The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-03-01

signed myseli TO this when the black came
| in 9Th food for the two. and at the same
| time the door reopened, there entering
man whom even IN the dim light ! knew 10
| be of different stripe than the others.
II waa q Quakcr and 20 iniirm that be
| walked slowly aHd hcavi, with the aid O.
| q staff Giving the two al the table vide
/ berth, he wcuded his way 10 the rear Of the
foom and, seating himself 0n the settle, or.
| dercd q plain meal Of milk aud bread and
butter. -
There waA nothing remarkable IN the ad'
/ vent Of a tired Quaker, but bis appearance
/ caused the sharper and his companion TO
1 draw their chairs together aud whisper,
| though after a moments close talking the
| former shouted across the room.
Hello, muifyi Where be thee FROM!
There egaic no immediate answer 50 this,
whcreat the trooper Ewou r0undly aud re.
/ praicd his fellows question In louder
/ V0ice
Il travel from the KingsbEdse and bs-
| yond, friend" was the final answer re-
/ turned ia a feeble treble,
TO where. thea, thee son o drab!
| mimrEcd the gambler as he put in his turn
al insulting thc old man.
"ro a friend in the city-a Capt. scan-
| nell. Of De Iancys regiment Mayhap thsu
| knows him. was the innocent Response.
But, innocent IS il vas. It had its elect
/ on the two. who were at once more respect
| iul IN both tone sud words
"YelI not lind him, then, volunteered
/ the trooper lie Eas a sore head an a
| broken heart the one from scrmmage an
/ the other through loss o his lady. Ha' ye
| seen aught % a runaway beauty on yer tFay.
| cls-a tall Young lass with psihsed headt
Does ihes mean young SRI with hair
| inclined 20 red'' asked She traveller, WITH
| something Of interest Ia his voice,
"Av, that same" returned the trooper,
| bringing NJ. feet under him and half rising.
| Yea, friend | met with female,
though scarce beauty. and with hair as
/ thee de-scribss : be wac tired and wan 40
she came from the woods near Days tav-
srn. by ths Hollow Way. and asked me for
vieiuals But. iriend was uHpruvided, and,
| indeed. in these times fear Stragslers' be
| thcy male or female"
Was the same tall an fine o skin. an
/ with dark eyesf'
! "Ay. think she was Of proper height. and
/ her eve was dark. Il do not err
! Fore God. an | believe h the lSss
/ Lawncst" sasd the trooper, starting up ana
| for the first tuac giving the cerd-sharper
name. I'm off on the scent. Where away
| did she So old msu''
Back to the woods, as saw her" was
| the answer.
"What woods' In what diree,iony' huE.
ricily asked the redcoai.
Thee kuowcst the woods and orchard
where Washington worvied Howe on the
heights Of Haricms That ia the spot, friend.
| Il strikes me she might he itE enough after
| food and rest would not have her harmed
| through me. Thee had
Damn your thccs On thons an Wash
| ingl0n an being w0rstcf shouted tho
| trooper. cxgtcdly I'm Of, Lowney. Tell
| tho rest when they come It's fair day
that bid SC stop me for a sup 10 this place
| viii rtQulte sc yet Give me g Quaker for
| truth an good luck Alloh, lad" And with
a rattle OF metal be was out Of the door,
while IN a moment I heard hls horse put
ting from the yard full tilt.
/ AsI listened to the Quaker description
Of the gid. OF whose identity ! doubted as
/ Hl,lc a. did the trooper, my heart sank with
] m me. / considered the suffering ehe had
undergone to make necessary her askink
food Of stranger on the high road, and was
fast getting TO the point Of leaving my place
Of coucsalmcut, dispatchuI the man Low
ney, stealing has horse, ycr,akiHg the troop.
Ct. and reAcuing the gtd myself, and ell
without q thought oi my own rick, when an
accident pu. an end 10 this sudden dream OF
heroism and caused me to face stern facts
Twas but natural that | had taken
quick dislike 20 the Quaker, who had limo.
Gently been the means Of setting pursuef
on the track q the patriotic Eirl, and twas
also natural that ! wished Co see more ot
him than his legs and the bgtt Of his stan.
To the end OF satisfying my curiosity, liit'
a uy head o. before, but was seeIningg
less cautious with my foot, for moving i uI
! thukiuely. tilted ms sword, which must
have but Just balanced on the edge Of the
bench, aud sent % crashing to the floor with
! ito mel a racket that might have been made
| BY falling house.
Both tho Quaker and I.owuey gave
| start as the sharp sound echoed through tbs
room, the former dropping the spoon he va
| earryiugsto hrs mouth, while the latter
spmpg 70 his feet aud looked toward tbs
darkened corner in which | had been hid.
ing The two candles in the large apartment
gave hut scant light, but. seant as It was, II
proved enough for the sharp eyes Of the
gambler, who evidently caught sight Of
face, for with an oath he cried What have
! We herc-aa dunkard or dcseTtery and Ad
yanccd toward the table.
Aud now Il appeared that ! would be sud
denly forced TO do the very thing that but
a moment before had been huzElng IN my
brain as only a dream Conrealmcnt beina
no longer possible. / would face matters a.
they fell out, aud trusted 10 put all inte
execution before help 10 the shape Of the
negro or others without might arrive. Ere
Lowney had covered bali the space betwixt
us, / stopped for my sword, and jumping 10
the bench and from that 20 the table. drew
the blade.
As the advancing man hehcld my figure
loom suddenly on high, for the beams Of the
ceiling barely cleared my head, he stopped
short aud stepped q pace or two backward
drawing hts sword the while, then with
voice which might have been heard fur
long, be shouted:
by the great Jehovah' tbs Donald
Thorndyke, or hts spook from hell Are ys
run TO ground at last? II yc he no ghost,
surrender in the name Of the kiug,-Ho, old
man! here is the devil himself get to my
holsters and fetch the firearms Hither, ys
black rascal! help me hold him herel Help
here, sayl Damn the closed doori-boyi
boyi oh, what pass is this!"
Waiting for no action on the part OF the
old Quaker. and hoping 60 foreatall the ne
gro, leAped 10 the floor. aud IN an instant
the swords Of Lowuey and myself were
crossed in combat.
The onset was so sndden that II drove the
man backward against his table, which, with
the candle and earthenware, was upset,
though the crash did not mar the fellows
guard. Taking advantage Of the opening
thus made, sprang between him and the
door, and then the battle began in grim earn.
eat.
The light was far too uncertain to permit
my putting into practice my weil-worn
stroke. and Lowney was much too wary and
too skiIlful in fencing to allow nae TO at once
come at him By say other method. | was
fairly sure oi tiring HIM and in the end beat.
ing down his guard bat at present had
enough to do IN looking for his tricks and
avoiding his furious lunees. In the halt
light Of the room the ere flew bright from
the steel in the energy Of the parry, and sny
opponent hurried his fatigue By wasting