The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-12

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way do" she pleaded. with an earnest
little laugh that was half fright.
Once more the colonel fumed but when
Amy patiently and steadily refused his
entreaties, he suddenly broke forth in ad-
miration. Miss Amy, accept the homage
of an old soldieri' he exclaimed, with a
tender voice He took her hand, bowed
pompously over It and pressed his lips to
the surface. That's the homage of an
old man to a heroine" he continued, and
added with a twinkle, but don't let that
rascauy Rod of mine pay you any such
tribute"
Amy blusheda HE behaves better than
his father, / think" she protested, with
averted eyes.
He ought to. He's had better training
than / ever had. Ha! Here is the boy
now!" he exclaimed as Roderick entered.
Get right back into youah buggy, boy
This young lady is going to weathah the
stohm right heah. Where did you tie
youah boss boy?'' and the old gentleman,
as if intensely interested in the where
abouts of the horse, hustled out, secretly
congra tulating himself on the subtlety OF
his exit.
Are your" asked RodArick, with some
surprise.
Il must, Roderick," she answered, firm
ly. rising from the table and facing him.
E1ney VIII ndr0iy QdIt ho dhS INNS
she continued. apologetically. "They
know what the penalty will be-"
The young man looked at her steadily
for moment and said nothing. He pos
sessed none of the fire of his father but
perhaps his face expressed even more de-
termination than the coloners.
"Father is excitable," said he, slowly.
IT don't think myself there is much dan
ger. If I did, should not leave the mat
ter In your hands at ALL"
She glanced quickly up the liveliest
kind of emotion playing in her eyes and
her hand made little impulsive move
toward him. Then, suddenly abashed,
her lids dropped in pretty confusion be-
fore Rods steady gray eyes. A faint
pleased smile swept over his placid fea-
lures
You may stay" said he, conclusively,
and perhaps she felt little womanly dis
appointment at his ready acquiescence. If
so, his next words effaced 1t. But If any
thing happens, shall never forgive my
self"
His solemn demeanor did more to shake
her fortitude than all the old gentleman's
lurid representations, but she answered
bravely, "All right, sir. You and your
father have been very good. I don't de
preciate that, if I do the danger"
AS he took her hand TO say good by
he looked at her with such a quiet, sup
pressed longing. that she felt her cheeks
burn.
You won't go?" he asked, in finality.
mo-" she murmured. quickly, biting
her lip in hide its quivering. And Rod
erick had hardly closed the door before she
burst into tears.
Until nearly midnight she sat at her
window, watching the figures that con-
stantly darkened the bright doorway of
Diggory's store, in the back part of which
there was sold for drink as vile a COM
pound as ever witches brewed-a so-called
whisky that set their brains on fire, dis
sipated reason. whipped into activity
every low passion, and transformed them
into brutes almost as savage and ruth
less as their cannibalistic ancestor Back
and forth, back and forth, the dusky pro-
cession marched, stumbled and reeled,
hooting, cursing, threatening. similar
scene was being enacted across the track
at Blackwell'S, where the miserable pro-
prietor-4eaving avarice out of the count
dared not close. To look for help from
either of these wretches in case of trou-
Bile Amy knew would be wildly futile.
About u the crowds around the stores
began to melt away, and half-hour later
not a soul was in sight from Amy's win
dow. 1t would have been less suspicious
had few loiterers been left. But hop
ing for the best, the plucky little agent,
tired and worn, lay down upon her bed
without removing her clothes Her head
had scarcely touched the pillow when a
stone crashed through the window. With
a heart thobbing painfully, she sprang up
and seized Barney McCall's pistol For an
instant all was quiet; then there came a
rap at the door that seemed to turn her
| heart to lead.
who is it?'' she called; and in that mo-
| ment, when she believed that she faced
death or something almost as bad, she
grew suddenly calm.
ITS me, missy" came a frightened
voice.
She recognized it as that of Moss, the
baggage boy, and opened the door just far
eyes were found with terror and his teeth
| chattering.
Missy, Use afeared to stay in de baggage
room. They done surroun u.s." he whim-
pered. "They all crazy drunk an'-O
! Gawd-they gwine BUN us!
The sight of this abject terror nerved her
beyond belief stop your whimpering,' -
she commanded You must go for Col.
| Singleton; run every step of the way, and
tell him I'm in danger. Go-quickr
80 Gawd, missy, doan SEN this pooh
niger out" pleaded the boy. You just
same as kill me, missy, kase they hate me.
Deed and double you DO, missy. Befo'
| Gawd, missy, you woan do that" He
dropped on his knees before her and
clasped his uplifted hands,his eyes start
ing with terror, his veins swelling.
IF you don't go I'll blow your brains
| out right here" she answered, so sternIy
| that he suddenly rose. And remember if
| you fail to go to Col. Singleton's after you
| are safe on the outside he Will hold you
responsible for anything that happens to
me. And so will the law and you will
| probably hang for it,
This liberal Interpretation of the law
had its effect, and with a final injunction
for him to hurry, Amy led the trembling
wretch out into the darkness.
Hours seemed to pass before anything
occurred. With the weapon still In her
hands, she walked from window to win
dow, around and around, peering anx-
| iously out, but neither seeing nor hearing
| anything. At last, in the absence of sue
cor, she was forced to the conclusion that
| the boy had either been intercepted by
the rioters or had played her false. Once
she thought of making a sudden dash for