Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1897-08-31
NEW SERIES, VOL. X9XII, NO. So.

Then he assured me that the treasure
was safe with Nettie, as no one would
think of injuring her.
1--WE had been talking nearly an hour
when there was the sound of a muffied
CRY and a body falling against the door
Rosser reached it with spring and
threw it open, TO find a woman stretched
across the step. Quickly he lifted her in
his strong arms and laid her gently on
the rough couch had pulled before the
blazing logs 1twas Nettie, unconscious
and apparently more dead than alive.
Her long. waving hair was loose, di.
sheveled by the wind and wet with snow
that melted TO glittering drops in the
warm glow of the room. Her upturned
face, with its perfectly chiseled features,
had the unattninable beauty of the art
lists dream Through all that terrible
storm she had made her way for half a
mile without wrap or even the slip
pers in which she sat while awaiting
her fathers return, for they had been
lost in the first few steps. As I grasped
her pretty hands to chafe them they
tightly clutohed the canvas bag to her
bosom, and only when the half crazed
RoSser forced some brandy down her
throat did she relinquish her hold.
Trying to rise, she said rapidly:
Hurry, father, hurry. 1t was Black
Joe. He's locked in the strong closet. I
brought the money. You said you knew
I would protect it. There it is. How
Black Joe did curse and swear to kill
us bothl But captured him And her
unnatural laugh told how intense had
been the strain upon her nerves.
"We found the villain vainly trying
to batter his way out, and in due time
a long sentence put him out of tho way.
He had stolen in upon Nettie shortly
after her father left No threats could
induce her to betray the hiding place of
the money till she suddenly devised
scheme to keep both it and the robber.
Appearing to yield, she told Joe to look
behind the chest in the closet which
Rosser had built of strong oak planlSs rs
a place of safety for his few valuables.
He made her hold candle while he
searched. As he leaned over the chest
Nettie summoned all her strength and
courage, threw the door shut, clapped
the hasp over the staple and closed tho
hook that was attached This she
strengthened with an iron poker aud
l4eHr St4LlAB luS DiE AAt
hearthstone, hurried from her prisoner
and his blood curdling threats.
81 loved her and told her so. But she
was as courageous morally as physical
ly. She was not fitted for my station in
life Wait two years and see if 1 still
wanted her Her father was going to
send her away for n time. protested,
but she went, and only heard occasion
ally, through her father, that she was
well and happy. One night some IS
months later was at pretentious So
cial gathering in Memphis. was not n
society man, but had gone as an old
friend of the family. Some one sang,
and L thought it the divinest music l
had ever heard. AS the singer rose from
the piano got view of regal beauty,
who seemed familiar to me, but only
knew her when that voice had learned
to know so well in the mountains re-
sponded to an introduction. il was Net
tie, who had been getting her education,
and never had woman accomplished
more in the same length of time. She
was the belle of the aristocratic circle
in Memphis, but when had drawn her
apart she laughingly admitted that 1
had the refusal of her and that she was |
just the same honest girl she used to be. !
1 protested so vigorously that we cut the |
period short. And she was |
your beautiful grandma, little one. ~
DatrOit Free Press