Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-12-29

hclent men with him and come here, and I
Will deliver into their hands a runaway
convict, man who broke out Of Jail not
long ago."
Barbara entered. GA light is in his win
dow she said. Then her father laughed
and shut his hands.
80" he muttered, $50 shall snap him."
When her father was composed and
seemed inclined to sleep Barbara left his
room and went out of the house. She
needed to be by herself. Her bosom heav-
ed. She had so much to think Of, so many
troubles had come upon her, the future
was dark, the present uncertain.
All at once she remembered that she had
left the convict suit in her fathers room;
she had forgotten to remove it. She en-
tered her fathers apartment on tiptoe.
She stood still and listened. A night-light
burned on the floor.
She stepped across the room to where
she had cast the suit of clothes. They
lay in gray heap, with the spots of light
avoiding them, dancing above them, but
not falling on them.
Barbara stopped to pick them up.
Stay, Barbara" said her father. 81
hear you. | see what you are doing.
know your purpose. Leave those things
where they lie.'
80, papa! dear papa, suffer me to put
them away"
"Let them lie there, where 1 can see
them"
She was obliged, most reluctantly, to
leave the room. She assembled the stairs,
and entered her own sleeping apartment.
She looked across the court at Jasper's
window. No light was in it. Was he
there, asleep? or had he taken her advice
and gone? She could not endure the
thought of his capture, the self-reproach
of having betrayed him was more than
she could bear. Barbara, usually so col
lected and cool, was now nervous and hot.
She descended the stairs once more to
her fathers room. The door was ajar,
with a feeble yellow streak issuing from
it. She looked in cautiously. Then with
the tread of thief she entered and passed
through maze Of quivering bezants Of
dull light Her father was sleeping. She
took up the bundle of clothes and softly
withdrew. She could not hide them in the
house. The only way she could think
of getting rid Of them was to carry them
to the Raven Rock and throw them over
She left the house, and in the moonlight
walked through the fields and wood to the
crag and hurled the bundle over the edge
Now that this piece of evidence against
Jasper was removed, it was expedient
that he should escape without further de-
lay-if he were still at Morwell.
Barbara had a little money of her own.
When she unlocked her desk she drew
from it her purse that contained her saw
ings. There was several pounds in it. She
drew the knitted silk purse from her
pocket, and, standing in the moonlight,
counted the sovereigns in her hand. She
was standing before the gatehouse near
the old trees, hidden by their shadow.
She looked up at Jasper's other window
that which commanded the entrance and
was turned from the moon. Was he
there? How could she communicate with
him, give him the money and send him off =?
All at once she heard feet-a trampling
in the lane-and she saw also that lights
were burning on the down. To Barbara's
nervous fear the lights and the tramp be-
tokened the approach of body of men to
capture Jasper Babb. Then, without any
other thought but to save him, she ran up
the stair, struck at his door, threw it open
and entered. He started from his bed on
which he had cast himself fully dressed,
and from dead WEAKNESS had dropped
asleep.
''For heavens dear sake said Barbara,
"come away! They are after you; they
are close to the house. Here is money
take it, and go by the garden"
She stood in the door, holding it. trem-
bling in al lher limbs, and the door she
held ratified.
He came straight towards her.
''AIiss Jordan!'' he exclaimed. ooh,
Miss Jordan. / shall never forgive my
self. Go down into the garden-I will fol-
low at once l will speak to you; will
tell you all.
81 do not wish you to speak. insist
on your going"
He came to her, took her hand from
the door, and led her down the stairs. AS
they came out into the gateway they heard
the tramp of many feet, and rush Of
Young cattle debouched from the lane up
on the open space before the gate.
Barbara was not one to cry, but she
shiyered and shrank before her eyes told
her what q mistake she had made.
Here" she said, Il give you my purse.
Cor
mo" answered Jasper. 'There is no
occasion for me to go. l have acted
wrongly, but l did it for Ne best You
see, there is no occasion for fear. These
ponies have been frightened by the
flames of the swale fires, and have come
through the moor gate, which has been
left open. l must see that they do not
enter the court and do mischief
.'Never mind about the cattle, l pray
you. Go! Take this money; it is mine. l
freely give it you. Cor
why are you so anxious about me if
you hate me?'' asked Jasper. Surely 1t
would crafty hate to see me handcuffed
and carried off,
mo, l do not hate you-that is, not so
much as to desire that. l have but one
desire concerning you-that we should
never see your face again.
Miss Jordan, shall not be taken.
She fared up with rage, disappointment,