Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-06-10

"Miss Alicel Miss Alicei will ye be
Arthur comm upstairs? An sure
she's deal intirely this timel' cried
the frightened servant girl, rushing
out on the piazza, where Alice Austin
stood looking anxiously down the
road.
Alice hurried upstairs and found
her sister-in-law lying stiIl aud white
on the floor.
"Bring me some water and the salts
from the bureau, Betty; she has ouly
tainted, said Alice, kneeling beside
the prostrate form.
In few minutes Mrs. Austin opened
her eyes aud said feebly:
''Has Edward come home yet? l
feel so strangely sicki''
"We will sepd for the doctor pres
emily, Margaret, when we get you to
bed. Ned viii be home soon, hope"
and with Betty's assistance Alice
lifted the slight form on the bed.
Three weeks before Eddie Austin,
the two-year-old idol of the house,
hold, had disappeared, and all search
ior him had proved fruitless. As the
days passed on hope gave way to
despair, aud the heart-broken mother,
weighed down by anxiety and the
cruel torture caused by false reports
of the discovery of her boy, sank into
q state of apathy bordering on insan-
ity. Daily was the cry heard through
the streets of the little village of Fair
field: "Child losti Child lostl Large
rewards otferedr' till all hearts sick
ened at the sound.
Mothers kept their little ones within
doors, dreading far less the entrance
OF the Dark Angel thaa that fends in
human form should steal their house
hold treasure to crafty merciless
passion Of avarice.
Betty, you will have to take one
of the girls and go for the doctor"
whispered Alice, in alarm, as she no.
ticed gray pallof, creeping over the
wan face ON the pillow.
''An' shure, miss, none of 'em be
homo but mesef. Aud oh, Miss Alice,
| niver can walk alone to Fairfield
this dark, dark night.
The girl looked 50 frightened at the
bare prospect of going that Alice said,
after pause;
''Well, Betty, then l shall have to
go, and you must stay with Mrs. Aus
tin. If Mr.. Austin returns before |
do, tell him l have gone by way of the
tunnel, she added, putting ON her
hat and walking jacket,
''The saints deliver usl For Hiven's
sake, don't We be goin' be the tunnel,
Miss Alicel" exclaimed Betty, implor-
ingly.
"Don't be frightened" replied
Alice. smiling. "No train will pass
for an hour, and it shortens my walk
nearly mile. 1t il Just O'Clock
now, and shall be home a little after
T." and, giving the girl some parting
iniunctions about her sister, Alice ran
downstairs. Opening her brothers
escritoire in the library, she took
from a private drawer small pocket
revolver and, opening the front door,
| stepped out into the darkness.
1t was damp, cold night in No
vember. The wind moaned drearily
through the leafless trees, and heavy
clouds chased each other across the
heavens, obscuring the moon. Cross
ing the road, Alice walked short dis
tanee and, clambering over stone
wall, found herself in the narrow strip
of wood which bordered the railroad
cut. Following the narrow, beaten
path through the trees, she soon
reached the edge of the ravine, Is or
30 feet above the track. The path
continued its windings down the side
of the cut, but the way was stony and
in many places dangerous. The dark
ness, too, prevented anything like
rapid progress.
She finally reached the bottom OF
the rayine and had crossed to the
right hand track, when low sound
among the bushes above her caused
the cold drops to spring out on her
forehead aud almost stopped her
hearts beating. Quickly crouching
down under an overhanging rock she
listened. Nothing was heard save
the soughing of the wind and the faint
ripple of a tiny rill running down
among the bushes near her. Sudden
ly the bushes overhead were stirred.
and stone fell directly in froat of
her. She scarcely dared to breathe,
but crouched under the rock with her
hand clasped tightly in her breast.
The tunnel was but few rods beyond
her, but she dared not move.
''Td like to know how much longer
yer going to keep up this confounded
tramp, Pete johnson. It's been
nothin' but marchin. and counter
marchin' this whole cursed day." said
low. coarse voice among the bushes.
why did yer enter into the bar
gain if yer goin' to back out so soon?"
muttered another man, with an oath.
well, I'd be'satisfied with half the
ten thousand, for I'm nigh done up
with these three weeks work." said
the first one.
can tell ye I'll niver give him up
till / git the whole twinty thousand.
The fathers rich, and its twinty thou
sand dollars or the motherll never
see her swate darlin' agin. !"
A brutal laugh grated upon the
girls ears; then the first speaker
whispered:
81 reckon she'll niver know her
boy in this little bag of bones, though
me arms is wore out wild calryin' him
the last three hours
Alice could scarcely believe what
her ears had heard. Her brain reeled,
and she nearly fell from the rocky
ledge on which she sat as the truth
dawned upon her. Her brothers child,
her golden-haired little pet, was lust
within her grasp, but two brutal men