The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-12-15

ton of the tales | had heard of the
lawlessness of these charcoal burners.
who were but brigands after all.
lay close to the chimney. which
! made the place quite warm. and soon
| found the voices OF those below
could be distinguished clearly by ly-
ing near the crevice. heard the sui
len man and the woman talking
They seemed to be discussing some
thing The discussion was almost
quarrel. The man said:
80, then, must we kill them both?'
Yes" Then they apparently slept.
That is more than | did. grew
cold from head to foot. | must have
looked like dead man. Even today
grow cold when think of it all
the little children put to bed with
their hearts filled with joyous
thoughts of the expected visit of the
Petit Jesus, then ten or twelve lawless
men and the bloodthirsty woman, and
we shut in that attic. from which
there was no escape and almost with
even dare to try to waken Jules. for
they would have beard US below. and
that would only have precipitated our
death. And. even IL we could have
got out of the window, there were
dogs-big. heavy ones-below. No; We
had no possible chance, and ! expect
ed death each instant.
at the end of the longest quarter
of an hour that | ever lived through
| heard steps on the ladder and in
moment more saw the light which
was carried by the sullen man from
below. | saw In ais right hand the
CLEAN of a long knife. His wife came
behind him. and she took the lamp
from his hand. He was barefooted.
as well as the woman, and she hid
the light of the lamp. from my face
by shading II with her hand. | lay
there too overcome by fear, admit.
to move. What could I have done
in any case?
Whispering softly, the couple pass
ed by where we lay and on to where
| had seen the shapeless masses
hanging to the rafters. and they un
covered sack Tiled with hams-thelr
provision for winter as ! now know
They cut two slices from one Of the
hams and disappeared again down the
ladder with caution not to rousr us.
After this. while saying to myself
that | must not let myself sleep. for
this might have been feipi. did
co to sleep and knew nothing more
until Jules reused me
Noel Noel!' he shouted and ran
down the ladder to the room below.
where the children We're doing as other
children do on this day. examining
and comparing their presents and eat
ing lot of sweet stuff not at all good
for them. soon followed and had
pleasant greeting from all.
After a good breakfast of ham and
eggs and coffee our horses were
brought. They had been well cared
for and danced about. All the little
company of men, the children and the
woman were dressed In their holiday
garments to go to the village down
below to mass. When we offered to
pay for our lodging no one would ac-
cept It, And, more, there had been
one chicken for breakfast, and as we
were starting another was brought us
all cooked to take along on our journey.
The little girl said to me in confidence
as she sat on my lap showing her poor
little toys:
81 like chicken too. We had only
two. but mother had TO XII them for
you. | don't know what I'll do with
out my Pickey. The other belonged to
Joseph. Joseph is my brother. who
died last month. My father loved him
so much"
Here was the key to the riddle The
only thing they had that might be
considered luxury had been sacrificed
for strangers. and what ! had thought
sullen roguery was but fathers hope
less grief over the death OF his first
born.