The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-13
o.o.o.c.c.c.c.c-c.c.c.c.c.c
BY ALICE MCGOWAN


you? she demanded
 Instantly Broughton whistled softly when the tough little blue roan-a typi- cal COW pony of the better sort-lifted
 his head and trotted up to his master
 standing in the doorway.
 Broughton's dark eyes questioned Lydia
 from very white face. as he paused with the pony's nose against his breast.
 Intake him in! she panted, gesturing
 passionately with both uplifted hands.
 And she watched with suspended breath
 while he led the unresisting pony across
 her immaculate floor.
 He had obeyed her instantly, unhesitat- ingly. Now again his glance inquired of 1 her. She was past words She only
 pointed to the tiny kitchen; and into it
 man and pony hastened, the small, un- shod hoofs making a curious hollow clat-
 terng on the wooden floor.
 Once more at the door Lydia called softly to the little girl. Come down, darling: come down to mamma The child's wonder was great-but voice.
 less-at sight of the pony in the kitchen. Docile little soul that she was, bred amid
 those great silences, with no companions ship but that of her mother. used to the strange thoughts of a child who is all ways alone with nature, she eyed hlm mutely. and having expressed her kind ness and sympathy by batting Brougn- ] tons hand and rubbing the little blue roans nose. she came out-still without
 word-to watch her mother. who with pale face and shaking hands was care fully sweeping up the dust and gravel l upon the white floor of the front room. No, you cant come into my house. The declaration was made calmly, l though Lydias heart seemed tearing | itself to pieces in her side, and her throat | closed upon every word she tried to ,ttf eli in, little doorway, one hand clutched on l either side it's facing.
 Have you traced any murderer to my | placer she demanded. "Or do you see anything here that looks as though had l a murderer concealedg'
 | "No, we havent-an we don't began 1 one man, but another cut him short. l The law" this fellow clustered. | Thereupon Lydia fixed her eyes on him 1 and made answer with the question: i "The law, Mir. Clark? Are you men d 1 sherff's posse? Have you a warrant?'
 They had no warrant; this she knew. Had she been a man her plan might 1 have held good, and it might have failed. /, But she had counted-and the result jusi- l fled her-upon their reluctance to lay for- ] cible hands on an unprotected woman, to 1 break into her house and search it, with | no legal authority.
 | They drew back and consulted among ] themselves. Presently Clark rode for ward to announce: We take it youN Ne
 got that man here, hid, or-or as good 1 as that If a warrants whats needed, l why we'll get warrant It'll take six 1 or seven hours to do it. and Grafton he'll
 stay and stand guard till we get bac'S | Mel!' he added, and the man who had 1 first spoken stepped forward. You set
 right here in plain sight of the door, Don't
 you let John Broughton pass you-not if l you have to shoot him.
 The emphasis upon the last clause was
 unmistakable. The intention would have | been clear to a child. It was clear to the
 child clinglng at Lydia's skirts. l When the pursuers had clattered down 1 the trail the hours wore away strangely | behind that locked barred little door.
 John standing at Blue Jim's head, his
 arm around the pony's neck, guarding l against the possibility of a neigh or any l impatient stamping, the child part of the l time clinging to his hand gazing at him,
 part of the time following her mother
 about, looking with great, unchildish eyes
 of comprehension from one face to the
 other
 Now Grafton had been left to keep
 guard because he was the lazy man of | the crowd, who had no itch for riding
 40 miles in six hours, after having ridden 1 hard all the night and all the forenoon.
 
 desperately hungry and that the be- sieged would probably have no desire to 1 give him food, Lydia, studying the re- | faxed lines of his bulky figure through the window frightened with hope. She un- | barred the door and spoke to the man.
 q am perfectly willing to get you q | meal" she said quietly. Grafton was pro- 1 fuse-he was almost pathetic-in his l thanks, and Lydia, coming in, kindled her l fire and with desperate eagerness set
 about cooking She directed the child in | low tones, and the small feet ran back 1 and forth on willing errands. The humble 1 larder of a cabin in the plains cattle coun-
 try was ransacked, it was entreated and ! caioed and commanded by turns, it was
 conjured by skilled hands and a desper- atey resolute soul
 When half an hour later, Lydia watched from her window Grafton putting l away the savory dishes she had cooked,
 her breath came quick and uneven. Sure ! ly the man had not lied. Surely he was i cavernously, all-embracing. ttancally ' hungry She had placed more in the big | tray than she dared hope he would con | sume but dish after dish melted beneath 1 his ardent advances and wan smile 1 struggled in Lydia's face, with the pale 1 pity which shone in it every time she 1 looked at John Broughton.
 "Is there anything else you would like?'
 she questioned kindly as sne Stoou pesiue i Grafton, the trap-tte blanlJy empty
 dishes-in her hands
 "If you have a swallow or so of-well, i a dram of some sort of liquor,' Grafton l began rather sheepishly. You see, I'm 1 sorter--'
 He drew out and laid upon his fat i thigh an empty flat bottle about whose
 interior there coasted. as he moved 1t, 1 the traditional last drop.
 'Yes of course" agreed Lydia hur- | riedly. You would need 1t. I'll 1 sec" and she hurried in, fastened the
 door. and murmured her explanation
 fin Broughton's ear Without a word
 he brought from his pocket the usual
 flask. about one-third full of whisky.
 She took it with trembling fingers and
 poured it's contents into glass, lifted
 it, moved toward the door, then paused
 suddenly went back, and with hot wa ter and sugar brewed a copious, steam
 ing drink over which the fulfilled sen
 tinel smacked his lips unctuously. | The moon was in it's second quarter,
 making a dim radiance with the can
 yon. 1t was four hours since the self
 constituted posse rode down the trail.
 Grafton, the watchman the sentinel,
 the terrible Argus, had yielded inch by
 inch to the potency of Lydia's dinner.
 the drink which had followed it. and 1 his weariness. He had at first nodded
 as he sat Then, having wellnigh fall 1 en over once or twice, he arose and,
 after a careful survey of his surround ings stretched himself deliberately | across the threshold. There he now lay
 snoring deeply, as he had snored for ! half an hour