Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-03-19

point to me. A posse 10 out look
ing for me. I've been running an
hiding for two days. Pm abou
spent. If they get me I'll swing
For heavens sake, girl, hide m
quick
'Qoick was word seldom hear,
in that locality. more seldom acte,
upon. She released the corners o
her apron and let the shelIed corr
stream into wooden bowl at he
feet. She never once took her eye
Oh the travel stained grab and Oh,
haggard face Of the man hefere her
Sbe carefully dusseE ssi,e loose bras
from her work-roughened hands be
fore speaking again:
And be you bloodguilty?'
Il am not
You don't look like Lumley Pass
folks. You be from town some.
where, reckin. How can | tell
whether you be lyin' to me or not?'
Il swear before heaven ] am in.
nocent.' q,
She darted away from him, but
was back before he had time to con
lecture. She held a tattered, back
less book in her hand.
This were mammy's Bible. Can
you swear on that?'
The stranger laid his right hand
solemnly on the book:
by your mothers Bible
Come long. then. Pop and the
boys will be home soon.'
She wrapped the book in her
apron. She turned swiftly and led
the way to an old stable, many de-
grees more d,lspidated than the
DWELLING house-which is condemn.
ing it totally. Slipping through a
crevice by preference to wrestling
with the huge, unmanageble doors,
she pointed upward to a loft ragged
ly filled with hay. The man was
close behind her.
Climb up and burrow under the
hay. Quick hear q mighty
trampin of hoofs! Bnt don't you
be scared, I'll manage EN-. You
It took she fugitive but q second
to vault upon the ramshackle feed
trough and from that into the hay
loft. She. standing on the edge of
the trough, scattered hay over him
literally. She was singing Justify,
discordantly, entirely by
homemade methods, while she was
about it.
The tramping of feet had sue
ceeded to that of hoofs. Filling her
arms with hay, still singing at the
top of her voice, Sue left the barn
just in time to confront her father,
brothers and half a dozen other
mountaineers. She leaned against
the barn door and stared at them.
In the name of wonder, folks,
what's up? A barn-ra -raisin'?'
On the top of the hay with which
her arms we're filled lay her blus
apron folded about the old Bible
She speculated vaguely about the
probable fate of a girl who shoulC
tell lie with the Bible right under
her nose. Her father was spokes
man for the searching party.
.Jeb Wilson's been done for dowr
in Davis Dell by a town chap
We's lookin' for him. Seen any
body pass this way, Sue?'
Sue laughed scornfully:
Likely, amt it, so many folk
pass this way 7
Her father laid his hand on tn
clumsy latch to the sagging bari
door; Sue Strengthened her bacI
against it resolutelv.
Not in there, pop. I've jus
found that old yeller turkey hel
we thought the minks had got
She's settin' up in the hay-loft
and / wouldn't have her pestere,
for forty Jeb Wilson's. No,
wouldn't! She do look so peace
ful and proudlike. Bud Frank
take the gentlemen to the spring
house and give 'em a bait of be-,
termilk. Fresh churned this morn
in. gentlemen. And you uus d
look like you'd been swallerin' yc
peck er dust all t'oncet.'
Lumley took his hand of th
latch and faced toward the men.
We're fooIin' away valerble time
gents. Will you step down to th
m,lk house and vet yo' whistles b,
fore wa stirt a0'iu -