Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-05-06

at the same time, telling them what
hal happened. They started back af-
ter our friends while Mira was taken
care of by her mother who was very
much frightened Meantime we will
just look and see how our friends are
faring. Jenny, who seemed stunned
by her fall, soon came TO and found
herself in the hands of two ruffians
who seemed to be hunting for jewels.
They pulled her ring from her finger,
as one held u dark lantern up to her
face. "Why if it amt that little
schoolmam; | thought it was the other
one" swell, Tom, we might as well
look for jewels on church mouse as
on her." BY that time Jenny began
to scream and to call on her dear Dick
TO save her. They laughed and told
her that Dick had to go home, but they
reckoned without their host that time,
for Dick was Just near enough to hear
that call. He wiped the mud from his
eyes and grabbed huge billet of wood
and rushed for the scene of action
The first intimation that anyone was
near was when one of them bit the dust
and the blood spurted from his head
while the other one took to the woods.
Dick raised her from the cold ground,
showering kisses on the muddy face. 1t
seemed that she was more frightened
than hurt, but her ankle was sprained
in some way so she couldn't walk. Dick
picked her up with ease and started
for home. He had not gone far, how
ever, before he met Horace and his
father coming after them. Dick got
in the buggy while Horace tenderly
lifted Jenny in by the side of Dick, the
Captain wondering who could owe
them grudge. He only wished he
had been there with his blunderbuss
that he used to have on shipboard.
Jenny finally told him that she heard
one of them call the other Tom.
''If | could get my hands on that
miserable scoundrel, there would not
be grease enough left to make bar of
soap" declared the Captain. my
dear son, you must go armed after this
and the first sight you get of him, you
just get in the first shot, | will stand
by you"
When they arrived home Jenny was
undressed and put in warm bath and
carefully attended by Mrs. Blanchard.
There didn't seem to be any bones
broken in her ankle SO it was bandaged
and alter Il long time she dropped into
an Uneasy slumber from which she
would start and scream, only to settle
back again in slumber. Dick found a
good many bruises that he had not
noticed before, still he crawled off to
bed very thankful that they had escap-
ed as lucky as they did and closed his
tired and aching eyes to dream OF his
little wife and the sad commencement
OF their honeymoon. If he had only
known the many long years that would
intervene before he should call her his
wife before the world, methinks his
heart would have sunk within him, but,
my dear readers we must not antici-
pate.
Jenny was much better in the morn
ing. She came out and sat in the arm
chair while Horace and Dick lowered
near and Belle rejoiced that she did
not go. "Only think said she, 'If
I had gone, ] might have had my nose
broken or face Scared and what look
ing thing | would have been. feel as
though | should not dare to stir after
this"
Don't you worry" said the Captain,
as he brought out that same old blum
derbuss and proceeded to load it to the
muzzle with all the old scraps OF iron
he could find, "Now just let that Tom
show himself and he will be in good
shape for bolognas in less time than il
takes to tell it,.
They thought they would go and see
what had become of the fellow that
fell under Dicks stick, but all they
could find was some blood stains and "a
trail where he had been dragged away
by some one. And so the days went by
and Dick kept thinking, tomorrow
will tell Jenny.
One day there came letter for Jen-
ny from her sister, saying that her
mother was very sick with consumption
and would probably never be any bet
ter, in fact she would have to make
haste to see her alive. So Mira helped
Jenny pack up, that she might catch
the morning stage which left at seven
o'clock. When all was put in order,
the Captain called Jenny to him, say
ing: II am SO well pleased with your
help to the girls that shall pay you a
good sum beside your wages, but | dc
not think | shall need you again for
am going to send the girls away to
school,
Jenny showed her disappointment in
her eyes but thanked him for his kind
ness and retired for the night, while