The Mena weekly star., 1909-04-08

crosswise over the seat and the blood spurted across Lewis wrist; he said it was like a hot jet of water
 The homely and bizarre horror of the picture had evidently struck home | to Archie; he half shivered.
 "Too much imagination" grumbled the colonel to himself. "A Winter ought to take to fighting like a duck to water," He betook himself to Miss Smith; and he was uneasily con scious that he was going to her for consoling. But he felt better after l.itle talk about Archie with her. Plainly she thought Archie had plenty of spirit; although, of course, he hadn't | told her about the bandits. The negro was kidding" the passengers; and l women shouldn't be disturbed by such nonsense. The colonel had od-fash- | toned views of guarding his woman kind from the harsh ways of the world. Curious, he reflected, what l sense Miss Smith seemed to have;
 and how she understood things. He felt better acquainted with her than | yNdl lnNtitOhloV hOhit have made him with any other woman he knew.
 That afternoon, they two sat watch ing the fantastic cliffs which took | grotesque semblance of ruined castles crowning their barren hillsides; or of deserted amphitheaters left by some vanished race to crumble. They had talked of many things She had told him of the sleepy old South Carolinian town where she was born, and the | plantation and the distant cousin who was like her mother, and the hospital
 where she had been taught, and the
 iarried sister who had died Such
 arrow, laborious, innocent existence
 $ she describedl How cheerfully,
 too, she had shouldered her burdens
 They talked of the south and of the
 Philippines; a little they talked of Archie and his sorrow and of the eternal problems that have troubled the soul of man since first death en- tered the world As they talked, the coloners suspicious faded into gro tesque shadows. "Millicent is ridic- ulous," quoth he. Then he fell to won ! dering whether there had been TO- nance in Miss Smiths past life. Such handsome woman would look high" he sighed. Only 24 hours ago he had called Miss Smith "nicelooking," with careless criticism. He was quite un- | conscious of his change of view. That night he felt lonely, of sudden; the old wound in his heart ached; his flu tufe looked as bleak as the mountain walled plains through which he was speeding. After long time the train | stopped with jar and rattle. ending | in sudden shock. He raised the cur tain to catch the flash of the electric lights at Glenwood. Out of the deep defile they glittered like diamonds in pool of water. Why should he think l of Miss Smiths eyes? With an impa, tient sigh, he pulled down the curtain and turned over to sleep.
 His thoughts drifted foated, were submerged in wavering procession | of pictures; he was back in the Philip | pines; they had surprised the fort how could that be when he was on guard? But they were there He sat up in his berth, Instinctively he slipped the revolver out of his bag and held it in one hand as he peeped through the crevice of the curtains. There was no motion, no sound of moving; but heads were emerging be- tween the curtains in every direction and Archie was standing, his hands shaking above his tumbled brown head and pale face A man in a soft hat held two revoIvers while another man was pounding on the drawing room door, gruffiy commanding those inside to come out. No, We shall not come out" responded Aunt Rebecca's composed, well-bred accents, her neat enunciation not disturbed by culver If you want to kill an old woman. you will have to break down the door"
 Let them alone, Shay 1t takes too long; let's finish here, first" called the man with the revolver; they'll come soon enough when we want them. Here, young feiler fish out! Nobodyll get hurt if you keep quiet; if you don't youIl get a dose like the man in No 6. two years ago. Hustle, young felleri"
 The colonel was eyeing every mo tion, every shifting from one foot to the other Let them once get by Archie
 The boy handed over his pocketbook-
 Now your watch" commanded the brigand; take 1t, Shay"
 Wont you please let me keep that watch?" faltered Archie; that was papa's watch"
 The childish name from the tall lad made the robber laugh. And mammals little pet wants to keep it, does he? Well. he can't Get a move on your
 The colonel had the sensation of an electric shock; as the second robber grabbed at the fob in the boys belt, Archie struck him with the edge of his open hand so swiftly and SO fierce ly under the jaw that he reached back