Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-12-28
HER KNIGHT
ERRANT - ~
BY B. FLETCHER ROBINSON
Copyright, 1905. by Joseph b. Bowles)

Copyright, 1905 by Joseph b. Bowes)
1T was q good many years ago, gen
tlemen," said our millionaire host.
There was a man-we will call him
Jack Sabin-whO was a bank clerk.
He was tall thin fellow with a neat
brown mustache. He had good
natured way with him that made him
very popular in the Office and out OF
it. Jack had fair voice, too, and his
singing brought him friends.
when Jack Sabin got married-she
was pretty little typewriter, and his
friends thought he might have done
better-he went to live outside the
city.
lone December evening Jack Sabln
was standing on the platform, waiting
for the six o'clock local, when he saw
his bank manager coming toward him.
The manager beckoned him out or the
crowd into quiet corner.
"I am going west tonight on the
six ten,' said the manager. 1 had just
left my house, when l met Rube Alden.
Rube had lot of money on hlm-some
$4,000 in gold and notes. He had been
to the bank, found it closed and SO
came on to see me. He refused to go
home without passing the stuff over,
and I didn't like to make trouble about
it. 1 have it with me now, but l can
so travelling around with a bagful OF
dollars that don't belong to me. l
want you to take care of it tonight.
You can pay it in tomorrow morning
when the bank opens"
eyes, SIR said Sabin.
with which the old man handed
over the canvas bag. The clerk tied
it around his waist, buttoning his
ulster over it.
"It had struck six while they were
talking, and Sabin's train was gone.
It was nigh upon so minutes past his
usual time when he knocked at his
door.
His wife noticed he was troubled
over something, and during supper she
began to question him about it. Then
he came out with the whole story.
They had conference together as to
where was the best place to hide the
money, and finally decided that they
would stow it under her dresses in the
bedroom. They did this together.
"It was close upon half-past eight,
when there came a knock at the door,
Sabin answered it, to find a telegraph
hoy on the porch, shaking the snow
off him. The telegram ran like this:
Must see you tonight. Urgent.
"'Wallace.'
wallace was the name l will give
to the president of Sabin's bank.
'The husband and wife stood staring
at each other across that telegram.
"Well, Maisie?' said he.
You must go, dear she told him.
"He agreed. He ran upstairs and
came down with his revolver, which
he gave to her. She was to sit In the
bedroom with the outer door locked
and the shutters barred Under no cir
cumstances was she to admit anyone.
Mrs. Sabin locked the door, put the
key in her pocket and walked upstairs
to her bedroom.
She sat by the stove, with the lamp
at her elbow, trying to read; but she
might have been holding the book up
side down for all the sense she got out
of it.
about half an hour had gone by
she had brought the clock from the
parlor and studied every move of the
minute hand-when there came a
knock at the outside door, loud rat,
tat, tat, with the end of a stick as if
some one was in hurry.
Mrs. Sabin crouched down, trem-
bling and listening, like hunted beast,
and then, in sudden resolution, ran to
the window. She pulled the blind two
inches
what do you want?" she asked.
"A man turned and stared at her
Gaunt, desperate, starving-that is
about what he seemed.
"'Let me in
have a revolver here. If you do not
go away l shall fire.
"He laughed like a soul in torment
rocking his body to and fro. I have
been tramping it through the storm
since sundown,' he said. I am as near
dead now as man can be; frozen and
starved. For the love of charity. let
me in out of this
"'There are other houses mile
down the road she said. with a new
suspicion at his perseverance. 'Why
don't you go there?'
For answer he lifted his arms to
her with q pitiful gesture. I'm beat
he said If you do not let me in
shall die at your door,
Then die she said, shutting the
window
''Ten, Is minutes went by without j.,
sound save the moaning of the gale
She peeped al ound the blind once mora
Before the door was a black smudo.
in the soft carpet of the snow. II was.
the body of the tramp Had he told
the truth after all? Was She indeo
refusing a refuge to the dying?
''She opened the window with
cautious hand. He never moved
"'You are shamming.' she said
HE raised his head, and she could