Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-08-07
WAS TRUE TO HIM
Convict's Mountain Sweetheart
ClunV to Him Through All
His Troubles.
BY GEORGE A. sAFFiN.

BY GEORGE A. RAFFiN.
He crouched in the underground,
cautiously parting the bushes with
one hand to peer out down the noun
tain side. He was a ragged giant OF
man, clean limbed yet with
strange pallor upon his face. Upon
each wrist, too, were half healed
scars. These had been caused by
the heroic efforts which he had used
to free himself from his manacles.
But he was free at last. He had es-
capped from the state penitentlary
three weeks before and his pursuers
had never been able to discover his
secret hiding place upon Bear noun
tain.
He had heard them seeking for him
sternally; on the very day after his
escape he had come upon one OF the
guards doing under a fir tree. He
had taken his rife and then, awaken
ing him. scornfuly ordered him to de-
part. The man had obeyed fearfully.
and the rife and box Of matches had
enabled the fugitive to live. But
every time he brought down rabbit
or partridge the sound of the shot,
echoing through the valleys, at once
informed his pursuers of his where
abouts.
He looked round cautiously. No one
was In sight. High up on the opposite
hill he saw the outlines OF tiny
cabin. It was his sweetheart's home
Mobile Stark's. 1t was to avenge
an insult to her that he had shot and
crippled Seth Baldwin. That was
two years before and he had been
sent up for ten. Mollie had sworn to
be true to him.
But since his flight he had not dared
60 near her home. 1t was too des-
perate chance to take. But visit
OIL his part to the wild glen in which
they had plighted their troth had re-
suited in the finding Of a package OF
food placed there by Mollie. In 1t was
little note.
"Dere Ben" 1t ran. Il hid this and
brout 1t here thinking you would come
here. Come to the cabin on Monday
mite at nine. Lovingly, Mollie.'
The full moon gave almost as much
light as the sun. The fugitive crawled
down the slope and approached the
opposite height, worming his way up
through the ferns and close-clinging
vines At last he emerged upon lit
tie rocky eminence a hundred yards
distant from the cabin. From Mol
hes window a rag fluttered. The fugi-
tive understood that sign. She was
alone. Grasping his rife he went for
ward boldly.
He was within ten yards when the
door opened. His heart leaped. Mol
lie stood in the doorway, her arms out
stretched, to welcome him. Behind
her was the Pickering candle. But as
he drew near, suddenly sight froze
his blood. The shadow of man had
passed the candle; another, and an.
other. He halted in his tracks. Be-
hind Mollie he saw rifle barrel
With an oatl he flung back into
the brushwood. He would have fired,
but, treacherous though she was, he
could not bring himself to kill her
He heard yells behind him, Mollie's
screams, the shouts of his pursuers.
If they had fired before he won the
woods they might have brought him
down as ne had brought down that
rabbit the afternoon before. But, odd
iy enough they forebore. and with a
shout of defiance he gained the forest
path and was speeding like stag to-
ward Bear mountain.
An hour later he dropped exhausted
upon the ground inside his cave. 1t
was a bears hole, cunn.ngly hidden
on the mountain side. Among that
waste OF burned-over pine stumps
none could hit upon 1t save by acct.
dent and that n did not anticipate.
II was not fear that made him pant
like marathon runner, but wrath and
self-cohtempt.
.dol!ie was traitress! lie lad been
food by a chit Of a girl, for whose
sake he had suffered two years In
the pentitentiary. Anger overcame all
other feelings He would show her!
He would show them! What should
he do?
For an hour he lay thinking, gnaw.
Ing his lip in rage. His passion for
her had been 30 strong, his love SO
large part of his existence, that the
revulson was terrible. He must con-
trive some punishment commensurate
with the crime. Among the hill wo-
men there could be none other SO
base as TO betray her lover, as Mollie
had sought to betray him. He had
recognized one Of the men in the par
lor as Frank Merriman, the sheriff He
had been a sutton for Mollie's hand
before she promised herself to Ben.
Doubtless he had persuaded her.
Ia, He had his plan. 1t flashed
into his brain ready-forged In the fur
mace of his wrath. Doubtless Merri-
man would be at her home the follow
ing night Her father the bedridden
old man, would be helpless He would
steal in and shoot the man before
Mollie's eyes-and Acknowledgement off
her hair, leaving her to the derision of
che hill folk.
His plan consumed him. He passed
the outstanding hours like man In a
delirium. Day dawned, the sun blazed
upon the wild-eyed man who paced to
and fro upon the mountain side. The
shadows heightened as the sun de-
clned; at last the fiery orb touched
the horizon. Shouldering his rifle he
marched doggedly through the scrub
until once more he saw Molles cabin
outlined against the darkening sky
upon the further ridge. Even as he
watched a tiny spark flashed out from
the parlor candle
An hour later he was lying upon his
Atomach 0Ilf aide the cabin Inaida hA