The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-31

satchel up his arm, and, instead of
dropping to the ground, as the girl
had expected, swung himself hgntly
into the branches of q rather large
scrub oak that grew near. she lSteh-
ed to the rustic of the leaves Tor Il
moment as he neared the trunk, ana
then, unable longer to restrain her
curiosity in regard to the doings De-
low, turned to the stairway.
AS she did so, two men mounted.
They examined the rooms of the up
per story hastily but carefully paying
scant attention to her, and departed
swearing In a few moments they re-
turned for the strangers trunk. Nel
followed as far as the stairway Ihere
she heard and saw things, ana Ied IN
bitter dismay to the back OF the
house, when Billy Knapp was over
powered
At the window she knelt, clasping
her hands and placing her head be-
tween her bare arms. Women in the
West. at least women like Nell, do not
weep. But she came near it. Sud
denly she raised her head. A voice
next her ear had addressed her.
she looked here and there and
around, but could discover nothing.
Here, outside" came the low,
guarded voice ''In the tree
Then she saw that the little stranger
had not stirred from his first sighting
| place.
Beg your pardon, man, for start
| ling you or for addressing you at ALL
which l shouldn't, but
"Oh, never mind that" cried the
| girl impatently, shaking back her
hair. So deprecating and timid were
the tones that almost without an eff
| fort of the imagination she could pic
ture the little mans bushes and his
half-sidling method of delivery. Al
| this supreme moment his littleness and
| lack of self-assertion Jared on her
mood. "What you dom there
| Thought you'd vamoosed."
| ut was safest here" explained the
stranger. 81 left no trail
She nodded comprehension of the
common sense of this.
But, ma'am, took the liberty of
| speakin' to you because you seems to
I be in trouble. OF course |. amt got
no right to ask, an if you don't care
to tell me
They're goin' to kill Billy" broke
| in Nell with a sob.
what for?"
! 81 don't jest rightly make out.
| They're after some one, and they
thinks Billy's cachein' him. l reckon
! it's you. Billy amt cachein' nothin !;
but they thinks he is"
| It's me theyS after, all rlght
enough. Now you knows where | am,
why don't you tell them an save
Billy?"
The girl started, but her keen West
| ern mind saw the difficulty at once.
"They thinks Billy i,ertects you,
! jest the same
do you love him?" asked the
stranger.
God knows I'm purity tough" con
| fessed Nell, sobbing but | jest do
that" and she dropped her head
again.
The invisible stranger in the gloom
! fell silent, considering.
I'm a purity rank proposition my
| self" said he at last, as if to himself,
! land / got a job on hand which same
oughta put through without givin
attention on anythin' else. AS usual
! play, folks don't care for me, and !
cont care much for folks. Women
! especial. They drives me plumb tired
! reckon / don't stack up very high
on the blue chips when it comes to
cashn' in With that sex, anyhow; but
i'm general they gives ne as much no.
tice as they lavisnes on doodle bug
amt carin'. you understand, nary
bit; but onct in a dogs age kind OF