The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-21

up beds here? or do you purpose to
take the road?"
McDougall hesitated. First show
me how my horse is lodged" he said !
to the old dame. Scarce had they dis
appeared together into the dusky door
way of the dilapidated clubhouse before
the woman sped eagerly back to Fitz-
roy. "Quick," she whispered, pulling
him into the house. "Here"-produc-
ing a pistol from a cupboard" It's
his; 1 cut it from his holster whilst
you supped. You need not fear him
now. 'Tis a coward, anyway"
"'Tis brave mani" flashed Fitzroy.
"Yet if he sleeps here l need not
Woman, he fed me from his own
dish. And he would have dined me
at the Golden Goblet, had l dared to
SLOW myself there"
He hath reckoned for the supper al
ready" grinned the crone. Il sped
back to tell you where he carries his
money"
In his saddle-bags."
Nay, It's in little buckskin bag
within his coat. 1t clinks most amaz-
ing heavy, nor would he pull the
string. After all. tits trust and
must not be touched he said, and paid
me with a shilling from another pocket.
Why hang you back, sir?"
A sudden sound smote the highway
mans ears before he could answer
! the sound of swift hoofs splashing on a
! wet road. Breaking to the door, he saw
| a horse and rider making furious haste.
His prey had escaped him.
Quick. fool. my horse!" he cried,
! f1inging himself frantically across the
! beast when she brought it, and ex-
tending, instead of good-by, a hasty
hand for the purloined pistol. He
could scarcely account for his change
of mood. Chagrin at being outwitted,
! fear of remaining as tame sport for the
a., old woman's gibes, pricked him on.
His fresher horse quickly outran the
travellers more jaded one, which at
the sound of shot from behind, threw
his wounded rider in the thick mud
and galloped on. mad with terror.
In the one instant of Fitzroy's dis
mounting the hurt man struggled to his
feet. Come on, sir" he said, with
CHASTITY composure. You have not
yet dipped your hands in blood. You
dipped them last-in-my dish-you
wretched betraye AS he
fell in the vain attempt to pull his adj
versary down with him, one sharp cry
of pain, of human dependence. quiv-
cred in the air, preceding deadly still
ness Kitty"
The face bending fiercely over him
blanched at the sound, more than at
the scarlet stream which soaked the
grass where he fell.
why need he Shrek that?" muttered
Fitzroy. Its strange. In faith,
would his Kitty had him, and l the
buckskin bag"
Recalled to the need for haste, he
knelt down and fumbled for the bag,
opened it-and then laughed loudly
and hoarsely. "Shillings! One, two"
he counted thirty, and his hand
shook. He wished nightly it had
been any other number, even a lesser;
and could not have sworn that the
pale, dead, scornful lips beside him did
not repeat "'Tis a bit of Judas
work" In the bag lay letter, whose
address:
ITO Mrs. Dorothy White,
Durham"
struck him with a vague unpleasant
sense of familiarity:
'Dr. Aunt" it read, "these 30s. will
be handed you by brave gentleman
and true, Mr.. Duncan Mehlongall, Of
this place. Him l am to marry in a
little time. The silver pieces are for
you to ad to that l gave you for a
welding gown VIII. you, honoured Aunt.
promised me the favour to by for me.
Send it back by him, and l pray you
of yr. cortesy to low him as you love
me, for | love him as l do my Self.
Yr moast dutiful neace,
KITTY FITZROY."
Thirty pieces of silver, flung in as
many directions, splashed into the lit
tie roadside bitches. Il have betrayed
the innocent blood" cried Fitzroy.
His face was ashen. He peered with
eyes of horror at the still thing at his
feet "A bad business!" he muttered.
"Brother-in-law, 1 could wish you a
better part in the play than that Of my
first victim"
He heard households. and trembled
like an aspen. Hastily wiping his fin
gers in the moist grass, he mounted
his horse and rode off, with savage
spurs in his sides.
The hoofs followed-then abruptly
stopped where the wounded man had
| laboriously risen on one elbow, watch
ing the highwayman's fleeing figure.
At a familiar neigh, he smiled grimly
and painfully, first glancing at the un-
| touched panniers of the Ballantyne
kinks good gold, which lay on the
faithful creatures back, then, at the
muddy coins scattered round him.
His stunned senses rallied slowly.
"Kitty'll never cry for her coins" he
said feebly. Gin live to come back
Ay. I'll live. Were no better kirk Of
ficer than you poor craven makes of a
highwayman, 'twuold go ill Why
call he me 'brother'?"
And Fitzroy, speeding frantically on
into the dusk, scourged by visions OF
Last Judgment, when he should stand
with Cain and JudLs. looked not back
to tell him-Louise Belts Edwards.
Wonderful Numbers 4.
There are 4 cardinal points. Winds
4 quarters of the moon, 4 seasons. 4
figures in the quadrlle, rules of
arithmetic, suits of cards. quarters
to the hour, legs for furniture. most
animals go on legs; the dead are
placed between 4 rlanks the prisoner
between 4 walls We have incisors
and canine teeth and our forks have
4 prongs: all animals, when butchered,
are cut into quarters. The violin,
greatest of musical instruments, has
but strings. Four of n kind is n
pretty good hand at poker, even If
they are only As. There are 4 great
continents; every great railway has
tracks: when we grow old we have 4
eyes; every room has 4 corners and 4
81 ,;,