News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-10-08

| dread forest, a threat, a menace filled
| the outer darkness. Fear clutched at
my heart, a presentiment told me OF
evil, of instant danger. Then, as
| though the horror in the night moved
other hearts as we'll as mine, the
Chinese cook came cropping his way
! through the dining-hall and humbly
scratched at the door. l let him in
and he crept to stool in the near
corner. l whispered to him:
care you frightened, Sam?"
"Too plenty much," he quavered,
"me flitened bad"
He lighted his pipe and seemed,
like me, to be eased by human com
pany. Once only he moved, and in
the uueerest way came with his long
yellow fingers to touch me, then timid,
but treasured, crept back to his stool
in the corner.
Soon Nurse Panton joined us, her
hair in corkscreWs, looking very
plain, peevish because she had not
been called at midnight Whats the
matter?" she asked Grossly, and for
answer pulled down the blinds. She
shivered as she passed the open door
to take a chair behind it. She begged
me to close the door, but the night was
warm, and besides l dared not. Nurse
and Chinaman each had a glass of
port, and SO did |, feeling much bet
ter afterward.
An hour passed, the Chinaman nod
ding like those ridiculous mandarin
figures with loose heads, the nurse
pallid against the gloom, staring until
she got on my nerves. l always dis
liked that woman with her precise
routine and large fat feet.
Far off l heard the thud of a gun
shot, then three shots all together, and
afterward a fifth. The evil in the
night was coming nearer, and l said
to myself, eff were really frightened
I should close that door. I'm half
coward"
The hero himself had strung his Vic
toria Cross upon a riband which |
wore about my neck. Could wear
the cross and set an example of cow
ardice to these poor creatures who
crouched in the corners of the room?
to show fear is a privilege of the I'M
derbred. But did long for Jesse.
Through the murmurs of the nearer
rain, felt throb in the ground, then
heard sound grow, of a horse gal
Looping. The swift soft rhythm, now
loud, now very faint, then very near
echoed against the barns, Numbered
across the bridge, splashed through
the flooded yard, and ceased abruptly.
Billy had come home from the Falls,
he was stabling his roam, he was cross
ing the yard in haste, his spurs clank-
ed at the doorstep and, dreading his
news, sudden panic seized me.
fed behind the bar
He entered, astream with rain, shad-
ing his eyes against the candle-light;
then as / moved he called out, as
though I were at distance, begging
me for brandy. His face was haggard,
his hand as he drank was covered
with dried blood, he slammed the
glass on the counter so that it broke.
you heard the shots?" he said.
"At Spite House?" / whispered.
He nodded.
You were there?" asked.
Half a mile beyond. When I got
there 1t was all dark. Looked in
through the end window, but the rain
got down my neck, so 1 went round
The front door was standing open. I
listened while. No need to get shot
myself. Thought the place was
derelict. Then 1 heard groans.
Struck a bunch of matches then.
found the hall lamp, and got it alight
Wished I'd got a gun, but there wasn't
nothing handy except the poker, so
took that and the light-just followed
the groans. He was lying on the bar
room floor"
''Brooke?"
yes. Shot through the throat,
blood squirting down the side of his