The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-04-07

she's bound to stay in spite of him and
the sherwoods too. I've always thought
she was grand, ever since she took me
under her protection at school, when
r. Minnie was speaking sadly, me-
chanically, but suddenly she broke off
with quick sob, turned to the Win
dow, then turned again to Briscoe and
cried: II don't believe it! He knew
how to take care of himself too WELL
He'd have got away from them"
Her father shook his head. "Then
why hasn't he turned up? He'd have
gone home after the storm if something
bad wasn't the matter"
"But nothing-nothing that bad
could have happened. They haven't
found-any-anything."
"But why hasn't he come back,
child?'
"Well, he's lying hurt somewhere,
that's all.''
''Then why haven't they found him %.
II don't care" she cried and choked
with the words and tossed her dishev-
eled hair from her temples, lit isn't
true! Helen won't believe it. Why
should I? It's only a few hours since
ne was right here in our yard talking
to us all. won't believe it till they've
searched every stick and stone of Six
Crossroads and found him."
1T wasn't the Crossroads said
the old gentleman, pushing the table
away and relaxing his limbs on the
sofa. ''They probably didn't have any
thing to do with it. We thought they
had at first, but everybody's about
come to believe it was those two fell
lows that he had arrested yesterday"
1T wasn't the Crossroadsr' echoed
Minnie, and she began to tremble vio-
lently. Haven't they been out there
yet?"
what use? They are out Of it, and
they can thank God they are"
"They are mott" she cried, very much
agitated. '"They did it. It was the
White Caps. We saw them, Helen
and II
The judge got upon his feet with an
oath. He had not sworn for years un-
til that morning. "Whats this?' he
said sharply.
II ought to have told you before, but
we were so frightened, and-and you
went off in such a rush after Mr.. Wiley
was here. I never dreamed everybody
wouldn't know it was the Crossroads;
that they would think of any one else.
And looked for the scarecrow as soon
as it was light, and it was away off
from where we saw them and wasn't
blown down at all; and Helen saw
them in the field besides; saw all Of
them
He interrupted her. "What do you
mean? Try to tell me about it quietly,
child" He laid his hand on her shout
der.
She told him breathlessly what she
and Helen had seen, and he grew more
and more visibly perturbed and un-
easy, biting his cigar to pieces and
grooming at intervals. When she had
finished he took a few quick turns
about the room, with his hands thrust
deep in his coat pockets, and then,
charging her to repeat the story to no
one left the house and, forgetting his
fatigue, rapidly crossed the fields to
IuC pO1AI Wueie Tue UIZaiIe uSuIeS u
the night had shown themselves to the
two girls at the window.
The soft ground had been trampled
by many feet. The boot prints pointed
to the northeast. He traced them back
ward to the southwest through the
field and saw where they had come
from near the road, going northeast;
then, returning, he climbed the fence
and followed them northward through
the next field. From there the next field
to the north, lying beyond the road that
was continuation of Main street,
stretched to the railroad embankment.
The track, ruggedly defined in tram
pied loan and muddy furrow, bent in
q direction which indicated that tts