The Princeton union., 1902-06-05

/ Col Keever's plan was to Give
1 Amityyille wide berth. sssl sss3s5
Lumber and hardware bills were
. also due on account Of the court
house. Young Herbert. must shoul--.
der these and, to the end that Iun-
pleasant questions might be avoided,
1 Col. Keever had begun his prepara-
tions for shaking the dust of Con.
cord from his feet as early as Tues
day night. Z"
1t was his desire to depart secret
Fl ly, but on opening the front door of
his office he found Christopher Waf-
fle seated on the stairs Softly clos
ing the door, the Colonel sought exit
from the rear, and on the back fight
he came upon William Comfort. The
Colonel, smothering his wrath, re-
turned to the sanctum and waited.
Then he tried again, only to discover
that the siege had not been raised.
During the entire night the editor
made essays at intervals of an hour
or so, but was each time baked by
the blockading forces. There was
nothing for it but to remain where
he was and ~brazen the matter
through.
| Morning came and found the
Colonel asleep in his chair. A COM
motion outside caused him to move
restlessly. What was it he heard?
Excited and angry cries, a sharp
voice haranguing a mob, an uproar
as of men enraged? His faculties
were blunted by his vigil of the
night. He could not reason from
point to point and draw proper in
ferences. With a stertorous sigh he
changed his position in the chair and
! slept on.
| A few moments more and the out
side stairs echoed with a wild clatter
of ascending feet. The door was
burst open and the Colonel started
forward, aroused and apprehensive.
Lemuel Bilkins was before him,
flushed with excitement and trem-
ulous with fear.
"Run, ColoneH' gasped Bilhins;"
for heavens sake, run!'
/ The Colonel's Pudgy face went
white in flash.
| "What's the matter, Lemuel?" he
demanded, starting to his feet.
! "Herbert's in town-he tried to
talk to the people-they accused him
of maxim those Unknown fellows vote
for Harmony-they were goin' for
him hammer and tongs when--
when"
Bilkins, clutching at the desk for
support, halted to catch his breath.
| "When what?" asked the Colonel
in a husky whisper. "speak out, mani"
when Sampson jumped up beside
Herbert and gave Chris Waffle pa
per to read to the crowd" Bilkins
drew a sleeve across his dripping
forehead. 1T was. an agreement be-
tween you and the Harmony people,
and
The Colonel fell over against the
partition with a hollow groan. Now
he knew what had become of that
document, and where his $50 had
gone!
At that instant clamorous shouts,
drawing nearer and nearer, were
heard without; swift feet ascended
the stairs, and suddenly there came
a roar:
Lynch him!''
"Ride him out of town."
Sack the ofice-pull it down
about his ears!"
There they come!' burst out Bill
kins. Hurry, Colonel! There's lots
of trouble, lots of it," He took down
the Colonel's hat and cane in fever
ish haste. "Go down the back stairs
and run for your life, Colonel" he
implored, ''while I stay here and
keep them off,
Hold 'em off, Lem," cried the
Colonel, taking his hat and cane.
DO your duty, boy!"
Thereupon the great man started
for the rear exit.
He proceeded with more haste,
however, than was consistent with
safety. Missing the top step of the
flight, he tried to regain his balance
by catching the next one, but in vain.
Down he fell, head over heels.
|
found that he was sitting on the
damp earth, his position in no wise
suggestive of dignity. His head had
been forced through the crown of
his hat and he was endeavoring, in
a wild way, to get view of his sur
roundings, when Christopher Waffle,
Bill Comfort, McQuilkin, Glimmer
and Sampson pounced upon him.
"Stand OFF, commanded the
Colonel, shaking his cane, to which
he still adhered with a life-and-death
tenacity. "I'll have the law on you.
Egad, I'll call you out!'
This was the great mans last de-
fiance.
"Caught!" cried Comfort, laving
hold of him and dragging him to-
ward the street.
While the people in the street were
celebrating on the fate Keever
should suffer at their hands, there
was borne to their ears a crash of
glass and a form containing a chase