Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1912-10-10

A CLEAN OF bright intelligence
flashed into the face OF the beauti-
full young creature. First she red
dened almost to scarlet; then her
face became pale as death. Com
pressing her lips intensely, she
stood irresolute-nowg gazing at the
pleasing and seemingly well-dis-
posed stranger before her, now
looking earnestly towards the still
distant forms of her brother and
sister, which were slowly advanc-
ing in the direction of the CABIN.
Dare your" Margery at length
asked, pointing towards her BROTH
err.
~ dare; he is now quite sober,
and may be reasoned with. For
the sake of us all, let us profit
by this advantage"
she keeps the liquor in two
casks that you will find under the
shed. behind the hut"
This said, the girl covered her
| ndHoo, anu Oh a otOoi, az -
afraid to be a witness OF that
which was to follow. AS for LIE
Bourbon, he did not delay mo-
ment, but passed out of the cabin
by a second door that opened in
it's rear. There were the two bar
rels, and by their side an axe. His
first impulse was to dash In the
heads of the casks where they
stood; but moments reflection
told him that the ordor, so near
the cabin, would be unpleasant to
every one, and might have ten
dency to exasperate the owner OF
the liquor. He cast about him,
therefore, for the means OF remoN-
ing the casks, in order TO stave
them, at a distance from the dwell
ling.
Fortunately the cabin OF Whis-
key Centre stood on the brow OF
sharp descent, at the bottom OF
which ran brawling brook. AT
another moment LIE Bourbon
would have thought of saving the
barrels; but time passed, and he
could not delay. Selling the bar
rel next to him, he rolled 1T with
out difficulty to the brow OF the
declivity, and set it off with a
powerful shove Of his foot. 1t was
the half empty cask, and away il
went the liquor it contained wash
ing about as it rolled over and
over, until hitting a rock about
half way down the declivity, the
hoops gave way, when the slaves
went over the little precipice, and
the water of the stream was tumb-
ling through all that remained OF
the cask at the next instant. A
slight exclamation of delight be-
hind him caused the bee-hunter to
look round, and he saw that Mar
gerry was watching his movements
with an absorbed interest. Her
smile was one Sf JOY, not unmin-
gled with terror; and she rather
whispered than said aloud, ''The
other, the other-that is full-be
quick there is no time to lose.
The bee-hunter seized the second
cask and rolled it towards
the brow of the rocks. 1t was not
quite as easily handled as the
other barrel, but his strength suf-
feed, and it was soon bounding
down the declivity after it's COM
panion. This second cask hit the
same rock as the first, whence il
leaped off the precipice, and, aid
ed by it's greater momentum, it
was literally dashed in pieces at
it's bace.
Not only was this barrel broken
into fragments, but its hoops and
slaves were carried down the tor
rent, driving before them those of
the sister cask, until the whole
were swept into the lake, which
was some distance from the cabin.
"That job is we'll done !" exclaim-
ed lie Bourbon, when the last frag-
ment of the wreck was taken out
of sight. "No man will ever turn
himself into beast by means Of
that liquor"
Sod be praisedT murmured
Margery. .He is so different,
stranger, when he has been drink
ing from what he is when he has
not You have been sent by Provi-
dence to do us this good"
Il can easily believe that, for it
is SO with us all. But you must not
call me stranger, sweet Margery ;
for, now that you and / have this
secret between us, am stranger
no longer"
The girl smiled and blushed I;
then she seemed anxious to ask
question. In the meantime they
left the shed, and took seats, in
waiting for the arrival of Gershom