The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-19

strength begnn TO desert her; evening was
drawing ON. and the varied emotions
through which she had passed that day
had done even more to exhaust her than
her bodily fatigue She felt that she could
90 no further unless she sat down To rest
and crouching under tho wall of shed
on the outskirts of the village. she buried
her face on her knees, living picture oil
despair.
She had sat motionlesss for some time
when voices on the other side of the wall
reused her from her stupor. she knew
where she was sitting-under the shelter
of Jacob Pilbeam's hog pound, ana IL
was Jacobs voice that first caught her
ear.
There, Master George what dye think
o. sheY"
A Qrunt and a squeal followed, showing
that s'she" bad been stirred mp by her
masters foot that she might exhibit her-
self in all her native beauty
''What dye say she weighs now, ehY"
went on Jacob
WELL said another voice, which
Mother Michell recognized as that OF
George Bostock, the son of the farmer, for
whom Jacob worked, II should say she
weighs thirty stun.
THIRTY stunt said Jacob, In high
dudgeon-'' she weighs forty and better;
she's teri bic deep pig surelyeF
The discussion did not much interest
Mother Michell and she was about To rise
voice Of the village constable broke In
upon the tete e-a-tete.
Good evening TO you I've had rare
journey today, just about
''What have you been doingY' asked
Master George.
I've been over to the country town:
twas inspection day, and q mort o.
bother it makes. But there was Dne
business over there. for there's been
fight last night and a man killed, aud mis-
4 ~ .tx dc
ten TO the finder and ten 20 the consta-
bic who brings the man In.
whats he like?" asked Bostock.
"A thick black beard, they told US,
black hair and suit o. corduroys. wish
luck 'ud send him this way
Not likely 7" said Bostock.
"If there's a warrant out against him
he's off To the sheeres by this time. But
its dry work talking; come round TO the
Red Lion and have drop OF some
thing"
Mother Michel rose hastily TO her feet
and hobbled away In the gathering twi-
light; she was too sick and sore in heart
to wish for conversation with any human
being tonight, and grasping her stick
more firmly she crossed the churchyafd
and set herself to climb the lepers' path.
All through the weary journey the
words that she had just heard rang In
her mind: Twenty pounds reward. ten
TO the finder. ten for the constable who
brings tho mau in" II only luck would
send him In her way, how proudly would
she not meet Sally Tredcroft
1t was nearly dark before she reached
Fridays Church. and, opening the cot.
tage door, she sank down on her stool,
completely exhausted; the cat came up
and purred as he rubbed himself against
her, but she was so dispirited and weary
that she hardly noticed him She had sat
silently for some quarter OF an hour when
an unex pvcted noise made her raise her
head. In an ordinary way there was
nothing in the sound to cause alarm. but
at that hour and In that lonely spot 10
was sufficiently startling, for IL was
neither more nor less than deep
hoarse cough.
Mother Mitchell started to her feet and
sood listening with her hand TO her ear,
but there was nothing more to be heard,
and sna had almost persuaded herself
thatsit was only her fancy, when another
cough, louder and deeper than the Iirst,
rang out in the stiffness There was no
doubt where 1t came from, the wall that
divided tho cottage from the shed was
thin and scanned with many a crack, and
she knew that her unexpected visitor
must be concealed within tho rough
lean-to.
Few tramps visited Fridays Church
there was nothing to be got there for one
thing; ard for another, Mother Micholl
had not the best Of regulations No harm
TO man, woman or child had ever been
proved against her, but 1t stood to reason
that an old woman, who lived away from
all her neighbors and never passed the
time Of day with any one whom she could
avoid, must be something more than
ordinary. 1t was not likely TO he a tramp,
then, and sudden thought darted into
her mind; might it not be the man
with the thick black beard on whose
head price was sety
Her fatigue and disappointment were
Ia. eIs.ts II has
had never existed; she stood upright,
hardly daring TO breathe, but though her
body was mctionless, her brain was work
ing with the raDidity Of lightning. The
first thing TO be done was TO get sight of
the stanger; bur how that was TO be
accomplished without his knowledge was
not an easy matter, She dared not take
her lantern lest she should alarm him.
aud without IL she feared that IL would
pe too dark TO get a sight OF him; but
fortune favored her beyond her expecta-
tions; tho moon was shining brightly,
and as She cautiously approached the shed
and looked through crnck In the wall,
she saw her visitor lying full length in
the beams that fell through the opposite
window.
"Thck black beard. black hair, suit
of curduroysW
Mother Michel had never walked so
swiftly in all her life as she did when she
recrossed the lepers' path that night.
She would not let herself stop 10 think
fer the code of hospitality Is sacred and
shc felt that 1t was base decd TO betray
the fugitive under her roof.
Hes somebody's boy - said a voice
within her breast but she silenced 10
angrily. That black bearded ruilian could
DO dear 20 no one, and why should no not
be sacrificed for .Ienl. her 'sinock faced"
.jem. whose smooth girlish ohoeks were tho
only innocent thing about himy
IL was 10 o'clock when she reached the
village. and the constable started when
he opened his door and saw the strange
figure on the threshold. a word was
enough tc enlighten him. however. and
dashing out Of his house he ran To Bos-
tcck's farm 20 borrow horse and cart
ana 20 secure help for the capture
Mother Micbell's steps were as slow
now as thew had been swift before; she
did not repent of her deed. but she had
no wish 10 sec the prisoner taken and she
waited till the men We're well on their
way before sbo set out on her return Jour
ncy. Ii was with almost feeling Of re-