The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-08-14
aiscellanenlls.
A HEROINE.

goes over TO boil at four clock, and
keep an eye to the roast meat, for the
deacon don't like it burned"
Yes. INA am, I'll be sure and re-
member" said kitty Clifford, curt
seying prettily.
And Kate" said Deacon Osprey,
| don't let strangers i'll, whatever you
do, for there 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 ii footstool
blushing and smiling, to tie Mr.. Sias'
cravat for meeting.
And Mrs. Osprey, who had followed
her husband out to the solid looking
old lumber wagon. gave meaning
back ri glance.
II think Sias is getting fond of our
Kitty, said the mother sagelY.
is he :" said the deacon, with dis
turhed face. But, wife, how little we
know about her, except since the day
she came here with her little bundle
under her arm, asking for service"
Yes, that's very true said Mrs.
Osprey, but she's pretty and smart,
and | know she's good, and"
"Silas Silas. Are you going to
stand there all day. called out the
father, and so they drove away, with
Kitty standing at the lonely farm
house door, her silken brown curls
blown about in the dismal November
wind, and her brown eyes sparkling
beneath her prettily arched brows.
She went back into the house, sing
ing softly under her breath, to pre-
pare things for the tea dinner which
the hungry church goerS would expect
when they returned home.
She had put the padding on to bell
as the Kitchen clock chimed four, and
ran down into the cellar to get the
vegetables from their bins. tShe was
gone but IA minute or two, but when
she returned, the door leading up
stairs, which she had left closed, stood
wide open. and OH the lower stair Il
muddy footprint was distinctly inn
printed.
kitty's heart stood still with unde
fined terror, us she remembered the
bag of twenty dollar pieces in the big
back chamber chest.
Ard while she stood there, holding
by the table for support she could
hear confused footsteps upstairs, and
the murmur of deep voices. Then
there was more than one.
What can | do? Oh, what can do!
thought Kitty, clasping both her
hands over her forehead.
But while her thoughts ran in ii
whirl and her heart beat tempestu
ously, the footsteps neared the stair
way-the unwelcome guests were once
more coming down. lnstinctively
Kitty shrank behind the ragged brick
projections of the old chimney.
Two stout built, short men, dressed
in coarse gray, slouched down into the
kitchen, with the easy confidence of
those who imagine themselves entire
~ without witnesses. Kitty had new
err seen them before, yet they seemed
quite posted as to the various roous
in the struggling farmhouse.
Come on, Jim, we've got all were
likely TO get III this COMPOUNDED old
shanty," said one, land besides the
folks will he home presently
Sandy Bill afraid - jeeringly cali
ed out the other, vino was opening and
shutting the various cupboards and
drawers about the apartment, greedily
eying their contents.
Halo here's some silver spoons.
STOW 'em away. and let ) be NOV
ing" said Bill
"Well, come then" said the other,
discontentedly, Il oplne five hundred
amt IL bad days work.
And they lounged out, side by side,
with Il cool deliberation that was al
most appalling to the trembling girl
who lurked in the shadow of the jag
ged brick work.
But Kitty Clifford's mind had been
at work while she stood there; her
resolution was taken.
Hurriedly tying Il shawl around her
head and shoulders, she sprang out of
the house by the back way, and has
| tened through a lonely piece of woods
which formed short cut to the road
they must presently emerge upon.
On either side the road was shut i'll
I by stunted cedar bushes, mingled with
| the clever growth of the cleaning sill
yer birch, and Kitty knew she could
keep in sight of them unseen.
! The ring of coming footsteps echoed
! on the hard, frozen ground. Kitty 5
| conjecture had proved correct-they
had taken the Hill Road.
Onward, steadily onward, they
! pushed, Kitty contriving to keep near
" parallel with them, though she had
to fight her way through matted vines
and thorny bushes.
As she stepped unconsciously upon
the fallen branch of IL decayed tree, it
snapped beneath her tread with II
sharp, splintering sound The two
men paused to listen, seemed to con
suit together an instant, and then
turned quickly toward the very copse
in which she was hiding.
Poor Kitty. She sank noiselessly
down like IL wounded bird, crouching
away in mortal terror. But although
their footsteps almost touched the
huttering ends of her brown shawl.
the gathering dust stood her friend,
and they passed by, unconscious OF
her presence.
1t was several minutes before Kitty
dared to rise once more to her feet;
and then they were half way up the
hillside, dotted with blackened stumps
where IL charcoal burners Shanty,
long unused, and in ruinous condi-
ton, stood. with its one unglaZed win.
dow seeming to survey the valley like
an eye.
Kitty saw them disappear into the