Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-07-04

see the dark settling down, even when
your father is here to protect us. And
now"
Sobs choked her speech. Mary laid
the baby back in his cradle, possessed
herself of one fluttering hand, and stroked
il gently, although her kindness was not
free from the old, contemptuouS wonder.
al am here to protect you," she said.
"And are you not afraid ?"
Mary's smile was answer enough.
There is contagion of courage as well
as of fear, and for the time the stronger
nature dominated the weaker. Mistress
Murry laughed little historically, but
wiped the tears from her cheeks.
81 am sad coward" she said. otis
to be hoped that my boy will take after
his father, and not me. Twill not be
long, Mary, before he will be protecting
us both. We shall not fear with him at
home. He will be broad OF shoulder,
like his father. Already he brandishes
his arm as if defying danger"
When Mary went back TO her work, she
left smiles behind her, and she thought
of her father, and sighed. al wish he
knew that she is no longer weeping"
thought the girl, for she guessed that the
days of absence would seem quite as long
to Jonathan Murray as to his wife.
In spite of her apprehenSionS, Mistress
Murray, exhausted perhaps by the vary
ing emotions of the day, slept soundly
through the hight. Mary's rest was not
so peaceful. She was not afraid but for
the first time in her life sense ofreSpon-
sibility for others weighed upon her.
She heard every sound-when the baby
stirred in his big, homemade cradle,
when the dog in the kitchen growled un-
der his breath, when from the heart the
forest came strange cries not unlike the
wailing OF an infant, blended at intervals
with the muffled bowling OF wolves.
The pioneer girl was familiar with the
voices of wild beasts. They did not
frighten her, but they emphasized the fact
that she was the sole protector OF two
helpless human beings. She was glad
when the first hint of dawn gave her an
excuse for rising.
The day did not open auSpiciously. 1t
was lowering, and the smoke, instead OF
rising, hung low over the high-pitched
roof in ominous black wreaths. The
mothers nervousness had communicated
itself to the baby. He fretted during the
day. Mistress Murray was apprehenSive
OF rain, which might delay her husbands
return, and Mary had TO forget her own
WEAKNESS and assume the sprightliness
necessary to keep up the other girls un-
certain spirits.
When at last she crawled into bed, she
fell almost Immediately into dreamlesS
sleep, where no thought OF care or re-
sponsibility intruded.
The crying OF the baby woke her. She
started up, reached mechanically for the
cradle, and set ii rocking. But the child
screamed on, and Mary, blinking and but
half-awake, slipped from her bed and
started to take him in her arms. Then
all at once her drowsiness vanished. For
the cry OF the child indoors was answer
ed by scream fromioutSide, sound OF
incredible ferocity, so close to the wall OF
the house that it almost seemed in the
room itself.
"What is that ?"
The terrified, gasping whisper from the
bed steadied Mary's nerves as nothing
else could have done. She spoke with
perfect confidence, although an instant
before her own heart had fluttered.
"Tis nothing. They are often about
when the weather is growing colder. The
cattle and pigs are shut up safe, There
is no danger"
Almost as she spoke there was rat
ting over her head, the sound OF great
claws scraping on the shingles.
at on the roof |" the frightened moth
er cried. 80 MaryW
This time the girls reassuring answer
was less spontaneous. Taking the can
die, she went to light il at the hearth.
The fire that had roared so Justify during
the evening had almost burned out; few
embers remained. The light of the can
die showed Mary that the dog was awake,
and stood beside her. The hair along
his spine bristed, his lip was drawn back
and showed the cleaning teeth.
The noises on the roof ceased for time.
Then the baby walled, and again padded
footsteps sounded on the shingles over
head. Mary realized that the panther
was giving his attention to the chimney;
she knew that he was circling about it,
and now and then pausing, no doubt to
rear his sinewy length against it. The
wide mouth offered ample entrance room
for such an intruder. The few smolder-
ing embers on the hearth would not check
him.
Again the baby cried, and close upon
the sound bits of mortar came rafting
down the chimney into the fireplace. 1t
was plain that the panther, attracted by
the child's crying, was trying to make an
entrance by way of the chimney. The
falling mortar suggested that he was al
ready testing the steep sides with his
formidable claws.
Mary's eyes flew to the loaded musket,
hanging on the wall within reach. Like
all girls in pioneer households, she could
use gun with affair amount of dexterity
but even as she moved to take it down,
doubt caused her to hesitate. lfshe shot
a., tba chimney at fhe r0SSible intruder