Snowflake awayl will pay hor
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-
lins, who did not know what sentiment
was.
But it's the childrens darling"
pleaded Sophy,
And SO Snowfake's life was saved,
and Sophy Clare's fright all went for
nothing.
But she could never pass jeremiah
Slocum afterward without a 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
TIT for Tat
A funny man is amusing the eompa-
ny generally at the expense of ono of
their number. lie calls the little
n n 1.tnt1f .ak. Np 70 III