Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-06-21

! Wnen Gil OF the men rolk9 no0 turn.
ed their faces from Sans Souci, leaving
him and old Dolbear to keep things
together"
How much easier to have gone into
the fight! With all his might he had
been keeping things together. Dol.
bear was his only counselor. II would
never do to fret the women with such
wearisome details. For them always
the ready ingenuity, the patient smile,
the encouraging note, struck from his
own despairing soul with such deter
mined elasticity a. to carry comfort In
spite of its false ring.
Nothing heroic in all that Nothing
even remotely suggestive Of heroism in
the tall, STOPPING form. the pecring,
anxious blue eyes, the work worn as
pect of the man who waited and watch
ed through the rain drcnched twilight
of the night that darkened into the black
ness Of q midnight fraught with un-
friendly possibilities Waited and
watched, pacing cautiously to and fro,
backward and forward. with muffled
| tread, until-no-yes-
Enthusiastically the clicking sound Of
an iron latch lifted and dropped. I'm
mistakably measured heavy footballs,
not stealthy, like his own. simply de-
liberate, and Seth, standing still be-
hind the green curtains Of tho madeira
vines, saw three men advancing up the
jasmine bordercd walk.
A formidable array IL looked TO the
i'll clad. sboelcss. unarined watcher on
the veranda. their bclted jackets
weighted with formidable holsters,
their visorrd caps cleaning duly from
out the gloom.
The squad halted abruptly at the foot
Of the steps 70 rocounoiter the barred
and darkened front Of the governors $
mansion.
They must go to roost with the
chickens in these diggin's, " said the
loader Of the little band What clock
was it when we left town, corp"
Nigh on to 'leveu," the corporal
answered with q yawn, "and we've
been a good hour on the road.
Right you are. Such cusscd bad
roads l never seen My orders was TO
fetch the feller without bothcrin the
ladies, but how in tho devil are we to
manage it?'
"0ld Blackic said he was in the tur
nip patch this morning"
"It's likelyN b.. ind him there now.
Hoein turnips such fascinatin worl;
chap never acts up on it once he gets
ut it,"
The feebleness Of the suggestion and
the infinite scorn Of its rejection pro-
duced u ripple Of subdued laughter.
With display Of finesse scarcely to be
expected Of him Seth advanced boldly
under cover Of this amicatle diversion.
Heroically resolved that il it rested
with him the women inside should not
be "pestered, he descended the short
fight Of stairs in his unshod noiseless-
ness, looming darkly before the gaze Of
the SQUAD with unheralded atruptness.
Maybe I'm the feller you are look
in for, gents,' he said in his slow.
gentle drawl.
Maybe you are il your name hap
pens TO be Seth d. Martin.
That's my name"
Then r.fy he you wouldn' mind rid.
in out to se: stmsport with us tonight. !"
Tonight
"Just so. "
"Are you actin under orders to fetch
me?"
That's just bout the size Of it ="
What can anybody want OF me? l
ain { never even heard bullet whistle,
I'm sorry TO say. I'm too pitifully in
significant To be wuth arrestin.
Cur major thinks different. it
seems. /"
Major who:"
major of the Fifth. He's in COM
mand out yonder ut the river, and it's
him as sent for you. Come, now,
where's your nag: Never mind about
your dress coat, we'll excuse that "
And the squad laughed delightedly
at the wit of their leader. Seth answer
cd them with slow gei.iloness:
II reckon you'll har, TO excuse
more'n dress coat, geilts believe
I'd ruther go just as / am than to hus-
tie bout inside and wake the ladies mp.
/ suppose now, he added, stopping TO
persuasion, "if l gave you the word Of
gentleman that IL | was wanted ont
to Sessumsport would come Of my own
accord early in the morning it wouldn't
induce you to let ne stay here till day
breaks?"
"Not by jugful Our major is =
martinez When he gives All ort.er, We
obey it, we don't question it. Our or
ders are to fetch one Seth d. Martin to
his headquarters, out in the courthouse
ut Sessunlsport, and if you are inclined
to go peaceably it will be better for You
and the women folks-for everybody
concerned. II your beast is turned oct,
you'll have to double up with one Of
the boys"
~ would like to leave note. then,
for my mother"
perhaps it would be best to 60 quiet
IT," he argued mentally. Indeed there
was no room for choice i'll the matter.
81 won't keep you waitin long. I'll
Just step into the library aud scratch of
o line"
"You won't try to skip?"
"Skip?'
"VamoOse the ranch?"
"You mean dodge your"
"That's about the size OF it."
"Seth Martin amt got much TO be
proud Of. gentlemen, said Seth, lifting
his stopping form with an angry ges-
ture, "but he amt never yet caught
himself tryin to dodge anything or any
man"
"Good for Seth Martin. All the
same, Corporal Greenleaf, step inside
with Freshy while he writes that note
| to his ia.
There was something in the light,
scoffing voice THAT stung Seth into 81
lence. Ec turned away frori the men
and wali.,d quickly toward the library,
closely followed by Corporal Greenleaf.
On the library table he knew -
would find one Of the soft, tallowy can.
iles his mother and the madam were no
inordinately proud of, stuck in one OF
the tall silver candlesticks that had be
longed TO generations of .,trongs. 1t al.
ways stood ready for night emergencies.
Seth lighted it, and with se-ss OF
desecration resting heavily upon him
seated himself at the governor writing