Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-01-11

You are afraid to let the yaorant
in he said, bitterly. well. I don't
| wonder much. But there's no DANCER
Let me In, as YOU have a dear father
or brother of your own. Give me hut
| crust OF bread, a drink of milk.
viii go on my way with the earliest
dawn of morning.
My decision was taken at once His
pale face, his blood-stained foot. his
plteous voice, so unlike the profess
sional whine of the regular mendicxnt,
all appealed to my womanly pity. T
remembered my brothers caution, but
L also remembered that there was an
unused one-story wing, on the north
END OF the house, fitted up in rude
sort of way for the occasional Sleep
ing place of the additional farm hands
that we needed in the height of the
season of harvest
$50 around to the father door," said
[. II will let you in''
admitted him accordingly. Gaunt.
pale and limping, he came in.
| There is bed" said I. 'And here
is food. While you eat will get salve
and bandage for your foot"
When | returned he was eating as
greedily as if he had not tasted food
for week, and drinking long draughts
! of coffee.
'You are hungry" said 1, kneeling
to my task
Il hope you never may be as near
starvation as l have been this day." he
responded, in a low, thrilling voice.
''Thank you, young woman-the foot
feels easier now"
So I left him.
1 had meant to slip across the bolt
on the outside of the door that led to
the other portion of the house; but I
now perceived, for the first time, that
the bolt was not there. Bob must have
taken it out, to use in the stables.
A thrill, half of apprehension, passed
through me at this unwelcome discov-
cry.
mo NATTER" said I, vallantly, to my
self, 81 must risk it, I dare say we
are all as safe as if there were a score
of bolts on the door. Only I'm glad
Aunt Jemima sleeps so soundly."
So went to bed and fell fast asleep
in less that fifteen minutes
| The sound Of the old wooden clock
striking three-or something else
reused me, and, opening my eyes,
saw the shrouded light of dark Ian
tern in the room, and by it's glimmer
three men were searching the contents
of the old hair trunk that stood under
meath the window.
I started up with scream-probably
the most imprudent thing l could have
done-but did not stop at that instant
of terror to measure consequences.
"Stop that gals squeaching pipe"
muttered a low, threatening tone, and
the next instant an iron hand was up
on my throat; my eyeballs seemed
starting from their sockets, and hor-
rible death by suffocation seemed clos
ing around me.
In the salf-same second, however, I
saw the deadly white face of the man
I had so recently succored and fed, in
| the doorway; 1 heard the click Of a
pistol being cooked. My first impress
sion was that he belonged to the gang
that he had made an entrance into
the house through nay weak pity, and
afterward admitted his comrades; but
oh! how unjustly 1 judged him.
"Let go that girls throat, or I'll
send brace of bullets through your
brainr' he shouted; and instantaneous
ly l was free "Now, then, get out OF
this! Drop everything. Quick! Do
you see this pistol? 1t carries charges
enough to send everyone of you to
Kingdom Come quicker than light
ming
His eloquence was of most persua-
sive nature. One of the men dropped
a red leather pocketbook of papers that
[ recognized as Bob's; another let fall
a calico bag containing Aunt Jemlma's
six silver teaspoons and all three
tumbled out of the door in hot haste.
NV unknown friend calmly examined
the fastenings.
"The bolt has been pried back" said
he. 'sbut | can fix it in minute. And
even if did not l hardly think they
will be likely to come again after the
lesson I have read them"
How can ever thank your cried,
almost Historically, in my mingled ter
ror and gratitude.
81 was thinking tonight as watched
YOU bind up my foot that | would ike
to do something for you," he said III
a low tone, ''and have done it. Good
night
Early the next morning | carried a
tray of breakfast in to him, but ne
was gone. From that time to this L
have never seen nor heard of him, eX-
cept that. once in an illustrated news
paper. / saw his portrait, as. the de-
tected murderer of half dozen travel
ers on the Omaha plains-an accom-
plished villian-a cold-blooded wretch,
who Thought no more of extinguishing
tho shark of human life than others
1x.II,o~ Hv-cn road his Do