Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-20
MIR. Y
 BY FRANK NlEu SON
Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Co.,,


 | Copyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub. Col TT LIP tn piller leet1e higher up, l Mirey,' said the old man, paev- ishly. ''Th' cher hurts my back-an' tn suns shinin' right in my eyes"
 The girl tenderly adjusted the pill low and with masculine strength lifted the rude chair with its paraiy- tic burden to shadier spot under the apple tree. fa
 "Ye ain't treatin' Jake right, Mirey,'' grumbled the old man. "He an you goin' to marry him this fall" 'Mebbe am-mebbe I ain't," the girl said, impatiently.
 1 The old man looked up at her anx- l iously. 'tI knowed it,'' he exclaimed. i've seed it a comin' ever sence that Evans come a snoopin' round here, pizen- in yer mind with his stories bout fine houses, an great ladies, an dresses, am dimunds. What brought him way up here in this wild place? | Who knows what he is, ennyhow? Like as not he's one of them revroo spies.''
 | We've got no call to islander him that way, pap" retorted the girl, hotiy. ''Lots of them city folks spends their vacations in tn moun- tains. Am ennybody kin see he's a ! gentleman. He ain't no spy.'' There were hot words over the 1 young city man, leaving the old man sullen and dissatisfied and the girl defiant. As she turned to go he said:
 'sMirey, they's sumthin' clean for 1 got to tell Jake when he come by, an l must see him. He ain't more'n half way to tn stall, yit. Run, Mirey, ye must bring him back '' The girl hurried obediently down the steep path and along the base of the ountain, smiling as she went 'T kin coax him into it after while,' '' she nurmnred, 'san' then I kin be sumbody. Rob says kin have emmy thing l."
 | A crash, rattle of descending stones, a smothered ejaculation, and two struggling, interlociced men rolled down into the path below her. One of them, wrenching the revolver l from-th others hand, arose painting, tall and powerful. His opponent lay 1 quite still, blood trickling from a wound on the curly, handsome head
 With a choking cry Mirey sprang | forward and raised the wounded head in her arms.
 @Ye've killed him." she moaned
 ''Heps only stunned leetle,'' growled the tall man. @He was a follerin' me, an when I s'prised him he tried to shoot. He's 8 spy, Mirey.''
 "You lie, Jake!" the girl cried, de- fiantly. "An' this won't do ye no good, nuther.''
 The tall man bent down and from I the inner pocket of the stylish coat drew long, officiallooking envelope. l Look at that, Mirey,'' he cried, with a note of triumph. s@Frum tn Internal Revnoo D'partment!'
 That ain't his name on i-it's fer sumbody else" she protested, wildly 'ELet me read what's inside.s 1 She reached up trembling hand, took the opened sheet and her sun browaed face turned pale. The wounded head dropped from the en- circling arms and she staggered to her feet, swaying, crushing the let l feet stirred and sighed. The tall man knelt and with his handkerchief bound the unregisting hands cruelty tight.
 What ye goin' to do with him, Jake?" asked the girl. quietly, al- most inaudibly.
 l We've heered rumors of what went with 'tother one,'' the tall man nut tered, with 8 significant glance. 'fBut tain't fer me to say. Tn boysIl decide that"
 The girl shuddered and turned away.
 ''You'n have to go an tell tn boys, Mirey, while watch him. He mustn't git away"
 "I-I kain 't--bring them, Jake. I'll watch him. He'll not git away,'' sav- agely. "Give me tn gun"
 Jake's eyes looked searchingly into hers. She met the scrutiny un- tiinching1y.
 "Kin trust ye, Mirey?"
 Don't I know what'n happen eff hs gifts away" she cried, indignantly. Dye think I'd send pap and-and you-to prison? I'll kill him first. Go-an' hurry"
 She seated herself on nearby powder and with drawn face and cold, pitiless eyes regarded the un- conscious captive. The bees, home going, heavy-laden, droned musicaIly among the blossoms, loath to leave. From the distant river came the faint whistle of a passing boat. A great, black buzzard Tapped heavily down upon the dead limb of a sycamore, wiped his hooked beak on his sable plunage and cooked his baleful eye inqutsitivefy at the fallen man.
 The captive heaved long, culver ing sigh, opened his eyes, struggled, and sat up, staring about him con- fusedly.