The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-12-21


find her She waite quite a time, but
he did not come, and at last, with a
sigh, she remembered the blackberry
pail and rose to her feet.
1t was Il large pail, holding five gal
Ions, and was much less than half
filled Not caring to retrace her steps,
she crossed the open and pressed on TO
a blackberry patch farther away. one
TO which they seldom came The day
was blistering hot, and when the last
glistening berry had heaped the pail
she lifted it with tired purpled fingers
and started home carrying in her heart
the feeling of disappointing day.
1t was quite a distance to the farm
house. and the girl hesitated, consider
ing which would be the shortest route,
finally deciding upon a path not much
used at that point, but soon communi-
eating with the country road.
She had gone but . t distance on
the path when a crunching step in the
woods startled her, and minute later
man stepped out from the trees.
started ut seeing her, grnned amiably
and walked to her side She stifled the
first impulse to scream. There was no
one near to hear, and it might be dan
gerous to show fright. So plucky Mar
tina concealed her alarm and walked
quietly on her way.
"Lemme carry the pail" he said.
ITS too heavy for you"
Il can carry it," said Martha.
maybe you can. but l WILL" he re-
sponded and took it from her.
Rapidly she tried to form a mental
plan of action. She could not shake off
the instructive feeling that the man
meant harm, yet she knew the abso-
lutte futility of crying out or trying to
run from him. If she could keep him
from molesting her further until the
path Joined the county road she would
be reasonably safe, as wagons and
buggies passed there quite continually.
He began to talk, inquiring about the
I principal farmers around the vicinity
VIII they were, the best roads, the
distances to tOwns-and she answered,
never ceasing to be painfully alert,
never Stacking speed.
"Here, quit that PAGER he suddenly
exclaimed roughly, putting one arm
around her waist in n firm grasp. "You
needn't try to run away from me, and
I'm not going to run with you. Cut it
OUT
Her heart almost stood still. Then
it flashed upon her that, somewhere
near, another path ran from this one
DEEPER into the woods toward a desert
ed little cabin. That it stood open she
knew. That the door could be closed
and barred she also knew, having once
taken refuge there in rainstorm with
a party of picnickers. Her eyes, now
strained to unnatural keenness, discern
ed the break in the shrubbery where
the second path began, not far ahead.
Just as they approached it, with sud
den movement she tripped him, I'M
guarded. sending him sprawling over
the pail of blackberries as she wrench
ed herself away and dashed down the
turning path, tearing along at speed
under any other circumstances impes-
sible.
She had a start of several yards
before he regained his footing and
madly rushed after her. She ran till n
pain throbbed in her side and her eyes
swan, never faltering. Then it seemed
to her that she was lifted to insensi-
bility and sped on without voition, con
scious emily of speed. The cabin door
was nearing, glimpsed through the
woods, open. 1t seemed to her that q
monster was coming fast behind and
that she covered the ground by leaps,
like a strange animal. Suddenly she
left the path and made a short cut
through the trees, so that for the in
slant he did not see her swift change
Of direction, and to this she probably
owed her life. She tore into the cabin.
almost fell upon a man within as he
jumped from his chair and gasped,
hardly knowing what she was saying:
Hell kill u.s. Lock the doorl Runw
AS she fell exhausted to the floor she