El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-29
PAGES 9 AND 10.

kind of emotion playing in her eyes,
and her hand made q little impulsive
move toward him. Then. suddenly
abashed. her lids dropped in pretty con-
fusion before Rods steady gray eyes.
faint, pleased smile swept over his
placid features.
You may stay" said he conclusively,
and perhaps she felt a little womanly
disappointment at his ready acquies-
cencc. If so, his next words effaced it.
''But if anything happens I shall never
forgive myself"
His solemn demeanOr did more to
shake her fortitude than all the old
gentleman's lurid representations, but
she answered bravely: "All right, sir.
You aud your father have been very
good. l don't depreciate that, If l do
the danger"
AS he took her hand to say SOodby
he looked at her with such quiet. sup
pressed longing that she felt her cheeks
burn.
You won't go?' he asked in fnality.
NO" she murmured quickly, biting
her lip to hide its Quivering, and Rod
erick had hardly closed the door before,
she burst into tears.
Until nearly midnight she sat at her
window watching the figures that con-
stantly darkened the bright doorway OF
Diggory's store, in the back part OF
which there was sold for drink as vile
a compound as ever witches brewed, a
so called whisky that set their brains
on fire, dissipated reason, whipped into.
action every low passion and trans
formed them into bruteS almost as saw
age and ruthless as their cannibalistic
ancestors. Back and forth, back and
forth, the dusky procession marched.
stumbled and reeled, hooting, cursing.
threa tening. A similar scene was be-
ing enacted across the track at Black
wells. where the miserable proprietor,
leaving avarice out of the count, dared
not close. To look for help from either
of these wretches in case of trouble
Amy knew would be wildly futile.
About II the crowds around the
stores began to melt away, and half
hour later not soul was in sight from
Amy's window. 1t would have been
less suspicious had few loiterers been
left. But hoping for the best the
plucky little agent, tired and worn, lay
down upon her bed without removing
her clothes. Her head had scarcely
touched the pillow when a stone crash
ed through the window. With heart
throbbing painfully she sprang up and
seized Barney McCalps pistol For an
instant all was quiet; then there came
q rap at the door that seemed to turn
her heart to lead.
"Who is it?" she called, and in that
moment when she believed that she
faced death or something almost as
bad, she grew suddenly calm.
Its me, Missy" came a frightened
voice.
She recognized it as that of Moss, the
baggage boy, and opened the door just
far enough for him to squeeze through.
His eyes were round with terror and
his teeth chattering.
missy, Use afeared to stay in de
baggage room. They done surroun'
u.s. he whimpered. .'They all crazy
drunk, an-O Gawd-they gwine bun
u.s."
The sight of this abject terror nerved
her beyond relief. "Stop your whim-
pering," she commanded. You must
go for Colonel Singleton. Run every
step of the way and tell him I'm in
danger. Go-quickY'
go Gawd. missy, doan' sen this pooh
niger out" pleaded the boy. ''You
just same as kill me. missy, kase they
hate me. Deed and double you do.
missy. Befo' Gawd. missy, you woan'
do that" He dropped on his knees be-
fore her and clasped his uplifted hands.
his eyes starting with terror, his veins
swelling.
eff you don't go, I'll blow your brains.
out right here" she answered so stern
| ly that he suddenly rose. "And re-
| member, if you fail to go to Colonel
Singleton's after you are safe on the
outside he will hold you responsible for
| anything that happens to me. And SO
will the law, and you will probably
| hang for it,
This liberal Interpretation Of the law
| had it's effect, and, with final injunc-
ton for him to hurry, Amy let the
| trembling wretch out into the dark
| ness.
Hours seemed to pass before any
thing occurred. With the weapon still
in her hands. she walked from window
to window, around and around, peer
ing anXiously out, but neither seeing
nor hearing anything. At last, in the
absence of succor, she was forced to
the conclusion that the boy had either
been intercepted by the rioters or had
played her false. Once she thought OF
making a sudden dash for DiggOry's.
She would be safe there perhaps. but
the railroad property would surely go.
Could she in the morning look upon the
charred ruins and say that she had
done her duty? Then there were her
books and clothing-small things COM
pared with life. but nevertheless some
thing that men might fight for.
peculiar sound. 1t might have been 20