The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-01-17

Hicks, who had followed close at
their heels, handed the candle to
Betty.
Gin yonder!" she said briefly, nod
ding toward the door,
"Wait!" cried Betty in whisper.
NO." said the woman with an al
most masculine surliness of tone. 81
got nothing to say" She pushed
them into the attic, and, closing the
door, fastened it with a stout wooden
bar.
Beyond that door, which seemed to
have closed on every hope, Betty held
the tallow dip aloft, and by it's uncer-
tain and Pickering light surveyed her
prison. The briefest glance sufficed.
The room contained two shake-down
beds and stool; there was a window
in the gable, but piece of heavy
plank was spiked before it.
Miss Betty, don't you be scared"
whispered Hannibal. when the judge
hears we're gone, him and Mr.. Ma
haffy will try to find US. They'll 60
right off to Belle Plain-the judge is
always wanting to do that, only Mr..
Mahaffy never lets him-but now he
won't be able to stop him."
ooh, Hannibal, Hannibal, what can
he do there-what can anyone do
there?" And dead pallor over
spread the girls face. To speak of
the blind cropping of her friends but
served to fix the horror of their situa-
ton in her mind.
Il don't know, Miss Betty, but the
Judge is always thinking of things to
do; seems like they was mostly
things no one else would ever think
Of"
Betty had placed the candle on the
stool and seated herself on one of the
beds. There was murmur of voices
in the room below; she wondered it
her fate was under consideration and
what that fate was to be. Hannibal,
who had been examining the window,
returned to her side.
Miss Betty, if we could just get
out Of this loft we could steal their
skiff and row down TO the river; II
reckon they got just the one boat: the
only way they could get to us would
be to swim out, and if they done that
we could pound 'em over the head
with the oars-the least little thing
sinks you when you're in the water"
But this murderous fancy of his
failed to interest Betty.
Presently they heard Sherrod and
Bunker come up from the shore with
George. Slosson joined them and there
was brief discussion, then an inter-
val of silence, and the sound of the
voices again as the three white men
moved back across the field in the d.
rection of the bayou. There succeed
ed period of utter stiffness, both in
the cabin and in the clearing, a SOM
Der hush that plunged Betty yet deep
er in despair Wild thoughts assailed
her, thoughts against which she strug-
gled with all the strength of herl
will.
In that hour of stress Hannibal was
sustained by his faith in the Judge. He
saw his patrons powerful and pictur-
esque intelligence applied to solving
the mystery of their disappearance
from Belle Plain; it was inconceivable
that this could prove otherwise than
disastrous to Mr.. Slosson, and he en-
deavOred to share the confidence he i
was feeling with Betty, but there
was something so forced and unnatur
al in the girls voice and manner
when she discussed his conjecturesl
that he quickly fell into an awed
silence. At last, and it must have
been some time after midnight,
moment of forgetfulness came to Bet
ty. She was waiting for what-she
did not know! The candle burnt low
er and lower and finally went out and
she was left in darkness, but again
she was conscious of sounds from the
room below. At first it was only al
word or sentence, then the guarded
speech became steady monotone
that ran deep into the night. Even
tually this ceased and Betty fancied
she heard sobs.