Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-12-12

have brought your gang Of six to one
to shoot me down or hang me-"
Then he folded his arms and raised
his head and his voice rang out deter
minedly:
DO your worst, YOU pack of raven
Ing wolves! Lay your plans to destroy
my work--plot' your brave schemes to
take my life-prepare the moose, the
rope, the knife, have Everything ready
to add one more murder to your list,
and then-then lay your hands upon me
If you dare" And his eyes glared at
them savagely with the fury of an
angry tiger.
Hardly had his voice ceased to echo
through the shanty when one OF the
rutflans sprang forward with shout
and snatched his pistol from the table.
He is unarmed. Take him by force!
he shouted. viciously, and the whole
gang surged forward together as II to
tear his limbs asunder. - -
Stand back.' Carl's voice rang out
boldly. then quick as lightning his arm
shot forth and blow felled the nearest
brute to the floor. Then, just as he re-
covered himself for a second attack,
his eyes were drawn irresistibly to-
ward the window, wher nee more the
CHASTITY face of the girl peered in upon
the scene before her.
Look there!" Carl whispered tragi-
cally, as he pointed toward the window.
There is the ghost of your, murdered
girl! How dare you think to slay an
other?"
AS If expecting and dreading this
very apparition, the men turned, almost
with one accord, and glanced in fear
at the narrow window, There was
shrek from one. curse from sanother,
and, seing his chance In that moment
of horror, Carl sprang forward and
wrenched his pistol from the leaders,
hand, and for second the whole place
beloved with the rapid emptying of its
chambers.
Springing over that tumble of writh-
ing forms. Carl hurriedly collected his
papers, and then remembering, even in
his danger, the volume of poems. he
snatched the book from the table and
thrust it into his pocket. Then he
picked his way carefully across the
rocks, a few stray bullets keeping him
ominous company. and by running al
ways in the shadow. was soon far away
from the little shanty.
There is a train at eleven" he whis-
pered to himself, that will take me
east of the Mississippi" and then he
stopped running, almost too suddenly,
as another, vision came swiftly upon
him. y
kitty" he called tenderly; Kitty.
darling, is it you, or am 1 still in the
land of spirits?"
Without a sound the young girl hur-
ried toward him and threw herself into
his outstretched arms. Take me with
you." she sobbed frantically. Take
me with you or they will kill me too,''
and Carl. almost without thoughtsof
what he was doing, half led. half car
ried her to the station.
A year later in their Eastern house,
Carl Manning and his wife sat, down
for their aftersdinuer chatting.
$50 old Tom johnson was not your
father, after ALL" Carl said over and
over, as though the repetition of the
words were something more than ordi-
narily pleasant. Then he took her On
MS knee ana MS race assumed a
thoughtful expression. p
f, well, I am glad did not kill him,
any. way" he said softly. although
the owner of the mine says might just
as we'll have done SO, for I crippled
every man Of them that evening"" Then
he smiled more tenderly into her eyes
as he added in a lighter tone: But
what am sorry for, little one. is that
l did not wait to solve the mystery of
that woman's face, for as live, it was
she that saved mel! I'd. ..-
Without a word Kitty slid down from
his knee and began ransacking in her
box of treasures. "Will this help you
any to lay her ghost?" she said, merri-
ly, and then! she unfolded, before his
astonished eyes the half of, his poem,
"Annabel Lee," and tried to smooth
out the Jagged edges.