The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-05-31
Continued from Last Sunday.)
PART II.

room IN an apparent attitude of languid
contemplation, but alert and intent Of
eye and ear. 1t was a fine moonlit
night. Two pines near the door-soli-
tary pickets Of the serrid ranks of dis
tant forest-cast long shadows like
paths to the cottage, and sighted their
spiced breath i'll the windows. For
there was 10 f~riyolity of vine or flower
round Salomy James bower. The clear
ing was too recent, the life too practi-
cal for v~aniticS like these. But the
moon added Il vague clusiyeneSS to
everything ,softened the rigid outlines
Of the sheds, gave shadows the the lid
less windows, and touched with merci-
full indirectneSS the hideous debris of
refuse gravel and the gaunt scars of
burnt vegetation before the door. Even
Salomy Jane was affected by it and ex-
hailed something bctween Il sigh and q
yaWn with the breath of the pines.
Then she suddenly sat upright.
Her quick ear caught a faint
"click. click in the direction Of the
wood, her quicker instinct and rustic
training enabled her to determine that
it was the ring of a horses shoe on
f1inty ground; her knowledge of the 10
cality told her it came from the spot
where the trail passed over Il outcrop
of flint scarcely Il quarter of Il mile
from where Sllc aI-dlu NllHll Jut
clearing. 1t was no Grant stock" for
the shoe was shod with iron; it was a
mounted trcspasser by night. and BODIED
no good to Il man like Gay.
She rose, threw her shawl over her
head more for disguise han shelter,
and passed out of the door. A sudden
impulse made her seize her fathers
shotgun from the corner where it
~stood-not that she feared any danger
to herself, but that it was an excuse.
She made directly for the wood. keep
ing in the shadow of the pines as long
as She could. At the fringe she halted;
whoever was there must pass her be
fore reaching the house.
Then there seemed to be suspense OF
all nature. Everything was deadly still
even the moonbeams appeared no
longer trcmulous; then there was Il rus
tie as of some stcadily3s e., ..6. Is. e
tie us of some stealthy animal among
the Icrns-and then Il dismountcd man
stepped into the moonlight. 1t was the
horse thcif-thc man she had kissed.
For Il Wilt moment Il strange fancy
seized her unusually same intellect and
stirred her temperate blood. The news
they had told her was his ghost. g.. 6
they had told her was not true-hc had
heen hung. and this was his ghost, He
'itNt a. III hiii Ht'tl 4 I Inv III N"'
moonlight. dressed in the same clothes
as when she saw him last. He had cvi-
IDENTIFY seen her approaching. and
moved quickly to meet her. But in his
haste he stumbled slightIy-she re
Elected suddenly that ghosts did not
stumble-and u feeling of relief came
over her. And it was no assassin Of
her father that had been providing
around-only this unhappy fugitive. \
momentary color came into her check,
her c~oolness and hardihood returned:
it was with Il tinge of sauciness in heA
voice that she said:
Il reckoned You were a ghost
Il mout have been he said. looking
ut her fixcdly; but | reckon I'd have
come back here all the same
It's u little riskier comm back alive"
she said with Il lcyity that died on her
lips. for Il singular nervousness, half
fear and half expectation, was begin
ming to take the place of her relief OF
= moment ago. Then it was YOU who
was prowlin' round and maxim tracks
in the far pasture!'
Yes; | came straight here when | got
AWAY"
She felt his eyes were burning her. but
did not dare to raise her owa. "Why-'
she hegan-hesitated, and ended vague
y. i1VN t'I Nph So
You helped me"
II"
Yes. That kiss you gave mo put life
into mc-gave me strength TO get away.
! swore to myself Id come back and
thank you-aliyc or dead
Every word he sad she cou.I nave an
%ticipated, 50 plain the situation seemed
Ia her now. And every word he said
she kwew was the truth. Yet her coo.
common sense struggled against it.
"What's the use of your escaping, eff
You're comm back here to be ketchcl
again." she said pertly.
He drew a little nearer to her, but
seemed to her the more awkward as she
resumed her self-possession. His voice.
too. was broken as if by exhaustion as
he said. catching his breath at Intervals:
III tell YOU. You did more fo- me
than YOU think. You made another man
- me. | never had Il man, woman or
child do me what you did. never
had a friend-only II pal like Red Pete.
who picked me up ON the sahres.' |
want to quit this ycr-what I'm dom. !
want to begin by doin' the square thing
10 you" he stopped, breathed hard AMI
then said brokenly: My boss is over
tina. staked out. | want to give him to
YOU. Judge B~oompointcr will give YOU
a thousand dollars for him. | aint ly-
in'-it's Gods truth. | saw it on the
handful again Il tree. Take him. anu
I'll get away afoot. Take him. It's the
only thing | can do for you, and | know
it don't half pay for what you did. TAKE
it your father can get Il reward for you
if you ant
Such were the ethics of this strange
locality that neither the man who made
the offer nor he girl to whom 1t was
made We're struck by ANYTHING that
seemed Illogical or indicate or at all
Inconsistent with justice or the horse
thief's real conversation. Salomy Jane.
nevertheless, dissented, from another
and weaker reason.
Idon't want your hoss-though !
reckon dad might-but you're just
Starvin'. III get suthin'." She turned
toward the house.
Say. you'll take the boss first he