The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-07-25

those Eve Innocent aristocrats from be
ing murdered In their beds or. 70 then
much worse fate. heirg desipiled oi
their ancestral belongings. the thlng'
which were more than meat or raimen
10 thenif
Birby's bookkeeper was young. Nor,
than that. he had long entertained 4
hopeless sdoraiion for the youngest Of
the Miss paltons, He was fired witt
the chisalric resolve 10 protect The
whole batch OF Pamela ladies' from the
possible consequences OF Bixby's indis
cretion.
By the time his own supper was dis
l posed Df that night the bookkeeper :
plans were perfected, lio would drop
In NJ Brents. where the fellow had Iofl
bis sample trunks. and find out what
he wns about II was clearly his duty
not TO lose sight OF tho villain. But at
Brent's, where laughing story telling
group Of knights OF the road were fill'
Ing the air with smoke and chatter.
that particular drummer was not TO be
found.
The inference was plain and blood
curdlingl He had already started for
Panola with heaven only knew what
dlabolicai schemes In his head, Inter.
ception then must be his own role II
was good three miles tramp along q
dark and muddy lane. but immortal
glory awaited him at the other end.
The fellow" must have had a good
start OF him. There were no signs OF
the villain anywhere. Not even when
be reached the much bepatched fence
about the Pamela house wera there any
signs Of travel In that direction save
the footprints he was himself leaving
In the heavy mud.
Under that lichen covered roof slum.
bered five timid, helpless females, all
OF them lovely, one of them adorable.
They would never know II, for he.
their guardian angel, would steal away
with the first gray shaft Of dawn, hap,
Ing kept vigil over their slumbers
through all the hours of darkness.
Or, greater glory yet, he might fall
q victim TO his chlvalric duties. With
shudderlng sense OF his own In
ferlorlty he recalled tie stalwart pro
portions Of the inquisltive villain, But
TO die In defonse of such q creature
his soul clnng to the singular number
would be bliss provided he might only
hear her say before his last gasp,
Jonas, live for me" which Of course
he would politely decline doing.
AS n group the Pamela ladies' were
interesting As nm individual Miss
Mgudc was absorbing. He had pever
yet addressed her as an Individual
She knew him only rs a fletcher and
carrier of brown paper parcels from
Bixby's shelves to their buggy.
The world had doled out happiness
to Jonas with but nlggards hand
But tonight he would wipe out all old
scores. He groped his way through
the wreck of highly ornate front
gate, He advanced boldly up tho bro
ken brick walk. As the villain had
not preceded him he was still to ar
rive. Fortune had given him the field.
Tonight he was only Bixby's clerk.
Tomorrow he would be-
Bang!
He spun about, with his hand to his
pistol pocket. Where was the mis-,
creanti
Bang! Bangl
Heavens! Those shots came from
behind those falthless doors. The mis-
creant had already effected his en-
trance.
Bang! Bang Bang!
There must be twenty men there. He
promptly put tree between himself
and annlhilation.
~ the smoke OF this one sdeda bat
tie cleared away a gentle mistaken
voice 1oated across the Intervening
space charged with Inquiry:
Kindly let us know who that is
skulking behind that pecan tree
Speak distinctly. please, so that no
mistake shall be made between foe or
friend before we fire again"
Biyby's bookkeeper preferred not to
speak at all He was making a mental |
map OF tho premises he had travcrsed
With view to strategic movements |
toward the rear. Again that sweet I'M
shaken voice:
"please let us know who that Is be-
hind our pecan tree. We do not want |
Al. ham httf IN, taIt
you that there are still three loaded |
pistols on band"
A din vision OF flying legs and flut- |
tering coat skirts was vouehsafed the |
fair garrison briefly. The big gate
eroaned on its rusty hinges lmpelled |
by a Wild push. There was nothing but |
straw hat left on the battlefield.
With momentary disregard OF
values. Miss Maude Dalton laid her still |
smoking pistol down upon n priceless
Florentine table. She glanced at the
weapon frowningly.
Il must take II TO pieces tomorrow |
II Is getting hard on trigger Rusty |
from dlsuse. ! suppose"
The oldest Miss Dalton picked the |
weapon up and wiped OF the Florcn.
tine table caressingiy with the sleeve |
of the wrapper she had drawn over her
nlgttgown.
"Maudie, you show our dear old table 4
no more respect than II It were kitchen /
deal"
Miss Maude followed her sisters /
movements abstractedly. Il DO wish |
we knew who II was" she said.
The Eve st. John Dal;ons laughed |
coniemporaneously and dontcmptuous-
ly.
Some one who has yet TO tind out 1
that women can protec; themselves in I
the hour Of need Mamma. derr ! 10 1
hope this unilmely disturbance will not 4
give you one of your bad headaches,
said the eldest
Blxby's clerk stopped In al Brentu
tavern on bis way back 10 the store,
He really felt the need OF something 10
quiet his nerves Moreover, he might
incidentally learn something about the
movements % that fellow Agitation.
disappointment and f,erpiexity strng
glcd for the supremacy ia his knlgh,ig 4
bosom The night clerk AT Brenf's bar