The Newtown bee., 1900-07-27

cred to gossip of things present or t
come, There was that stealthy, listenin
figure, carefully hidden from their u,
observing eyes. And what she thus owe,
heard III the darkness Priscilla afterwar
proclaimed in unexpected places, an
thus it was that long ago she had won TO
herself the name and reputation of
witch.
| Malcolm combatted that idea so dill
gently that before the end OF the summe
neither the children nor their elder
called her openly by that name. Blu
Malcolm shrewdly guessed that they ma
dropped it simply to please him and no
because he had succeeded in changinI
their belief.
( In spite OF hex urvarying repulses ant
wild and sometimes sneering words, Nal
colin did not despair of winning her conf
dence in time.
let me alone !" che cried petulantlv OF
one occasion. ny on persist in trying t,
torment me as If it was part of you
business and you we're paid for doing it
But you are working for your own ends
You are simply curious-a meddlesom'
boy?"
II wish I could convince you that an
your FRIEND" he said.
81 do not believe you are any one'l
friend-but your own! You have come
here to make your living-so much 6
year! I've seen your kind before. YOU
NEEDLE and you pry-but you wouldn't
lift your finger to help living creature
without pay-and that's what 1 think
OF you" she ended scorLfully.
Malcolm forgot her bitter words, but
Priscilla never did.
The little village where Malcolm wae
located was several miles from a good.
siz I'D manufacturing town where matters
OF business took him now and then.
Sometimes he walked in and sometimes
he rode with one or another of the farm.
ers, on a load of wood or market produce
or hay, according to the season of the
year.
1t was on one of these occasions in the
early autumn and Malcolm, having fin.
ished the business on which he had gone,
was sitting on the bank above the river
Just beyond the towr, waiting for Farmer
Giles to pick him up on his homeward
way.
I Suddenly he heard the whistle OF one of
the big factories shrilling out an alarm
and in an instant the air was filled with
om1nous sounds-fOr other factories
Immediately took up and repeated the
warning note and the fire bell In the
tower on the hill fiercely changed out it's
dreaded summons.
Malcolm sprang to his feet, for he saw
smoke already issuing from the door and
lower windows of one OF the factory
buildings close at hand. Men and
women came rushing out from it in wild
confusion, and the upper windows were
almost instantly filled with panic
stricken, shrieking girls whose escape
was evidently cut off by the flames. One
In her wild panic had already thrown
herself headlong-to her death.
on'tjump!' commanded Malcolm as
be ran forward, "don't jump! Wait, keep
ool,-you will be saved! Quick, get lad
1ers, bring long rope" he ordered, as
1e reached the building and found him
elf by bewildered throng
# men.
''Is the stairway burning? Then the
escue must be from the outside. Hurry,
but don't lose your heads"
Ropes were quickly brought and knot |
ed together, a ladder was found, but 1t |
roved 80 short as to be practically USE
ess, for the imprisoned girls were up on
be third floor.
Malcolm had called to them to tightly |
lose all doors to keep back the smoke |
nd flames as long as possible, and they |
ad evidently obeyed him.
Now, with q great coil OF rope over his |
boulder, and.armedIwith an ak and some
pixies he had spied in box near by, he
IN up the short ladder, pausing at its
,p to drive with rapid strokes a spike
lidway between the ladders top and the
window frame above.
Notwithstanding his frail appearance.
[alcolm was good athlete, and go by
ntel and Ak and spike he managed to
ing and climb and find foothold, draw
e himself up the face of the building,
ntil amid the cheers of the crowd below
nd the breathless suspense Of the trem-