Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-07-13

il less than year they were married,
and Hawkins-well, he had grown
careless. and justice had found him
out. Now had come the chance for
revenge ON them both-a revenge that
would involve their helpless children
as well as themselves.
He rose stifly, like one in dream,
and went by the shortest and most
direct cut down the mountain side to
the little settlement in the sheltered
valley. Swiftly and skillfully he did
his work. AS he watched the tiny
tongue of flame that had crept up the
heap of kindlings he had prepared he
thought of the fiery barrier that
would soon cut his enemy off from es-
cape with fierce exultation. Then
he turned and ran down the path with
stumbling footsteps toward the lonely,
! half-ruined cabin that he called
home and threw himself on his hard
bed with groan of physical weakness
and pain.
Meanwhile the tiny tongue of flame
crept slowly upward with soft crack.
ling sounds; once it blazed brightly
for a minute, then sank to feeble
point of blue flame, struggled weakly
as if for life, and went out. A little
curl of smoke wound upward and
marked the place where the flame had
been. Then it dissolved slowly in the
clear air and nothing was left but the
heap of kindling ON the rude door
step, with the few charred sticks to
mark the spot where it had burned,
as silent witness of the frustrated
| design of the avenger.
AS the first early rays of the sun
| peered over the mountain and sent
ray Of light into the window of the
cabin, Dixon swung open the heavy
door and stopped on the sill in dumb
astonishment at the the sight that met
his eyes. Then in moment lie had
grasped the truth. This was what the
sly looks and unusual manner of his
neighbors meant, was it? And they
had failed in their cowardly work.
What if they had succeeded, Jennie
and the young ones would
| With an imprecation strong and
deep the man turned and called his
wife to his side. She came, looked
where he pointed silently at their
feet, and then raised her eyes to his
dark face in q frightened, questioning
glance. Before he could answer the
unspoken inquiry he caught sight of
shambling figure coming. Something
in the mans pallid face made Dixon
turn to his wife and say quickly,
"You'd better go inside. He wants
to see me, I guess" and she obeyed
silently.
Dixon kicked the debris from the
step and advanced toward the ad.
vancing figure until he and Hawkins
stoon face to face in the narrow, worn
path. The visitor looked into his
face with wavering, uncertain glance,
his thin lips parted in meaningless
smile that was horrible to see, and
then he began to speak in tone in
which treachery and cunning were
strangely mingled.
$50 Dixon was burned out last
night, eh? Too bad Wife and
young ones burned? Poor Jennie!
Might "a told her, but then she would
a warned Dixon"
The listener knew at the first word
that the poor wretch before him was
insane. AS the hollow voice went
on, betraying the whole fendish plot
to his quickened intelligence, he
caught the man suddenly by the
shoulders and held him with grip
that made HIM stop short in his
rambling talk and give little cry of
pain.
"See here" cried Dixon, turning
the man around in the path so that
he faced toward the mountains, "you
get out of here quick while I've got
enough hold on myself to keep from
shooting you. Col" AMI he gave him
push as he released tle motionless
figure.
Hawkins staggered, recovered his
balance and looked up into the stern
face above him. Scce last glimmer
of reason showed hin there was
danger, and without word he turned
and ran with uneven steps up the
little path that led to the mountains.
Dixon quietly cleared away the evil
dences of the attempt to burn him
out, forbade his wife to mention it,
and bided his time. Before noon
everyone in the valley knew that
DiXon's cabin was still standing and
that Hawkins had disappeared.
A searching party got together
quietly and started out to find him.
All the long, sunny afternoon they
tramped and searched over the noun
tain side, and just as the sun sank be-
hind the highest peak, lighting it up
with an unearthly, awesome splendor,
they found him. He was lying face
downward, on the cool, moist ground,
one arm thrown up and pillowing his
forehead; in the other hand was
clutched tightly little bunch of
faded mountain flowers. A dark
crimson stain on the ground beneath
the white face told its silent story of
death.