Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1908-02-29

Now was her time come. Dark.
sinister figures fitted from tree 10
tree At first she could not be sure. II
was so heartlessly dark, but there was
moyement-it was different from that
terrible blank quiet which she had
hitherto been gazing upon TIL her eyes
burned and pricked as with needle
points. and visionary things swan be-
fore them. She winked rapidly to
dispel the unreal and floating things.
opened vide her long-lashed lids. fixed
them. and-hred Then WIlliston
knew thar his ''f-'e eIrl % his one ew
lamb. al r1at w-s fert TO him OF a fun
and gracious past. must go through
what he had gone through. all that
naneless horror aud expectant dread.
and his heart cried out at the unhoiy
injustice Of it all. He dared not so 10
her, dared not desert his post for an
instant. II one got within the shadow
Of the walls all was lost
Mary's challenge was met with a
rather hot return FIRE. IL was probably
given TO inspire the besieged with a
due respect for the attackers num-
bers. Bullets battered around the out
side walls like hailstoncs, one even
whizzed through the window pcrilous-
~ near the girls intent young face.
Silence came back 10 the night
There was no more movement. Yet
down there at the spring something.
maybe one OF those dark. gaunt cot.
tonwoods, held death-death for her
and death for her father. A stream of
icy coldness struck across her heart.
She found herself calculating in DELHI
GRAFTON which tree 10 was that held
this thing-death. The biggest one.
shadowing the spring. helping 20 keep
the pool sweet and cool where Paul
Langford had galloped his horse that
day when-ah! IL Paul Langford
would only come nowi
a wild. girlish hope flashed up IN
her heart. Langford would come
had he not sworn It 20 her father?
Had be not given HIS hand as a
pledge? Il means something TO shake
hands in the cattle country. lie was
big and brave and true. When he
came these awful. creeping terrors
would cisperse-grim shadows that
must steal away when morning comes.
When he came she could put her
rife ia his big. confident hands. lie
down on the floor and-cry. She
wanted 20 cry-oh. how she did want
90 cry. Cold reason came back TO her
aid and dissipated the weak and
womanish longing 20 give way to
tears. There was pathetic droop TO
her mouth, a long, quivcring. sob
bling sigh. and she buried her wom-
ans weakness right deeply and
stamped upon IT, How utterly wild
and foolish her brief hope had been!
Langford and all his men were sound
In sleep long ago. How could he
know? we're the ruGlans out there
men 20 tell? An. no, There was no
one 10 know. IL would all happen In
the dark-in awful loneliness. and
there would De no one to know until
70 was all oycr-to-morrow. maybe. or
next week. who could teuq They
were of the main trail. few people
ever sought them out. There would
be no ono TO know.
AS her strained sight stared out In
90 the darkness 90 was borne 90 her
intuitvcly IL may Doe. that something
was creeping zap ou her She could
sec nothing ond set knew &c 90 be
true. Every fiber of her being tlneled
with the certainty Of 10. 10 was com
ing closer and closer. she felt 10 like
an actual presence. Her eyes shifted
here. there-sw cpt her halfcircle
scarcliingly-staro ana stared. still
nothing moved Ana yet the neayness
OF some unsecn thing grow more and
more paliab'c. ~ She could not see
IL soon She mass scream aloud. SHE
breathed I'm litrle Quickeuei gasps.
soon. very soon. she would scream.
An shadow down by the BIGGEST
cottonwood It bodily sought nearer
aud smaller trurS Another stink
ing shadow gl.1cl behind the vacated
position. II was CHASTITY presenta-
ton OF pussy wantsa-corner" PLAYED
In niehtmage. But at last Il was
something taugible-something 10 do
away with that !righum sensation OF