Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-06-12


4 spoke.
We lived alone upon solitary road,
miles away from any human dwell
ing place, in one of those antique,
fzable-ended farmhouses which look so
picturesque to an artists eye in the
summer time and so indescribably des-
olate when November gales are howl
ing around the chimney tops or winter
SHOWS are heaping up their feathery
pearl upon the doorstoDe; we-that is,
the old bedridden aunty, my brother
Robert and myself AS for a servant
girl, dear me, when become rheu-
Hnatic or lose the use of my limbs /
might need one, not before.
We had just received $10O from the
railroad people for the years wood
which Bob had cut and hauled to the
5unchon-$1OO, all in nice, clean. crac-
king tens-and Bob and / and Aunt
Jemlma all agreed-for once entirely
aInanimous-that Sc much money ought
not to remain over night in the house
So Bob was taking the 500 to the
Ottarsfield bank, twenty miles away,
ever rough and uneven bride road
AID L and Aunt Jemima were left
alone.
In spite Of my reinsurance Aunt Je-
Hnima persisted in going to sleep with a
Saffron and two pokers under her pill
low.
/ sat before the fire until past 8
O'Clock, finishing a pair of gray mixed
stockings that l was knitting for Bob.
And then, rising with yawn, / looked
out of the windows. 1t was raining
and
Merciful heavens, 1 started back
with low cry, as 1 saw white, wild
face pressed suddenly against the out
Ger side of the pane-a face made paler
still by the contrast of a heavy black
znustache, and hair the most raven Jet
! ever saw.
My first impulse was to run and hide,
my second to face the matter out
What do you want?' asked, open
sing the window little way. "Who are
your
II am belated traveller 1 need food
--rest-rags to bind up my hurt foot.
Seer And then l saw that one of his
Feet was bleeding.
hesitated an instant. He perceived
my doubt.
You are afraid to let the vagrant in
aie said, bitterly. well, don't wonder
much. But there's no danger Let me
sn. as you have a dear father or broth
er OF your own. Give me but crust of
bread, drink of milk. will go on my
way with the earliest dawn of the
morning"
Ny decision was taken at once. His
tie face. his blood-stained foot. his
). cots voice, so unlike the profession
al whine of the regular mendicant, all
appealed to my womanly pity. | re-
lnembered my brothers caution. but
also remembered that there was an I'M
used one-story wing, on the north end
of the house, fitted up in rude sort of
way for the occasional sleeping place
OF the additional farm hands that we
needed in the height of the season of
harvest.
Go around to the farther door" said
n II viii let you in"
admitted him accordingly. Gaunt.
slale and limping, he came in.
There is bed" said /. and here
is food. While you eat will get salye
and bandage for your foot"
When l returned he was eating as
greedily as If he had not tasted food
Tor week, and drinking long draugbts
OF coffee
You are hungry" said I, kneeling to
my task.
II hope you may never be as near
starvation as | have been this dav.r no
responded, in low, thrilling voice.
Thank you. young woman-the foot
feels easier now"
So left him.
went 10 bed and fell fast asleep in
gess than fifteen minutes.
The sound of the old wooden clock
striking 3-or something else-roused
Eae, and. opening my eyes, saw the
shrouded light OF dark lantern In the
room, and by its glimmer three men
were searching the contents of the old
hair trunk that stood underneath the
window.
started up with a scream probably
she most imprudent thing | could have
,done-but did not stop at that Instant
OF terror 10 measure the consequences.
stop that girls squeaching pipe"
muttered a low, threatening tone. and
the next instant an iron hand was upon
my threat, my eyelids seemed staring
frOm their sockets, and horrible
death by sufocation seemed closing
around me.
IN the self-Same second. however. I |
saw the deadly white face of the man
I bad so recently succored and fed. in
the doorway. l heard the click of a |
plstol being cooked. My FIRST impress :
sion was that he belonged to the gang
that he had made an entrance into the
house through ray weak pity. and af-
how unjustly judged him.
Let go that girls throat or III send
a brace Of bullets through your brainr'
he shouted, snd instantaneously was
Sree- Nov, then. get out Of thisl Drop
everything. Quick DO you see this
nlstol7 1t carries charges enough to
send every one of you 70 kingdom come
quicker than lightn-g"
His eloQuence was OF a most persua-
sive nature. One OF the men dropped |
red leather pocketbook of pS Ners that /
I recognized as Bob's; another let fall |
a calico bag containing Aunt Terminals |
six silver teaspoons. and all three tum- |
bled out Of the door in hot haste. Ny |
unknown friend calmly examined the |
f1steniags.
The bolt has been pried away" said |
Aa. but I can fix 1t in a minute. And /