The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-16
(Coutinued.)

don't git there before midnight they'll be so full of whisky and devilment that don't think they'll listen even to you, ma'am."
 Ut is pretty bad, I'm afraid,' said Judge Clayton. What with one thing and another, this country of OUTS has been in a literal state of an archy for the last year or two. What the end is going to be I'm sure I don't see
 And the immediate cause of all this sort of thing, my dear ma1a fn,' he con- tinued as he rode alongside, ''why, 1t seems to be just that girl Lily, that we had ali the e-trouble about last year. By the way, what's become of that girl? Too badi She was more. than half white"
 Yes, it is all about that girl Lily,'' said Josephine slowly, restraining in her own soul the impulse to cry out the truth to him, to tell him why this girl was almost white. why she had fea- lures like his own. That is the trou- ble. I am afraid-that girl Lily and her problem If we could understand all of that perhaps we could see the req son for this anarchy
 The group broke apart; as the exigen- cies of the road travelled required Si- lent now fin part as to matters present, wholly silent as to matters past, Jo- sephfne and Dunwody went on into the night, neither loosing the tight rein on self. sSwayfng and jolting its way upward and outward into the wilder country. the coach at last had so far plunged into the night that they were almost within touch of the valley in which lay the Dunvody lands Flea gar. the trapper, rode on the box with the negro driver. who had been i'm pressed into service It was the old trapper who at length called for a halt.
 'sListeni7 said he. ''What is that7''
 Dunwody heard him and as the coach pulled up thrust his head out of the window. The sound was repeated.
 -'I hear it.' cried he. Rifle firing! I'm afraid we're going to be foo late. Drive on. there, fastf' @ N
 Finally they reached the point in the road just below the shut-fn, where the hills fell back in the approach to the little circular valley. Dunwody's gaze was bent eagerly out and ahead. My GodF' he exclaimed at length. eve are too late. Lookr'
 At the same moment there came ex- cited cries from the horsemen who followed Easily visible HOW against the black background of the night
 
 and falling. strengthening.
 ''Driver cried Dunwody; and now the sting of the lash urged on the weary team They swung around the turn of the shgtin and came at full speed into the approach across the valley. Before them lay the great Tallwoods mansion house. It stood before them pillar of fire. prophetic, it might be repeated of vast and cleansing catastrophe soon to come to that state and this nation; catastrophe which alone could lay the spseter ia OUT nations house.
 ThAy were in time to see the last of the disaster. but too late to offer rem edy- By the time the coach had pulled up at the head of the gravel way, be- fore the yet more rapid horsemen had flung themselves from their saddles. the end easily was to be guessed The house had been fired in a half score places At the rear, even now. the long gtreaks of flame were reaching up to She corn1ce. casting all thez front DOT lion of the house and the lawn which lay before it into deep shadow The shrubbexy and trees thus outlined showed black and grim.
 The men of the TaIiwoods party dashed here and there among the GOV ering of trees back of the house. There were shots. hastily exchanged, glimpses of forms sinking away across the heIds. But the attacking party had done their work and now, alarmed by the sudden appearance of resistance stronger than they had expected, were making their escape. Once in awhile there was heard a loud. dertsive shout now and again the crack of a spiteful rife. resOunding in echoes against the hillsIdes.
 Dunwody was among the first to dis appear in search of these besiegers. For instant Josephine was left Hone, undecided, alarmed. in front Of the great doors. Eleazar, to save the Dluuging team. had now wheeled the vehicle back and was seeking a place for it lower down the lawn. It was as she stood thus hesitant that there ap- preached her from some point in the bushes a disheveled figure. Turning, she recognized none other than old Sal ly her former jailer and some time friend
 -.Sallyr' she cried. Sally, what is 1t? Who has done this? Where are aey2 What is it all about? Can't anything be done?"
 But Sally. terrified beyond reason, could exclaim only: "Whah is he? whah's Mir. Dunwody? Quickr' An Instant later she, too, was gone.
 At the same momeAt Dunwody, weapon in hand, dashed around the corner of the house and up on the front gallery Apparently he was searching for some one whom he did not find Here he was Socn discovered by the old negro woman, who began an excited harangue. with wild gesticula- tions- To Josephine it seemed that Sally pointed toward the interior of the house, as though she beckoned, ex- plained- She heard his deep voiced cry