Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-01-16
HIDE ME
(Original.l

clouds Of spray. From a cottage set
Just beyond the reach Of the highest
monster a young girl descended to the
entrance Of the tower and was about
to enter when, looking aside, she saw
a man coming or, rather, running
along the narrow roadway. When he
came up there was wild, hunted look
in his eyes, a look that excited all the
pity Of her tender young heart.
Hide mel" he gasped.
She did not wait to hear his reasons,
but, placing key she held in her hand
in a door opening into the lighthouse,
unlocked it and motioned the man to
follow her. Mounting circular stair
way, she led the way to the light room.
Here you will be SAFE" she said.
II was coming to light the lamps when
you appeared. No one is allowed in
this tower except the keeper, my fa-
Their. He is away at present, and
am taking his place. When l go down
l will lock the door below, which Is Of
iron and not easily forced. Besides,
no one would dare to force an entrance
into a place owned by the govern
ment."
While she spoke she was lighting the
lamps, casting glances at the stranger
and following his eyes out to where
he was watching for his pursuers. He
was young and would have been hand
some were it not for his haggard ap-
pearance. AS soon as the last lamp
was lighted the girl passed out of the
room, and as she did so the man
caught her hand and kissed it, but
spoke no word. A few minutes later
the bolts ON the door below shot for
ward. The girl dropped the key in a
crevice of the rock and hurried on up
to the cottage.
She had barely time to sit down by
a window and take up some sewing
when two men appeared and stopped
at the cottage.
"Have you seen a man pass here"
asked one Of them, "a good looking
young fellow, with n crazy look in his
eye? He has escaped from q lunatic
asylum, and we got on the track just
below here. There's big reward Of
fered for him-a thousand dollars"
The girls decision must be made in
stantly. If the man was lunatic
there was every reason for her to sur
render him both for the good of socie-
ty and his own welfare. Besides, a
thousand dollars was to her sum far
beyond what she had ever dreamed Of
possessing. On the other hand, might
not these men be misstating the truth
in order to induce her to surrender one
whom they were endeavoring to take
for some infraction Of the law, or
might they not have some private rea-
son for prosecuting him?
mo-" she said without a moments
hesitation.
"Now. see here, little girl" said the
spokesman, 1.-THE patient could not pos
sibly get beyond this point, and you're
hiding him. Here Is my badge as a
keeper of the - insane asylum, and
you need have no doubt that If you sur
render him you will only be doing a
duty. Besides. think of the reward"
HE hasn't been here" said the girl
without blush at the falsehood.
II see that we shall have to take the
case into our own hands," said the
man. And he stalked through the cot
tage, looking in every corner, closet
and under every bed. There were but
half a dozen rooms in all, and no great
time was required to prove that the fu-
gitive was not in the house. Then the
man turned to the lighthouse. Cross
ing the road, he went to the door and.
finding it locked, demanded the key.
my father took 1t away with him."
said the girl.
There was sound Of wheels on the
road. and a man in buggy drove up
to the lighthouse. He was an aristo-
cratic looking man, though of a dissi-
pated appearance, about fifty years of
age.
"Well?" he asked. looking at the
men.
We've tracked him here. l think
this girl has hidden him fl the light
house. She says her father has taken
the key away"
The man in the buggy looked fiercely
at the girl and, reaching back to his
hip, drew a revolver and pointed 1t at
her.
go and unlock that door," he said.
cor diev'
In one way at least the girls work
was from this time easier. She made
up her mind that the fugitive was not
wanted for a legal purpose, but for
some kind of persecution. She stood
looking into the mans eyes. apparent
ly unmoved. Lowering the pistol, he
offered to pay her $1,000 If she would
surrender the man they wanted. This
had no more effect than his threat.
The man looked at her searchingly for
a moment, then said to the other two:
"She's not hiding him. No girl could
stand such tests. He must have gone
on. Come" And, whipping his horse.
he disappeared. followed by the keep
ers on foot.
In one of the splendid country seats
on the eastern end Of Long Island
dwells gentleman who when a young
man was through the fundamentally
of his uncle, who was next in heirship
to his nephew's large estate. adjudged
insane and confined in a lunatic asy-
lum. There Is story current that he
escaped and was hidden by his wife.
an attractive woman, beloved by her
peers and the poor of the neighbor-
hood; that she was the daughter of a