Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-09-30

kinder rongh sight for n lady. You
see, we're posse over from Tulare,
trying to find man named Smith.
His tracks, they seemed to pint this
way. Amt seen any stranger round
here lately?"
"No, indeed"
''No wood-chopper nor nothing?"
"No, none. What has this man
done? What does he look like?"
Real nice and young and kind.
Not more'n boy. Murdered q man
over there Here's his description,
and he handed me coarsely printed
Reward. Well, boys, get move
on. We're on cur way to La Huerta, 4"
he added, ''to borrow Waite's dogs.
Well, good day, ma'am. Better not
harbor any strangers"
A moment more and, left alone, I
thought over the situation. Cedric
gone, no neighbor near, and a mur-
derer at large whose steps ''p'inted
this way" Suddenly it was borne in
| upon me that Anne was the fugitive.
A firm believer in womaus intui-
tions, yet hoping desperately that
mine was at fault, 1 unfolded the
paper the sheriff gave me. 1t tailed
well. Moroseness, agitation, all were
explained.
Did Anne guess that her identity
was known, my life, L feared, would
pay the penalty. To ignore the situa-
ton, live through the night if possible,
and trust to someone turning up in the
morning was all that could be done.
Milking-time brought fresh terrors.
How guard ones self, with both hands
engaged letting down floods of warm,
innocent milk? Dinner was eaten
hurriedly, with the same feeling of
uneasiness. Billikins tucked in his
crib, Anne retired early, and, every
sense on the alert, / was left alone to
watch the nursery door.
1t fascinated me. Who would open
it? Anne, to hide among the canons
till the posse had returned to its Tulare
home? Or Henry Smith, to make an
end OF me and fee? Truly, the ranch
monotony was broken at last. Sol
emnly the clock licked, slowly the
hands went round, an hour passed. A
movement in the adjoining room, and
literally my blood ran cold. That had
hitherto seemed mere figure of
speech. The sound ceased, and still
watched the nursery door. At last,
when my brain would have turned
with more, [ heard sound which,
faint at first, grew louder and louder.
"Oh, heaven" cried, "the blood
hounds!" and fell senseless to the
ground.
Slowly returned to consciousness,
my gaze fell on Cedric, the La Huerta
sheriff, and Anne--Anne anxiously ap-
plying restoratives!
Take him away" I gasped; he will
murder u.s."
"You are raving" cried Cedric;
''that is Anne"
'No; Smith, the murderer. The
blood-hounds tracked him to the very
door"
Here Hiram Waite thought fit to
interpose.
"Guess / can straighten out this
kink, Mrs. Allandale. You did hear
the hounds, they're up at the barn
now. Your husband, he heard at La
Huerta we was beatin' up this part of
the country, so he lit out for home,
thinkin' you'd be scared. We caught
our man hidin' by the 'Dobe Hill, and
the Tulare boys took him back to
town. Your husband and me was
tired, so we made tracks for here.
Sorry bout the dogs. Might ha'
known they'd scare you"
The Honorable Anne next day gave
warning. eff you please, ma am, you
and Mr.. Allandale have been very
kind, and [ love Mr.. Billikins like my
own, but I can't stay where Two been
so misiudged."
"Iore candor on yourEpart would
have prevented your being mis-
judged"
She blushed. 81 often wanted to
tell you, 'am-what L first said
wasn't true. L came from England
when / was baby. I haven't any
brother, and, 1 never went to La
Huerta." "
"Ah!"
'"The kinder you was, ma'am, the
meaner L felt; and L was afraid Mr..
Allandale would go to the hospital;
and, worst of all, my heart stood still
when he spoke of Mr.. Waite. For he
and my stepfather are cousins, and I
was afraid he would guess who 1
was"
'Your stepfather?"
''Yes, ma'am, mother married Jim
Waite the second time, and it was
him that came with the posse and
frightened me. He was such bad.
cruel man that couldn't stand it, so 1
ran away"
GLOW did you happen to reach
Vaquero Water?"
with some friends in one of those
big wagons they call prairie schoon-
ers.' Tulare folks go to the coast