Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-04-23


would hardly wait to snatch a hasty
| breakfast.
The hired man came in. He was going
to take load of grain to the mill that
! morning and could not get an early break
fast at home, because his wife was sick.
! Hetty sat him down at the table and be-
gan dipping the buckwheat batter from
its crock to the smoking griddle for cakes.
BY the time he was through eating, Mary
Elder and Mrs. Mulveil were up. The
latter felicitated herself upon seeing the
hired man before he started. She fan
cied that she had felt some premonitory
! twinges of rheumatism and wanted him
to be sure to get for her, from the miller,
bottle of black-snake OIL He said he
would not forget and went away. Hetty
put upon the table a tall pile of golden
brown buckwheat cakes, and the three
women sat down.
The meal was little more than half
over, when the girls sharp ears caught
the sound of two gunshOts. close together,
at a distance, but clear. Neither of the
! others noticed them.
! There" she exclaimed. 81 have for
! gotten again to set water on for the
! Dishes" and, rising from the table which
was in the kitchen, took up the kettle to
| place it upon the stove.
| 1t was empty-as she had taken care it
should be. She turned to the water pail;
it, too, was empty. Taking it up, as if
/ going to the well, she passed out of the
| back door, which she closed behind her.
| Her mother and Mary were deep in dis
| cussiOn of the ACCESSIBILITY of turning"
a certain blue cashmere that had already
seen much service. But, after some min
utes, the old woman exclaimed petulant-
! ly:
why don't that girl come and finish
her breakfast? Hetty! Hettyr'
There was no response. At that pre-
else moment Hetty was already two hun
dred yards away from the house, with
her bundle in her arms, flying down the
lane as if an angry bull had been be-
hind her.
After a time, Mrs. MuIveil broke forth
again:
Her coffee is getting cold and them
buckwheats will be like leather. Hetty!
/ Hettyw
Getting no reply, she arose. went to the
back door, looked out and repeated her
call, loudly, but in vain.
By that time Hetty was in John Cam
eron's cutter, out of sight, beyond the
bend in the road, doing the best she could
with nervous fingers and her lovers rath-
er awkward help. to bundle herself up
comfortably in the warm wraps she had
not dared to wait to put on until now.
"Where are we going, John!" she ask
ed anxiously.
ITO the turnpike, first. There our track
will be lost Then, if they chase u.s. they
will not know whether we have struck
out for NOblestown, Canonsburg or
Washington, and, as they will hardly be
likely to think we have started off in this
way for Pittsburg, we will get an ever
lasting start on them while they are puz-
zling."
When Mrs. NIulveil had repeated her
call two or three times. she noticed the
door of the summer kitchen open, observ-
ed the water pail dropped in the snow
near by, and suspicion flashed, with the
Suddenness of an explosion, into her
mind. Without word she wheeled, and
darted into Hetty's bedroom. From there,
a howl of angry dismay quickly proclaim
ed that she had made a discovery. Het-
tvs warm wraps, as we'll as the girl her.
self were missing, aud the old woman
shrewdly guessed the truth.
''Hetty has run away with that John
Cameron" she shrieked. rushing back tc
the kitchen.
Mary Elder, leisurely enjoying her
buckwheat cakes and honey, was almost
paralyzed by amazement, and could only
weakly gasp:
"Oh, no. Mrs. MuIveil! You don't
think 500"
Don't I? Well, I do. And, what's
more, 1 know she has. I'd lay my life
on it,
"Why, she never even limited to me
that she had thought of such a thing.
should think she would have told me-"
"Oh. no! Not she! OF course not. She
was smart enough for keeping her mouth
to herself and with him putting her up
to it. And to think didn't see anything
out of the way with her! l might have
known there was some deviltry in her
getting up so mortal early this morning.
But she needn't think she is going to get
away SO mighty easy. Danny! Hi, Dan
n.y.
"Danny's gone to shoot squirrels"
so he has; and I'd forgot it. This
trouble drove it out of my head. I'll
have to ride the mare. Consarn the boy.
No day would do him to go hunting but
this day, of all the days in the year,
Why, Mrs. Mulveil, Danny goes hunt
ing every day.
Yah, So he does. Well, I'll go do
some hunting myself. I'm ready, now"
Mrs. Mulveil had not wasted a minute
in her talking, for she was woman
of action; and while her tongue ran on.
she had been busily preparing herself
to pursue the lovers. Fully dressed now
for the road, it took her but a few min
utes TO saddle the bay mare and prompt
ly she set out at a gallop for Cousin Sim
cons. His kinship and constabulary
authority. she seemed to think, would
make him her most effective ally in this
emergency, but how much stronger her
| confidence would have been had she
! known that his energies would be in
| spired by an infinitely more powerful
| feeling-that of fer0cious jealousy.
Simeon and Rufus were both ut the
sawmill putting in a new iog-car when
she refined up At the door, with loud,
| impatient
Hi there
In few vigorous words she told her
| startling news; Hetty had run away
with John Cameron.
Rufus did most OF the audible swear
| ing, but Simeon'S face was hard set and
| white with passion deeper than words
could vent. The constable hated his sue
ceSSful rival as a Cameron; as man
! who had dehed his authority aud whip
| ped him; as his superior in every manly
! grace and attribute; and finally as the
| winner Of the fair prize upon which he
| had fixed his hearts desire. Yes; he
was the right man TO enlist for the pur-
I suit Of the lovers. He still had that war
rant in his possession and now it would
/ be worth while taking all probable risks
/ TO effect its service. II was as a fugi-
/ tive from justice that he would hunt
! John Cameron down; not as a lover elop-
/ ing with his sweetheart. OF course, IN
! der existing circumstances, the young
/ fellow would be certain 20 resist arrest.
/ At least. It was 20 be hoped he would.
/ And II he did? Well. constable in the