The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-10-11

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wanted you to come and stay with her.
Do come! Dor
Cissy, with her bright eyes fixed up
But" said Mr.. Windibrook impa-
tiently, "you cannot. That man you see
on the veranda is the sheriffs officer.
The house and all that it contains are
in the hands of the law"
Cissy's face whitened in proportion
as her eyes grew darker, but she said
stoutly, Il shall stay here till my pop
per tells me to 60"
"Till your pepper tells you to goY
repeated Mr.. Windibrook harshly, drop
ping his heartiness and his handker-
chief in burst of unguarded temper.
"Your papa is a thief escaping from
justice, you foolish girl-a disgraced
felon, who dare not show his face
again in Canada City-and you are
lucky-yes, lucky, miss-if you do not
share his disgracew
"And you're wicked, wicked liarw
said Cissy. clinching her little fists at
her side and edging toward him with a
sidelong, bantamlike movement as she
advanced her freckled cheek close to
his with an effrontery so like her abb
sconding father that he recoiled before
it. "And a mean, double faced hypo-
critic too! Didn't you always praise
him? Didn't you call him Napoleon
and a-Moses? Didn't you say he was
the making of Canada City? Didn't
you get him to raise your salary and
start a subscription for your new
house? Oh, you-you-beast"
Here the stranger on the veranda,
still gazing abstractedly at the land
scape, gave low and apparently un-
conscious murmur, as if enraptured
with the view. Mr.. Windibrook, re-
called to an attempt at dignity, took up
his hat and handkerchief. "When you
have remembered yourself and your
position, Miss Trixit," he said loftily,
''the offer 1 have made you"-
81 despise it! I'd sooner stay in the
woods with the grizzlies and rattle
snakes" said Cissy pantingly. "Go
and leave me alone. Do you hear?"
She stamped her little foot. care you
listening? CO."
Mr.. Windibrook promptly retreated
through the door and down the steps
into the garden, at which the stranger
on the veranda reluctantly tore himself
away from the landscape and slowly
entered the parlor through the open
French window. Here, however, he be-
came equally absorbed and distracted
in the condition of his beard, carefully
stroking his shaven cheek and lips and
pulling his goatee.
After pause he turned to the angry
Cissy, standing by the piano, radiant
with glowing cheeks and flashing eyes,
and said slowly: II reckon you gave
the parson as good as he sent. 1t kinder
settles man to hear the frozen truth
about himself sometimes, and you've
helped old Shadbelly considerably on
the way toward salvation. But he was
right about one thing, Miss Trixit. The
house is in the hands of the law. I'm
representing it as deputy sheriff-meb-
be you might remember me-Jake
Poole-when your father was address
in the last citizens meetin, sittin
next to him on the platform. I'm in
possession. 1t isn't a job Pm hankerin
much arter. I'd as lief rather hunt boss
thieves or track down road agents than
this kind of fancy, underhand work. So
you'll excuse me, miss, if I amt got
the STYLE"
He paused, rubbed his chin thought
fully and then said slowly and with
great deliberation: EFF there's any lit
tie thing here, miss-any keepsakes or
such trifies as you keer for in partick-
Ter, things you wouldn't like strangers
to have-you just make little pile Of
'em and drop 'em down somewhere
outside the back door, There amt no
inventory taken or sealin up of any
thing done just yet, though have to
see there amt anything disturbed. But
l kalkilate to walk out on that veranda
for spell and look at the landscape"
He paused again and said with sigh
of satisfaction: "Its a mighty pooty
view out thar. 1t just takes me every
time.'
AS he turned and walked out through
the French window Cissy did not for a
moment comprehend him; then, strange
ly enough, his act of rude courtesy for
the first time awakened her to the full
sense of the situation. This house
her fathers house-was no longer hers!
If her father should never return, she
wanted nothing from it-nothing! She
gripped her beating heart with the lit
tie hand she had clinched so valiantly
a moment ago. Suddenly her hand
dropped. Some one had glided noise
lessly into the back room, figure in
blue blouse-a Chinaman, their house
servant, All Fe. He cast a furtive
glance at the stranger ON the veranda
and then beckoned to her stealthily.
She came toward him wonderingly,
when he suddenly whipped note from
his sleeve and with a dexterous move
ment slipped 1t into her fingers. She
tore it open. A single glance showed
her small key inclosed in a line of
her fathers handwriting. Drawing
quickly back into the corner, she read
as follows: "If this reaches you in
time, take from the second drawer of