The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-21

Miranda, however. now fully
awake. tore her hands from his
grasp. and drawing herself up to her
full height, stood a stiff and for
bidding sentinel in her doorway.
This. then, was a man. and ev-
dently bad one.
Get out of my house, murderer"
she cried, in sharp voice. Then,
waving his impatient denial aside
with a warning hand, she contnued:
IF they're after yer to kill yer,
yer done somethin' yer hadn't ought
er, and for one won't stand in the
way of seem justice done.
Then. selling n broom which lay
against the door. and using II rather
as weapon of determination than
of defence, she lunged heavily to-
ward him.
Dexterously lodging this furious
onslaught of bristles, the desperate
man fell on his knees before her
and raising his eyes, which Miranda
noticed for the first time were soft
and brown beneath their fringe of
black lashes, to her face, whispered
between hope and fear
Surely there is at least one spark
of womanly pity in your heart"
Miranda startled clutching blindly,
wildly at the door for support, as the
Deacons words flashed like lightning
through her brain .-"She's got a
good heart, anl that's bound to fetch
some man" The hot blood mounted
to her face, and she clapped her
hands over her ears to keep out the
voice, fearing lest the man at her
feet should hear It also.
The almost breathless silence
which had followed his eloquent
pleading was now broken by the
sound of voices along the road, and
one could discern dimly in the direc-
ton of the village a small black
stream of figures running In ragged
form. now stopping apparently to
peer into bitches. and then hurrying
on with renewed vigor. Each mo-
ment they became more distinct. and
Miranda fancied she could distin-
guish the voices of the Deacon and
Pete Farman among the rest.
Swift as a hare she few TO the
door, beckonlng the man to follow
her. then throwing wide the cup
board said, in a voice scarcely less
tense than his had been. Cit In
there, quick"
The man sprang forward like some
liberated animal--and the next mo-
ment the door closed upon him.
But none too soon, for already n
party of excited men, headed by Pete
Farman, had turned in at her gar
den gate.
Yer ain't seen nothing of man
running for his life, have yer" gasp
ed Pete. his gooseberry eyes nearly
bulging from their sockets" a
likely young feller with long black
whiskers."
Someone's broke in up to Farmer
Cuddyback's and stoled all Mary and
Hanks wedding silver" painted the
Deacon.
Serves them right for having
been such gul darned fools as to git
married." was Miranda's cool and
tart reply.
But she was feeling very nervous
despite this bravado, and when Pete
Farman advanced dangerously near
the fateful cupboard she cried in u
somewhat choked voice.
"Tll thank you, Pete Farman, to
take your muddy boots off my clean
paint; this amt no COW shed"
Pete. momentarily awed, with.
drew to the door, but from this safe
retreat, his courage returning, he
growled suspiciously:-
"Oh. that's all very fine talk, but |
seed him turn in here, and it is my
painful dooty. Miss Miranda Wood
to search this ere house"
Search. then. till you're blue In
the face, for all | care" replied MI.
randa. in voice she fondly believed
to be Indifferent, but which. though
bravely commenced, wavered percep-
| tence.
We'll, then, we may as well be-
| gin here" said the relentless Pete,
| walking toward the cupboard as he
| spoke. Like fash Miranda was be-
fore him. Throwing herself defiantly
against the door, she cried in voice
terrible to hear:-
''I'm blest II you do! There's all
| my winter preserves in thar, and I'm
not going to let any darned man set
his foot in there till they've jellied.
Miranda was plain at all times
| but now her face distorted with rage
was fearful to behold, and the men
fell back a pace. For one moment
she stood like tigress at bay; the
next. recognizing her half won bat
tie, she assumed her old, dry man
ner, and, pointing with long, bony
finger down the road, said. sarcasti-
cally:-
And, now, when you gentlemen
have done insulting a poor, helpless
woman in her own house, perhaps
| you might see If you could ketct
that man what's runnin' close to the
stone wall yonder."