Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-02-15

81 would not be
so sure, if I were you," was the re.
| sponse of the other person, who stood
on the path which led to the road
from the country house behind them.
The two girls had strolled down the
walk in the crisp winter sunlight, and
thev looked as unlike as two people
could we'll be.
Julia Stallo turned her head with a
quick, imperious movement as she ex-
claimed:
"Why would you not feel sure, since
/ am sure? Do you think l would give
my promise to man who did not
adore me?"
"But men may adore at one mo-
ment, and be Indifferent the next, /"
returned Miss Branch, stopping to
twist more closely about her head the
blue, fluffy mass of wool which pro-
| tected her from the cold.
"The man whom love will not do
SO, " was the quick reply.
Miss Branch, who was four or five
years older than the magnificent bru-
nette, looked at her curiously in 81.
| lence for time.
Miss Branch was small. One at
| first would have said she was plain,
but might discover that her face pos
sessed wonderful power of express
sion; there might be a concentrated
spark in her eyes that would possess
force in whatever way she chose. =
After pause she said quietly:
81 should imagine it might be easy
for man to be faithful to q creature
like you. Is Mr.. North coming to-
day?'
"Yes."
81 think you make @ great mistake
in loving any man so much. All what
is that?"
The exclamation was caused by the
sound of something rushing through
tho shrubbery of evergreens at the
right of where the two girls we're
standing.
Julia Stallo shrieked little, and
shrank to one side, and at the same
moment huge, dark-colored dog
dashed out from the cedar hedge. His
head was down, his mouth scattered
foam, and his eyes emitted sparks.
While Julia, who had sprung away,
had gone directly in the path of
the infuriated animal, Miss Branch,
who had remained where she had been
standing, was several yards from him.
The brute was going on with that
answering leap which is SO terrible to
see, and he had passed Miss Branch,
who had not moved, toward Julia
5tallo, who seemed petrifed with ter
ror in the spot where she stood.
"For Gods sake, jump out of the
way" cried Miss Branch, shrilly.
"He will not turn -
| If Julia heard she gave no sign; she
was incapable of moving.
Miss Branch could not stand auiet.
There WAS dash of physical courage
In her which enabled her to spring
fof ward, slipping off the crimson shawl
from her shoulders as she did SO, and
then Haunting it full in the face of the
wild'eyed animal, who moved one
side and wayered in confusion, while
Julia Stallo sank down to the ground
in heap, and her white face was like
the face of the dead, save for the pro.
truding eyes of horror.
The dog, bafiied for the moment and
uncertain, now turned toward Miss
Branch. 1t was useless for her to try
to run. She clasped her hands and
stood still.
Only for breath of time, however.
The sound of q footstep on the frozen
gravel might have been heard by tn G
girls, if they could have heard any
thing.
The footstep was that of someone
running furlously. A man appeared.
He had a pistol in his hand, and
though there was terrible fear in
his mind that he might not aim cor.
rectly, he could not hesitate.
| The flash, the report of the pistol
and the dog rolled over with moan,
his teeth set fast in the skirt of Miss
Branch's dress.
1t was to Julia Stallo's side that the
man sprang, hardly glancing at Miss
Branch, who coolly drew penknife
from her pocket, and, STOPPING, care
'nlly cut her dress away from the grlr
of the dying dogs teeth.
"That, l suppose, is Mr.. North, ;
she said to herself, looking at him at
tentively as he bent on one knee ovel
Julia, whose senses had come back tc
her sufficiently to enable her to recog