The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-04-05

An alibi will be complete"
But our tracks from here to the
cut?''
BILLY, you are singularly slow. Do
you SEQ that cloud on the horizon? Be
foro night it will snow. Our footmarks
will DO utterly wiped out"
Billy considered moment. Then he
said triumphuntly: but tho impress
sions will harden this surface They'll
get onto us if ever they sweep away tho
now fall of snow
Lingo Dan shrugged his shoulders
whence the inspiration of that remark
l know not. l think you must have
been reading Conan Doyle. Well you
can DO quite sure that there arc no Sher-
lock Holmeses in this part of the coun-
try. Dear me!''
at this last exclamation Billy looked
| curious. Whats up?" he asked.
| For an instant or two Lingo Dan
made no reply. Ho was looking intently
at the highway OH which the two riders
were approaching. In point of fact, tho
occurrence that attracted his attention
was singular enough. AS they rode slow
! ly side by side down the slope of tho
road that came to tho shanty from the
east tho young mans left arm slowly
| disengaged itself from tho reins of his
horse and passed behind the waist of
his human companion. Their bodies
and their heads came gently, carefully
together. The girls hand went up to
her chin, detaching the veil and relegat-
| ing it tn her forehead, and then her arm
encircled the young man. Their faces
met in kiss. The horses heads hung
down. and their feet amblcd leisurely.
Tired after their hill climbing cantcr,
they took this respite thankfully enough
1t was kiss that lasted longer than do
most kisses. Tho adventurous circum-
stances and the pcrilous nature of their
position tended to fill both these riders
with the ACCESSIBILITY of making tho
most of bliss. To them the kiss was but
an lnfinitesimal instant of happiness.
10 any one not concerned in it its length
would have seemed an eternity. All
these things the watcher in tho cottage
observed.
1T is evident, he said presently,
that this is no ordinary case. They
are lovers, but they are also more-they
are clipping. This complicatos matters.
1t makes onr booty greater, but it in
creascs thc--h m--thc difficulty. Yes,
| am afraid this will he a-what did wo
say in the Quadrangle mauvas quart
d'heure?''
'What're you driving at?' Billy
glowered at his companion in evident
disgust ut his high flown phrases
My dear Billy, here are tho facts:
Two persons when they clopc are pre-
pairing for future. Hciice tho young
man lines his pockets before he starts.
He lines his pockets, however, both
from without and within. Realizing the
risk he is running, he puts pistols in
his hip pockets rs we'll as purse over
his brcast'
II reckon that's likely
THANK you. Your acQuiescencc,
Billy. soothes spirit slightly ruilled by
the prospect of discourtcsy. for, to tell
the truth | fear we shall have to-h'm
silence these two first and inquire aft
onward. 1t would be SO Internally I'M
pleasant, you see, if he got tho drop Oh
us. Understand. then, that we are not
to take risks. You, Billy, will sight
for the girl. I'll take the man."
There was a click as Billy sent the
hammer of his ritlo to tho full cock.
Lingo Dan stretched ont his long arm,
picked up the other weapon and rested
the barrel carefully OH tho window SILL
The riders were quito close to the
house, and the love in tho eyes of each
shono out with Il sort of spiritual bril-
lance. They leaned together again and
joined lips in Il long. delicious kiss.
And while they kissed two shots rang
out on tho crystal air.
An old woman living on the outskirts
of Libertytown rcjoices in the peculiar
sobriquct of Mrs. Early Worm. This
IS one can only suppose, duo to her
habit OF rising at most iniinitcsimal
hour Ill mdwintcr as well as in mid
summer AS to her reasons for this sim
gular course there is nothing but con-
lecture. She is said to have driven her
husband To an early grave, and then.
overcome by remorsc, to have sworn to
seek none but an early grave herself.
However that may be, tho things that
Mrs Early Worm saw OH the morning
of the goth of February, 1S9-, are facts
and have nothing to do with tho realm
of conjecture.
When she arose, tho would was still,
in spite of its coating of snow, very
dark. There was light, to he sure, of
that curious, indefinite gray that dis
tlnguishcs the birth of n day in winter
time. She was proceeding to the wood
shed to pick up the usual armful of
kindling wood for the kitchen stove
when suddenly she said Land sakes!
what is that:' and stood stock still in