The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-30
CepyEfell4, l9t3s by
 Heshe4h PHchard


 It was weIl on toward 10 o'clock that night before we reached HarpeE's cab in on Otter brook, At first we knocked and knocked in vain, but at length a gruR voice demanded angEiiy what we wanted.
 ssTell Miss virginny Plank that No vember Joe would like word or tWo with her.st
 ssAre you drunk" shouted the man. 'sor only crazy
 s.I've tracked her down fair and square, and I've got to see her.1
 1T tell you she isn't here.1
 @Let me in to make sure for my self''
 <sIf a man comes to my door with q threat I'll meet him with my Fide in my hapd. So you're warned" came from the cabin
 tAn right, then. I'll start back Co report to MT. P1anxr
 On the words the door opened ana vivid, appealing face looked out Come in, dear Joe" said q honeyad voice.
 Thank you, Miss V1rg4nny, wfll' said Joe.
 We entered. A lamp and the fire lit rp the interior of poor uappeF's cab in and lit up also the tall, slim form of Miss Virginia Plank. She wore a buckskin hunting shirt beIted h tO her waist, and hei glorious hair hung down her back in a thick and heavy plait. She held out her hand to Joe with one of the sweetest smiles have ever seen or dreamed of.
 You're not going to give me away. dear Joe, are yon7' said she.
 You've given yourself away. haven't EaH, Miss ViFginny 2s
 Virginia PIanx looked hsn an Ehs eyes, then she langhed. T see that [ haven't, but can speak before thls gentleman ?.
 Joe hastened to voaeh for my discre- ton, while Hank Harper nursed his rife and glowened from the back ground, where also one could discern the dark face Of the half breed squaBVs But Miss Virginia showed her comRlehe command of the situation.
 Coffee for these tive. please, Mrs. Harper she cried, and while We were drinking it sine told us her story.
 You maybe heard of old MT. Seael- perg of the cembine7v she began @hTB father wanted to force me to marry him. why, he's fifty by the fook of him. and Ed much rather drown my self than marry him.
 There's younger and better looking boys around, I surmise. Miss Virgin- ny2'' returned November meaninglE-
 Virginia flushed lovely red sThT, Joe, it's no use bIindlng you, for you remember Walter CalYey, don't your
 Sure! So it's him. That's good But I heard he was out of his busi- ness said Joe with apparent sim pIicfty.
 s'I must tell you all or you won't un- derstand what I did or why I did it- My father ruined Walter, because that would anyhow put off our marriage. Then when the ScheIperg afGair canna on and he gave me no rest cOald not stand it any longer You see, he is 80 clever he would pay all my bfIB. no matter how heavy, but he never let me have more than S5 in my poeket, so that Was helpless. I could never see Walter. nor could. hear from him, and all the time Schelperg was given the run of the house.
 November was audibly sympathetic, and so was I.
 eThen one day this notion came to me. planned it all out and got Hank to help. Q'd have asked you, dear Joe, if you'd been there.@ Come now, Joe You must see how good a pupil I was to you and how much remembered of your tracking. which I used to both CT you to teach me-
 eYou're right smart at 1t. Miss Vir- ginnyr'
 q arranged the broken rod. and Hank and his brother carried me to the canoe. Then they got out on the other side of the lake, and I padded up near to the rock by the waterfall to put the police or whoever should De sent after me off my trali I'm real hurt didn't deceive you, Joe-'
 'sBut you did right through-tiI you come to Black lake, ,'' Joe assured her.
 'But you did not recognize me shen P she cried. And I'd put on a pair of Hanks moccRsins to make big tracksR
 November explained and added the story of his dismissal by Plank.
 seWeIl, it's lucky you were there, any how, or we'd have had poor Hank shot. That fixed me in my determina- ton to get the money. I want 1t for Walter. want to make up to him Tor all that my father has made him lqsas
 tro Be coneapeal