The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-02-02

parent that the sound OF the chopplng
which had been breaking on the still.
heavy air at intervals since we began
to descend the hill originated on Leach's
premises. In response to the boys si-
lent request to follow him, Tatman and
] fell in with the group of boys and
girls and dogs and went around to the
back yard. Once in sight of this dreary
spot, we came to a dead stop. The
chopper was an old woman. Her fore
head was a network of wrinkles, Her
hair was yellowish gray. There was
only wisp Of it. This was twisted into
tight little knob ct the top. of her
head, all except few thin strings which
had escaped the thralldom of the comb
and struggled down around her bony
neck. The woman's cheeks were thin
and creased and her eyes were sunken.
Her thin calico gown displayed every
angle of her gaunt, ungainly figure.
Taken all in all, she was very home
ly, uncouth woman, but somehow there
was something about her that made me
feel timid. Tatman saw my trepidation
and took the initiative. He stepped for
ward and stood directly before the
chopper. She held the ak poised in the
air for moment, then let it sink down
easily on tie hickory chunk. She rested
her hands on the handle and bent her
tall body slightly forward.
"'Well,' she said, what do you want?'
"Her steady look disconnected Tat
man, too, for minute, but he braced W
and came to the point without any use
less preliminaries.
"'Does Hiram Leach live here?' he
asked.
EYES, she said, stif1y.
els he at home?' continued Tat
man.
"'Yes,' she repeated.
"'I should like to see him. said Tat
man.
''The woman grasped the ak handle
tighter and then leaned over a little
farther. What you wa1t of him? she
asked.
"T..t.man looked at her significantly.
Pm the sheriff. he said, bluntly and
cruelty. Perhaps you can guess the
rest
"The ak dropped to the ground at that
and the woman pressed her coarse red
hands to her cheeks, over which snow
flakes were drifting like half-frozen
tears. She made no audible reply to
Tatman's communication, but the chill
dren, who had gathered close about us,
took alarm at the dread word sheriff
and broke out into a concerted wall of
alright, as though they had heard the
!. crack of doom.
"'Are you Leach's wife?' said Tat
| man.
"'No, his sister. His wife's dead.
Died when this'n was baby she said,
laying her hand On. the head of the
smallest child which had escaped to
take refuge in the folds of her scant
skirt. My name is Marthy Leach she
added, as an afterthought. I've stayed
here ever since the children's mother
went and sort o. looked after EN-
"Again Tatman hesitated.
"'You understand my errand here,
Tn quite sure, Miss LEACH he said.
You have undoubtedly heard the ru-
mors that have been current for weeks
past concerning your brother. have
duty to perform. must search
your house.
"The woman's thin, hatchet-like
face grew more peaked and haggard.
For moment "A look of defiance
glowed In her eyes. When that died
away she lifted the smallest child into
her arms and started toward the
house,
"'Come. on she said, He's in here
''Tatman and | followed her into
long, low room, and the children and
dogs crowded in at our heels, The
room was almost dark. The greater
part of what poor light there was was
derived from fitful flame that leaped
up from the log in the open fireplace,
for the windows, which were too small
to admit much light even in their
prime condition, were rendered almost
Opaque by the rags which were sub
stituted for the broken panes, and the
swirls of snow that coated the few re-
naming ones, A man sat at one cor
ner of the fireplace. He was coughing
violently when we entered, and l no.
ticed that the hand he held up to his
lips was almost transparent in its
thinness. The woman stood silently
before him until his paroxysm of
coughinghad ended. Then she spoke:
"'Hi, she said, here's two men come
to see you.'
'The man raised his hollow dark
eyes and shook back his thick dark
hair. Tatman looked at me, appeal
ingly, but could give him no en-
couragement,
"'They have duty to PERFORM the
woman went on bitterly. This man,
and she pointed to Tatman, is the
sheriff. He is going to arrest you for
stealing a sack of potatoes, bag of
corn and slice of pickle pork from
Peter Fagin night before last. The
whole thing weighed hundred
pounds. mebbe, Peter Fagin lives
three miles from here. There was an
awful heavy rain all that night and
the mud was knee-deep, but for any
body well an strong like you are, Hi.
rain an mud don't count
There was q sneer in the woman's
voice that eontrasted painfully with
her shrunken, withered face and fig
ure. The man laid his face in the hol-
dow of his skeleton-like hands and
groaned. The woman turned toward
Tatman and me.
"'I s'pose,' she said, grimly. you'd
like TO search the house.
SsTo v,-oafc 90 ooa xr1c n,,cI,a1 a,1 Ia.