The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-21

N-ih lIltN get
The can kick the house down If the!
like; it's so old and crazy"
rs there an upper room?"
The old woman pointed to the far cor
ner. Molly now perceived that the place
was the kitchen. the taproom, the sittinl
room and all. a table was in the middle
settle was standing beside the empt,
fireplace: there was a bench or two; mugs
and cups Of wood, pewter and common
ware stood. on the mantelshclf; side oil
bacon hung in the chimney. In the cor
ner to which the old woman pointed wa:
ladder. Molly ran across the room. Al
the top of the ladder there was a square
opening large enough for her passage
She went up and found herself by the din
ruShlight in an upper chamber. the flooi
of which was covered with flock beds laid
on the boards. There was one small
frame of glass in the roof, a window
which was not made to open. The place
reeked with foul air worse than the orloI
deck or the hold after voyage.
Down below she heard her captor kick
ing at the door. Apparently the old wo-
man drew back the bolt, for he came in
notsily and swearing horribly. Appar-
emily the old woman pointed to the lad
der, OF perhaps the glimpler from the
room above guided him. He came to the
ladder and tried persuasion.
Molly, my dear, he cried, come
down. | won't harm you. Upon my hon
or will not. | want only to put you into
the chaise and carry you off to be mar
ried Molly. you are the loveliest girl in
the county. Molly, say. there is nobody
can hold a candle to you. Molly. | will
make you as happy as the day is long.
Molly, l love you ten times well as
that proud lord. He will not marry you.
There isn't a man in all the company |
will not fight for your sake. Don't think
] will let any other man have you. Con-
found 1t, Molly. why don't you answer"
For now she kept silence. The more he
parleyed the more time she gained. But
she found one or two loose boards that
had hppu t1gpI for LAYING in
the support of the fiockbeds. She laid
them across the trapdoor There was.
however. nothing to keep them down.
Then Tom Rising began to swear at the
old woman.
You fool You blundering, silly, jenny
ass of fool What the devil did you
give her the candle for?'
II didn't give IL. She took it."
Go get another candle, then"
There are no more candles, master"
said the old woman, In her feeble voice.
shes got the only one.
Molly. If you won't come down, ! shall
force my way up
Still she kept silence.
He took two steps up the ladder and
his left hand. Molly applied her knife
gently, but dexterously; but it touched the
bone and taught him what to expect. He
drew back with a cry of rage.
Come down. he said "or i will be
worse for you. Come down, I say
He had not reckoned on a knife and
on the girls courage in using it
Molly" he said again, more softly,
come down"
She still maintained silence.
You have no food up there he went
on. Your window is only light in the
roof looking away from the road. No one
from Lynn will come this way. If they
do, they will see nothing. You had better
come down. Molly. | shall wait here for
a month. | shall starve you out. Do you
hear? BY the Lord, I will set fire TO the
sh.af 1I md IgN-f ha ord
you shall come down.
So he raved and ragged. Meantime the
two chairmeH, who were his own ser
wants, stood pole in hand, one in front of
escape. but this was impossible, because
the room, as you have heard. had no
other window than a small. square open
ing in the roof in which was fitted
piece of coarse, common glass.
Jack" she told me, when he talked of
setting fire to the thatch, , confess |
irembled. because, you see, my knife
would not help me there and. indeed.
think he would have done 1t. because he
was like one that has gone mad with
rage. He vas like mad bull. He
he ragged: he cursed and swore;
ne called me all the names you ever
heard of, such names as the sailors call
their sweethearts when they are in rage
with them. and then he called me all the
endearing names. such as loveliest of my
sex. fairest nymph. tenderest beauty.
What a man What a mani"
Meantime she made no answer what
ever. and the darkness and the silence
ing the unfortunate lover to kind of
madness, and / know not what would
have happened.
Molly" he said. willy nilly. down you
come. I shall tear down the thatch. /
would burn you out. but | would not
spoil your beauty. l shall tear down the
thatch, and my men shall carry you
down.
Then Molly made answer.
II have a knife in my possession. Do
not think that l am afraid to use 1t. The
first man who lays hands on me ! will
kill. whether 1t is you or your servants
THAT we shall see. Look out, Molly,
you are only a merchants daughter, and
/ am a gentleman. Do you think | value
that compared with marrying you? Not
one whit When we are married. I will
buy more land. / will be the greatest land
owner of the whole county. Sir Robert
will make me sheriff. | will go into Par
lament. Molly, he will make me peer.
Come down, | say
But she spoke no more.
Then he lost control of himself and for
awhile stamped and swore, threatened and
cursed you will have 1t, then? Here,
John, go and look for a ladder There's
always a ladder in the back yard. Put
II up against the thatch. Tear it down
Make a hole in the roof. Tear OF the
whole roof.
The man propped his chair pole
gainst the door and went round to look
for the ladder and to obey orders.
so" Molly told me. Il was besieged.
MI Rising was below, but l had my
knife. and he was afraid to venture up
the steps. | heard the men dumping
about outside. | heard them plant the
ladder and climb up. Now, country
man who understands a thatch Is able
to tear it off very quickly, either to
make or mend a hole or to tear down
the roof altogether, and feared that l
must use my knife seriously. Was ever
Iag.Yl Ey.lHF
waited. BY the quick tearing away Of
The. straw | saw that the fellow on the
ladder knew how to thatch rick or
In few minutes there would
DE a hole big enough for half dozen
men to enter. Jack. her cheek flushed
and her eye frightened. God forgive me.
but / made up my mind the moment that
man stepped within the room to plunge
my knife into his heart"
IL a wOman's honor is dearer than her
life, then surely it Is more precious than
a dozen lives of those who would rob
her Of that treasure.
However. this last act of defence was
not necessary
Master" cried the postboy. who was
with the chaise-'master. here
be men on horseback galloping. doubt
hey are coming after the lady
Tom Rising stepped to the door and
looked down the road. The day was
already beginning to break. He saw
n the dim light a company of horse
mon galloping along the road 1t was
! bad road, and there had been rain so
hat the horses went heavily. They were
cry near. In a few moments they would
De upon him. He looked at the chaise-
lie made one more effort.
MOLLY" he said. come down quick.
There is just time. Let us have no more
ooling."
Again she made no reply. Knife in
land. with crimson check and set lips.
he WATCHED the hole in the thatch and
he man tearing IL away.
Tom Rising swore again most bias
,hemously.. Then seeing that the game
VAS lost. he Ioosened his sword in its
,cabbard and stepped into the middle
,f he road