Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-09-15

Iurr.Cdly tying a shawl around her
heal and shoulders. she sprang ont of
the house. by the back way. and has
tened through lonely piece of woods
which formed short cut into the
road they must presently emerge upon.
'They would be hidden away some
where long before ! could summon
help" thought Kitty. whatever
is done | must do myself"
On either side the road was shut in
w Stuntcd cedar bushes. mingled with
Ihr clever growth of the cleaning
silver birch. and Kitty knew she could
Keep in sight of them unseen.
'lf they should see me! If they
should suspect my errand." thought
poor Kitty. with thrills of cold terror.
"Oh. it would be hard to be murdered
in these solitary woods: to have my
master think l stole the gold. and Mr..
SilaS-'
While the thoughts passed through
i"r mind the ring of coming footsteps
echoed on the hard. frozen ground.
Ilitty's conjecture had proved correct
they had taken the Hill road
Onward. steadily onward. they push
ed. Kitty contriving to keep nearly
parallel with them. though she had to
fight her way through matted vines
and thorny bushes. Fortunately the
wind had risen. and its mournful.
rrstlng sound through the trcetopS
hid the noise she unavoidably made.
else her detection would have been
little short of inevitable.
But with every precaution the peril
was great. As she stepped uncon-
Sciously upon the fallen branch of IA
dccayed tree. it snapped beneath her
tread with sharp. splintcring sound.
The two men paused to listen. seemed
to consult together an instant. and
then turned quickly toward the very
copSe in wlIich she was hiding
Poor Kitty! She sank noisclcsSly
down like wounded bird. crouching
away in mortal terror. But. although
their footsteps almost touched the
huttering ends of her brown shawl.
the gathering dusk stood her friend.
and they passed by, unconscious of
her presence.
1t was several minutes before kitty
dared to rise once more to her feet;
and then they were half way uD Il
hillside, dotted with blackcncd Stumps.
where a charcoal-burner's shanty. long
unused. and in il ruinouS condition.
Stoo' Nltll llS ollt ullSldLtl W lllttoN.
seeming to survey the valley like an
eye.
Kitty saw them disappear into this
hut-Shc saw them emerge once more.
descending the uneven slope with long,
running strides. and striking once
more into the road.
And when they passed the concealed
watcher. the muttied. jingling sound
hnt hnI nj hn;
footsteps was gone.
you're fool. Bill" suddenly ex-
claimed one, as they stopped to rest
on the edge of the road. and the taller
stopped to drink from clear little
stream. using the hollow of his hand
as an impromptu goblet.
"No. amt fool" said Bill. dash
ing the bright drops away from his
running unnecessary risks. Suppose
we should meet some onc:'
I'VE shan't.'
I'm not so sure of that Anyway.
it's best to be on the safe side. and
tomorrow night
Their voices lowered little now.
died away into the distance and Kitty
standing alone in the woods tried to
collect her scattered thoughts into
some definite plan of action.
"Shall | still follow them. or shall |
20 up and see if they have not hidden
their booty in that hut"
For one moment she hcSitatcd. then
she began to creep up the hillside
with weary feet and tagging limbs. for
fatigue and terror were beginning to
tell upon her slender frame
II nj, u
the moldcring threshold and stood in
the solitary cabin. Through the start
ed tim1ers of the roof the steel gray
sky cleaned with unnatural light.
while the half-decayed boards of the
floor creaked and gave beneath her
weight. A t1uttering noise in one cor
ner made her heart turn chill. and the
next instant she perceived it was but
Il dusky winged bat. beating itself
against the beams and raftcrs.
She stole TREMENDOUSLY forward TO
look into the black yawning chasm of
| the mud chimney, the only place as
it seemed to her. where anything as
large as the deacon's canvas bag could
be concealed. And as she picked her
way a board sprung beneath her feet
"A board which had been loosely laid
across two beams without any sccur-
ing nail. Instinctively she stopped
and there before her. wcdgcd in be-
tween the heavy timbcrs. over which
had lain the board, was the little can
vas bag!
She caught it in both hands. hug
ging it close to her breast. and hurried
towards the door. But. as she ad-
vanced out of the CLOSE moldy air of
the cabin into the gray November
twilight. the strength seemed to de
out of her limbs, the vitality to ebb
from her heart.
"Surcly. surely, l am not going to
perish now." she thought wildly.
'when the danger is all Surmountrd.
the peril all past! God will never let
me die in this lonely placer
The half-murmured aspiration was
still on her lips when all sense and
feeling left her and she sank utterly
unconscious on the doorstep. with the
canvas bag still clasped to her heart,
1t was quite dark when the old lum.
ber wagon rolled up to the door. and
Mrs. Osprey came into the house.
carrying the extra" shawl upon her
arm.
kitty! Kitty! Why, where is the
child?"
In vain she called. The fire had
died out upon the hearth-the pan of
vegetables stood upon the table just
as the girl had left 1.-THE doors were
open, and altogether there was an air
of confused desolation about the dark
and drcary house.
ln fr;,