Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1900-01-11

| unused 0ne-st0ry wing, on the north
end OF the house, fitted up In q 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.
| go around to the father door," said
l. Il 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 1 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 I, kneeling
to my task.
II hope you never may be rs near
starvation as have been this day." he
responded, In a low. thrilling voice.
THANK you, young woman--the foot
feels easier now"
So I.left him.
| / had meant to slip across the bolt
on the outside of the door that led to
the other portion of the house; but l
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 matter" said 4, vallantly, to my
self, Il must risk ii. / dare say we
are all as safe as IL there were 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, 1
saw the shrouded light OF a dark Ian
tern in the room, and by its gllmmer
three men were searching the contents
Of the old hair trunk that stood under
meath the window.
started up with a scream-probably
the most imprudent thing could have
done-but l 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, l
saw the deadly white face of the man
/ had so recently succored and fed, in
the doorway; / 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 my weak pity, and
afterward admitted his comrades; but
oh! how unjustly l judged him.
Let go that girls throat, or I'll
send a brace of bullets through your
brain!' 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 a most persua-
sive nature. One of the men dropped
a red leather pocketbook of papers that
l recognized as Bobs; another let fall
calico bag containing Aunt Jemimas
! six silver teaspoons and all three
tumbled out of the door in hot haste.
My unknown friend calmly examined
| the fastenings.
THE bolt has been prled back" said
he, "but can fix it in a minute. And
even if l did not / hardly think they
will be likely to come again after the
lesson / have read them"
How can l ever thank your l cried
almost Historically, in my mingled ter
ror and gratitude.
II was thinking tonight as watched
| you bind Up my foot that l would like
to do something for you," he said in
low tone, land have done it. Good
night
| Early the next morning l carried a
| tray of breakfast in to him, but he
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 extjnguishing
the spark of human life than others
do of killing a fy-so read his bio
graphy-and / shuddered to recollect
how utterly we poor women We're at
his mercy on that December night, and
of how he spared and shielded us!
Bob never know of that nights adj
venture. Aunt Jemima never knew.
1t is a secret that l keep to myself.
Proper Ventilation,
The method of natural ventilation