Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-05

y Va.
The old soldier laughed
"Do?" he exclaimed, enthusastical-
ly, as he rubbed his hands together.
why. they did nothing. Jade Fanshaw' 5
son rode into their rar ks and made the
granGcst speech | ever listened to in
my life. He turned the very marrow
in my bones to ice. / was cold one
minute and rs hot as old Nick the
next. believe we were all hypnotized
From the minute he began TO show up
the horror Of lynch law and the risk
they were running of hanging an inno-
cent man. ] believe I'd added rather
than let the mob harm the fellow. He
stood there with more ropes on him
than he could carry and didn't look
big enough TO harm fly. After Fam
shaw got their attention the first thing
he demanded was that they let the
prisoner tell his story. lie gained his
point and the little chap began to talk
You could hardly hear what he said.
he was so fatiRued and honrse. In
the name of God and Christianity he
said. let me have a chance to prove
III Eol < 'llIll.
sgd Hart, Thad Williams and their
faction were too full of whisky and
hatred TO be moved by mere eloquence:
they were there for blood and they
were going to have it; so they tried
TO drown out what the prisoner was
saying. But Fanshaw, towering n bove
them all on his horse. finally succeeded
In getting him heard and the boys
etory satisfied me OF his innocence. He
said the money he had was his saw
ings from two years' hard work in an
iron foundry in Chattanooga and that
he was tax King it home 10 his widowed
mother. who depends on him for her
support. He said ne was tramping
home on foot TO save the expense Of a
railroad ticket. Somebody asked him
why be had tried TO escape from the
sheriff. and he said he was afraid of
being lynched-that he had heard Of
the treatment men accused Of crime re-
ceived in these mountains.
'Thon some one asked him about the
blood on his hands and shirt, and he
showed them cut on his leg which
had been bound up and was bleeding.
about that time sgd Hart became
obstreperous again. Captain, saw
you talking TO him just then. ] won
dered II you had said anything to IN
flame"
Il thought might reason with him"
broke in Wrinkle, with start. 81 saw
he was clear ont of his head, wholly
unreasonable, YOU know"
"Well, you seemed to have struck
stony ground for your good seed"
laughed Has broolc, for he got wilder
than ever"
"0h. do 20 on" cried Mrs Lancas-
ter. "What became of Mr.. Fanshaw -
II was coming To- him." said the old
man. AS soon a he appeared on the
scene, the sheriff, who had hardly
opened his mouth in any sort Of rcmon-
STRANGE, picked up his courage and be
gan to try to get possession of the prs-
oner; but nobody paid any attention to
him. Hart and Williams had their ears.
However. young Fanshaw saw how the
thing was going and brought il to TO-
Gus by the most unexpected and
risky move ever saw. Pretending that
he wanted the people in the edge of the
crowd 10 see how small the prisoner
was, he lifted the little fellow onto his
horse in front of him. and, before any-
one suspected what he was up to. he
had wheeled his horse and was off like
the wird. sgd Hart pulled his revolver
and aimed it at Fanshaw's back. bu:
Dave PanShaw knocke. The weapon up.
and il went oil without harmiuC any
one. Then Dave held pistol NJ Harris
head and dared him to stir a muscle.
This quarrel drew the attention Of the
mob from the prisoner and Fanshaw
bore him away without any opposition.
yhc sheriff followed at his heels. They
have gore with him to the Jail in Dan
ube. He'll be safe there"
Evelyn was closely watching Wrinkle:
she had read him better than had her
father.
1T was the noblcst deed I ever heard
Of" She said. eXultingly
Wrinkle responded with a shrug and
a frown.
ran shaw Will pay well Tor IT, IN all
probability" he said, sulienly.
Despite her habitual command over
her emotions Evelyn's face fell, but she
did not crafty her enemy by reply
ing to his thrust.
Her father agreed with Wrinkle.
Yes" he said, "it is not over yet by
amy means. sgd and Thad will certain
~ be bent on revenge, and Fanshaw
will be their target. lnever saw more
malignant couutenance than Harris
when he realized that his plans We're
thwarted. ! guess he will lie in wait
for Fanshaw on MS return from Dan
ube."
Grown suddenly faint. Evelyn turned
into the hall. Mr. Iiardy's voice followed
her and beat Pleasantly on her ears. 81
certainly take of my hat 10 that sort
Of courage" he was saying. "Fanshaw
has the right kind Of grit. It's pity
tne world has not more men like him.
Evelyn's window commanded view
OF the road leading from Danube 10
hoL.e, and the remainder of
the night slecplass and distraught she
sat gazing across the fields at spot she
knew he must pass on his way home.
And there. in that awful still suspense,
she read her heart as She had never read
il before.
"Nes," She confessed to herself. aloud,
h. k.,, %