Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-08-14

tion, live through the night il 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, I was left alone to
watch the nursery door.
1t fascinated ME. Who would open
it? Aune, to hide among the canons
till the posse had returned to its Tulare
home? Or Henry Smith, to make an
end of me and flee? Truly, the ranch
monotony was broken ut 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
speaeh. The sound ceased, and still I
watched the nursery door. At last,
when my brain would have turned
with more, I 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" gasped; lie 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 I eau 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 I love Mr. Billikins like my
own, but can't stay where I've been
so misjudged."
"More candor ON your ipart would
have prevented your being mis-
Judged"
She blushed. 81 often wanted to
tell you, ma 'am-what J. first said
wasn't true. I came from England
when I was baby. I haven't any
brother, and, ! never went to La
Huerta."
"Ah!"
"The kinder you was, ma'am, the
meaner I felt; and 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 bal.
cruel man that I couldn't stand it, so /
ran away"
"How 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
every year; but they don't dare go
there straight, it's too much change.
They always stop at the Iron Spring to
cool off first"
10 cool off Mt ninety in the shade!
"Soon as we came to the spring, [
heard about you, and thought I'd try
for the place."
"But how much better to have told
me the truth"
"I knew Mr.. Allandale was English,
ma'am, aud they are that particular L
was afraid he'd send me home"
Surely the story of Lady Emily
Brown was unnecessary.
Anne's eyes flashed. cts every
word true, ma'am. Not that [ ever
saw her; she was by fathers first mar
riage; but it's true. Why, they lived
in beautiful house in st. Johns
Wood, and the night before they went
to Paris the Prince of Wales dined
with them"
"And do you believe it, my dear?"
asked Cedric on hearing the last ver-
sion.
"She believes in the family tradi.
tions. But she will care less about
such nonsense when she is Mrs. Hiram
Waite"
"why, she met the man only last
night"
Something will come of it, trust
woman's intuition"
"Thanks, no!' he retorted, with n
cheerful grin. "No telling into what
mares nest I might be led. Never
mind, darling, you did your best. We
can't all be born detectives"
Cedric to the contrary, my prophecy
came to pass, and our Honorable Anne
was transformed into Mrs. Hiram
Waite. At last accounts she was well
and happy, supplying the boarders at
Waits Hotel with meals at "four-bits
a head" While we on the ranch are
still wondering whether the Countess
OF Michigan and the Lady Emily Brown
are myths. s.-The Argonaut.
Theatre Fires.
Since 1897 there have been 100
theatre fires with 10000 fatalities, ac-
cordiug to Mr.. Sachs Fires and
Public Entertainments" just pub
Ishel. OF these 1862 took took place