Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-06-04

G7HEN the men reached the trail
M Freckles yelled at the top OF
Ul bis voice: Head them OF on
the south. boys! Fire from the
southr'
AS he had hoped. Jack and Wessner
instantly plunged into the swale. A
storm of lead spattered after them.
They crossed the swale. running low.
with not even one backward glance.
and entered the wood beyond the cor
duroy.
Then the little party gathered at the
tree.
nd better fix this saw SO they can't
be using 1t If they come back" said
Frecklcs. taking out his hatchet and
making the saw teeth fly.
Now We have to get out Of here with.
out being seen," said the Bird Woman
to the angel. ut won't do for me to
make enemies of these men. for l am
liable to meet them about my work
any day"
= "You can do It by driving straight
north on this road" said Freckles. Il
will 60 ahead and cut the wires for
you. The swale Is almost dry. You
will only be sinking few inches at
most. In a few rods you will strike q
cornHeld. ] will take down the fence
and let you into that. Follow the fur'
rows and drive straight across 1t until
you come to the other side. Be follow
Ing the fence south until you come to a
road through the woods east OF It.
Then take that road and follow east
until you reach the pike. You will
come out on your way back to town
and two miles north of anywhere they
are likely to he. Don't for your lives
ever let 1t out that you did this be
earnestly cautioned. "for it's black en-
emies you would be making"
Freckles snapped the wires. and they
drove through. The angel leaned from
the carriage and held out bis revolver
Freckles looked into her face and lost
his breath. Her eyes were black and
her face deeper rose than usual. He
felt that his own was white as death.
ibid I shoot high enough she ask.
ed sweetly. II really forgot about ly-
ing down."
Freckles WINGED. Did the child know
how near she had gomez Surely she
could not. Or was 1t possible that she
had the nerve and skill to tire like that
purposely?
II will send the first reliable man
meet for Mclean" said the Bird Wo.
man. gathering up the lines. III
don't meet one when we reach town
we will send messenger. II 1t wasn't
for having the gang see me ! would 60
myself"
Round eyed. Freckles watched the
Bird Woman and the angel drive
away. After they were out Of sight
and he was safely hidden among the
branches of a small tree. be remem-
bered that he bad neither thanked
them nor said goodby. Would the Bird
Woman and the angel come again.
No other women that he had ever
known would. But were they like any
other women he had ever known7 he
thought of the Bird Woman's unruffied
face and the angels revolver practice.
and presently be was not 20 sure tnat
shey would not come back.
What were the people out In the big
world like? His knowledge was 30
very limited. There had been people
at the home who exchanged stilted.
perfunctory sort of kindness for their
salaries. The visitors that called on
receiving days he had divided into
three classes-the kind that came wild
u tear in the eye and Hypocrisy IN ev.
ery feature Of their faces; the kind
that came In silks and jewels ana
handed out to those poor. little mother
hungry souls worn toys that their cn,l'
dr.en no longer cared for. In exactly
the same spirit In which they pitched
biscuits to the monkeys at the ZOO.
and for the same reason-to see how
they would take them and be amused
by whnt they would do: and the third
!ass. that he considered real people.
who mnIe him feel they cared that
he was there and would have Deen
glad to see him elsewhere
Now. here was another class tnat
had met him as son and orotnef'
With them he could for the only ume
In his life forget the lost hand that
every day tortured him with new
pang. What sort Of people were tney
and where did they belong among the
classes be knew? BE had to give It up
because he had never known others
like them. but how he loved them!
Out in the world where he was soon
going were the majority Ike them or
were they Of the hypocrits ana DUN