Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1894-09-20
A HEROINE.

member, SAID Kitty Clifford curtsey-
ing prettily.
"And Kate" said Deacon Osprey,
"don't let strangers in, whatever You
do, for there's that five hundred dol
lars in gold in the back bedroom
chest, and all the silver spoons
Il will be very careful, sir, " said
Kitty.
kitty, Kitty Come here and tie
my cravat, said Silas Osprey, who
was fdgetting before the mirror.
So Kitty stood upon a tootstool,
blushing and smiling, to tie Mr.. Silas' $
cravat for meeting
81 wish you were going with us,
Kitty" said the young man, with ms
chin elevated stifily in the air. Next
Sunday I'll take you.
ooh, that will be nice, said Kitty,
growing pinker and pinker, as her
slender fingers pulled out the bow
and adjusted the ends, "Will that do
Mr.. SiIas ."
And Mrs Osprey, who had followed
her husband out to the solid-looking
old lumber wagon, gave meaning
backward glance.
q think Silas is getting fond of our
Kitty" said the mother, sagely.
as he?" said the Deacon, with a
disturbed face. But, wife, how little
we know about her, except since the
dav she came here with her little bun
die under her arm, asking for service.
eyes, that's very true" said Mrs
Osprey "but she's pretty and smart
and | know she's good, and
"Silas Silas Are you going tc
stand there all day. called ont the
father, and 50 they drove away, with
Kitty standing at the lonely farm,
house door, her silken brown curl'
blown about in the dismal November
wind, and her blue eyes sparkling be-
meath their prettily arched brows.
She went back into the house, sing
ing softly under her breath, to pre-
pare things for the tea-dinner, whicl
the hungry church-goers would expec
when they returned-a brisk, neat
handed little Phyllis, whose step wa
scarce heavier on the pine floor than
falling leaf would have been.
She had put the pudding on to boi
as the kitchen clock chimed four, anC
ran down into the cellar to get tn
vegetables from their bins. She wa
gone but a minute or two, but Whel
she returned, the door leading upstairs
which she had left closed, stood wild
open. and on the lower stair Il mudd,
footprint was distinctly imprinted.
Kitty's heart stood still with unde
fined terror as she remembered tn
bag of twenty-dollar gold pieces in tn
big back chamber chest.
And while she stood there, holdini
by the table for support, she coul'
hear confused footsteps upstairs, an
the murmur of deep voices.
Then there was more than one. KIT
tvs first instinct-that of detendln
her masters treasures to the last, eve
were it with her life-gave way t
some practical considerations. Sh
thought of flying out into the roa
and crying aloud for help, but the
she remembered, with pang OF dc
spair, how lonely was the desolat
: hillside, with the nearest dwelling fu
a mile distant.
"What can do? Oh, what can
: do >" thought Kitty, clasping both he
hands over her throbbing forehead.
2 But while her thought ran in
whirl and her heart beat tempestuou'
", the footsteps neared the stairwa
the unwelcome guests were one
more coming down. InstinctiveI
Kitty shrank behind the ragged brio
projections of the old chimney.
: Two stout-built, short men, dresst
/. in coarse gray, slouched down in
d the kitchen, with the easy conhden'
of those who imagine themselves e
tirely without witnesses. Kitty hi
u never seen them before, vet th'
: seemed quite posted as to the val
!. Gus rooms in the struggling farr
house.
Come on, jim, we've got all we
+ likely to get in this confounded o
ID shanty, said one, balancing his 10
e on one of the iron 6re-dogs, "and b
sides tha foll,s will come home pr