The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-04-30

that the daughter of James Duncan
could not we'll help inheriting some
thing of his cautious habit. AT length
she said: perhaps you could think
! of some way to help him; I'll tell you
the story, but you mustn't t say anything
about it at home till after I've told
father. Let's move back little way,
so he can't see us from down there"
They retreated few steps from the
brow of the cliff and Elsie sat down upon
a log, while Philip stretched himself
upon the grass at her feet.
1.-The trouble commenced long time
ago, when the mountaineers used to
make whisky and sell it to the valley
people," she began. ''They knew it
was against the law, but don't think
they cared much about that, and, any
way, they kept on till one time the
revenue officers raided the mountain.
| At that time John Kilgrow was living
on little farm over yonder where you
see the old orchard, and for years he
| had been in the habit of making a few
gallons of apple brandy from the apples
| that he couldn't sell. I'm sure he never
thought he was doing wrong; and
father says he never sold any of the
brandy, though he used TO give it away,
sometimes, to his neighbors. Besides
the place up here, he owned a farm i'll
the big valley, and that was rented out
to a man by the name of Gates.
Father says Gates always had a bad
name; he used to encourage the NOUN
taineers to make whisky, and then he
would help them sell it in the valley.
He was owing Mr.. Kilgrow two or
three years back rent at the time of
the raid, and to get out of paying he
told the deputy constable-or what
ever you call him-that Mr.. Kilgrow
rrade brandy, Offering to show him the
house and the still"
"rhe internal wretch!-I beg your
pardon--I didn't mean to be profane.
Please go on"
Gates did what he said he would,
but he was sharp enough to see that
Mr.. Kilgrow might get clear if he was
taken, or that he himself might be ar
rested as a witness; SO he went to Mr..
Kilgrow first and pretended to warn
him as friend. Did you ever hear OF
such mean thing"
Never. l hope it didn't succeed"
"Yes, it did; it all turned out just as
Gates had planned. The revenue men
surrounded the house, but Mr.. Kilgrow
got out of back window and ran. They
chased him clear away over to the other
side Of the mountain, shooting at him
every time they caught sight of him,
and soaring the poor old man so that
he left the country and never did come
back till this spring. And now. as
say. he's afraid of everybody, except
father, and he lives all alone in cave
down there in the Pocket, farming that
little patch of land for living"
"And what became of the heavy vi
lain?-Cates, | mean"
That's what makes it so bad. When
he was sure that Mr.. Kilgrow had left
the country he told it around that he
had bought the farm in the valley; and
when the new town company came
along he sold it to them, took the
money and went away"
Thorndyke's studies in the law had
necessarily been the reverse of prac-
tical. but as he sat up and reflectively
nursed his knees he was surprised at
the readiness with which the lawyers
point of view suggested itself.
How large was this farm in the
valley?" he inquired, after few mo-
ments of thoughtful silence.
81 don't know that, but father says
If Mr.. Klgrow had his rights he would
own half of Allacoochee."
Philip went into another revery, COM
ing out of it to say: 81 wish were well;
| should enjoy taking up thing of this
kind. I've half a mind to try it, any
way, and take the chances on living
long enough to see it through. You
didn't kHow I was lawyer, did you?"
mo, indeed; are you?"
II presume I'm not, in the useful
sense of the word. though I have
piece of parchment somewhere among
my belongings that says am. Perhaps,
however, I could scare up enough COM
mon sense to help your old friend out
of his trouble; it seems to be very
clear case"
"Oh, Mr. Thorndyke! If you could
| oHlN w UHdI!
Her face was alight with the sacred
enthusiasm that makes an irresistible
| special pleader of every good woman
enlisted in the cause of the unfortunate,
and for the second time that day Thorn
dyke felt the subtle inspiration of her
personality tingling through his veins
like the fire of a strange wine. There
were incendiary things at the tip of his
tongue. but he withheld them. rising
and saying that they had better go
back to the farmhouse. On the long
walk across the plateau he said but lit
tie, asking an occasional question bear
ing upon Elsie's story and listening at
tentively to her explanations. just be-
fore they came in sight of the house he
asked her to wait moment.
"If am to do anything for your old
mountaincer I must first have your IA
theirs confidence. Have you made up
your mind to tell him that I'm in The
secret?"
Eyes. indeed; shall tell him to-
night"
"Then you may say that I am willing
TO do anything I can in the matter"
"I'll tell him. It's very good and kind