The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-03-25

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letting her head drop moodily on her
hands.
You had better rest here awhile, f"
said the young man softy. ''My wife
VIII make you n cup oftea, and I'll
slip ovor TO see If they have found Gar
field.
Outside the moon was shining bright
ly, the air hung hazy in the distance,
but was cold enough withal that the
young man buttoned up his coat and
stepped out briskly. His course led
him through stretch of woods by a
large farm, on by grove of beech and
naples, and past the Quaker meeting
house and school cleaning a brilliant
white in the moonlight. Another
farm house and then the Beekin home
stead, where all was light and excite
ment with the wailing of women drift
ing out on the night. The young man
understood the signs so well that he
stopped not to inquire, but hastened
on. n long curve in the road, dip
from the hill down into the valley and
there on bridge spanning a turbulent
little stream was a crowd OF dozen
men.
a large, burly blacksmith, the appa-
rent leader of the crowd, was address
! ing the men:
"Now, boys" he was saying, "we've
/ bin over the hull road, and inter all the
meaders and we hain't found him yit.
Now the next thing is to tackle these
woods. Well all spread out and 90
right through them and back again,
and if we don't find i'm we'll know
the reason why. First We'll all holler
agin.n
The yell that followed was enough
to wake the dead, but elected no re-
sponse. Then youth shot off an old
musket he had purloined for the oc-
casion and got kicked by it into the
creek for his pains. In the general
laugh that followed the party separat-
ed aud the young man found himself
in the wake of two men whom he at
last recognized with start.
They were both Dutehmen, one a
burly broad-shouldered six-footer,
Quaker and happy in the recent ae-
quirement of his second wife. The
other was small, slim and wiry, quick
tempered and mad.y jealous OF the
other for marrying the woman on
whom he had been wont to bestow no
small degree of affection of his own.
The conjunction was ominous.
The big mans name was George, the
others Augustus.
They pushed through the bushes in
silence for a time, not noticing the
young man in the rear, and then the
little man opened the ball:
al subbose yoa feel bretty good now
days, Meester Blone ~
''Don't meester me-" growled the
big man, ''eall me Shorge, plain
ShOrge."
''Piain Shorge, yah tam plain you
we're ven you vas courtin' Katrina
New clothes, new boots, smellin' salts
on your hair, shust like Won big turkey
cock, Plain Shorge-bah-tam
Thee hadt as fair show as T." re-
turned the Quaker stiiily.
"Me a fair show? Vat aboudt all
der lies you told? Toldt her had
Won wife living yet in der old country,
Won wife alretty in dis-dot / vas"
al only toldt her der truth - thun-
dered the Quaker, turning squarely
upon the other.
"Der truth ~ screamed Augustus
''Der truth You lie ~
With mighty bound the little fel
low sprang upon the Quaker and clutch
ed him by the throat.
Together they writhed to and fro and
then just as the young man was hast
ening forward an awful howl arose
upon the air, a gun was discharged
under the feet of the combatants,
dark form rose suddenly from the
ground between them, forcing them
apart as it dashed away and full into
the arms of the young man, who was
thrown TO the ground with something
he knew not what in his grasp.
ats him." yelled the Quaker. ats
Garfieldt ~
The young man kicked and swore
and finally succeeded in rolling over
and getting to his feet, still retaining his
hold on the hapless and frantic Gar
field.
"What the devil is the matter with
him, anyway" grumbled the young
man, as the two Dutchmen came up.
Ivy, can't thee see he's almost scairt
himself crazy" said the Quaker.
"Yah, We know all aboudt it, don't
We, Meester Blone?'' cried the little
Dutchman insultingly.
The big Quaker reached out and
caught the other by the coat collar,
lifted him from the ground and held
him at arms length.
''Gus, ven | saidt told her der truth
meant vat | said. Ven / tell thee
now dot if thee ever speaks nit me
again will break every bone NIT thy
body means dot, too! Now gor'
And with that he raised him 2 kick
that sent the unlucky Augustus into
heap of dead brush, from which he
emerged and skunk away wiser and
meeker man.
Then the big Quaker turned 70 the
trembling boy:
''Vat for we're thee hiding Garfield"
az was afraid they'd lick me-" blub-
bered the boy. He was about 10, with
a vacant expression about his eyes that
bespoke but weak mind, with face
illumined now by abject terror.
'Dot's vot fought. But never thee
mindt," he went on kindly; "dey
Won't lick thee now."
The others now began to arrive on
the scene, foremost among whom was
the boys father, tall, Manufactured
and red-haired farmer. When the
situation was explained to him he
started angrily toward his son.
"Hidin', was ye? he cried; 'Tll hide
ye," and he raised heavy stick above
his head. Now the big Quaker had
not Ion0 heen n member of that sect