Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-04-23
SHEPHERDSTOWN W. VA, THURSDAY, APRIL %. 1896.
The stranger laid his right hand
solemnly on the book:
"By your mothers Bible -

! 4Ae stranger Ialu MS tlSuI manu-
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 degrees more d.
lapidated than the dwelling-house-
which is condemning it totally. Slip
ping through crevice by preference
to wrestling with the huge, unmanage-
able doors, she pointed upward to a
loft raggedly filled with hay. The
man was close behind her.
Climb up and burrow under the
hay. Quick-I hear a mighty tramp
in of hoofs But don't you be
scared, III manage EN-. You can trus
me"
1t took the fugitive but a 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, somewhat discord-
antly, entirely by homemade methods,
while she was about it.
The tramping of feet had succeeded
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 dozen other mountaineers.
She leaned against the barn door and
stared at them
an the name er wonder, folks,
what's up? A barn raisin?'
On top of the hay with which her
arms were filled lay her blue apron
folded about the old Bible. She spec
ulated vaguely about the probable fate
of girl who should tell a lie with the
Bible right under her nose Her
father was spokesman for the search
ing party.
"Jeb Wilson's been done for down
in Dayis's Dell by town chap. We're
looking for him. Seen anybody pass
this way, Sue?'
Sue laughed scornfully:
Likely, amt it, SO many folks pass
this way
Her father laid his hand on the
clumsy latch to the sagging barn door.
Sue Strengthened her back against it
resolutely.
Not in there, pop. Tvejust found
that old yeller turkey hen we thought
the minks had got. Shes sittin' up
in the hay-loft, and wouldn't have
her pestered for forty Jeb Wilson's.
No, wouldn't! She do look so peace
full and proudlike. Bud Frank, take
the gentlemen to the spring-house and
oive EN- q bait er buttermilk. Fresh
churned this mornin, gentlemen.
And you uns do look like you'd been
swallerin yo' peck er dust all t oncet.
LumIey took his hand off the latch
and faced toward the men.
Were foolin' away valerble time,
gents. VIII you step down to the
milk house and wet 20 whistles be-
fore We start ag'in?"
Wont the gentleman stay and
take a bite?" Sues hospitality waxed
urgent as she perceived her father
was bent on pushing toward. "Twon't
take me more'n half an hour, pop, to
get EN- somethin' hot"
They'll have something hot when
we ketch the feller that done for Jeb
Wilson ; so will he
This witticism revived the tagging
energy of his followers, and after
hurried excursion to the spring-house,
Sue had the satisfaction Of seeing
them mount their horses and disap-
pear down the steep, stony bridlepath
by which they had come.
When the last hoof-beat had ceased
to sound upon the rocky ground, she
fed her prisoner, and loading him
down with provisions and good adj
vice, sent him away in an opposite
direction from that taken by the
horsemen. He turned and waved his
hat to her before the black woods
swallowed him up.
"Of course won't never see him
again," she said stolidly, "and l don't
know as care to but lied for him,
right on top of mammy's Bible, and
that's going to make it bard for Inc to
forget him out and out.
In point of fact, she found it i'm
possible to forget him "out and out. "
She called herself mean spirited
creature for clinging 50 tenaciOusly to
his memory, but It did not mend the
matter at all
Jeb Wilson real slayer was discov-
cred and summarily dealt with. Jeb
Wilson himself was well nigh forgot