The Huttig news., 1915-10-09
CHAPTER TX.
What We Overheard.

1 could feel the trembling of her body, and for an instant my brain seemed to reel with dizziness. The danger confronting Us was not so much mine as hers These men were not soldiers but desperadoes. the scum of the hills, and they had come actu- ated by one object only-the posses sion of Major Harwood's daughter What the real purpose of the Cowans might be l could not even conieeture. but this night raid was, beyond all doubt. part Of that same foul plot which had involved the cowardly mur- der of the father. That had been the work of the elder Cowan, and now had come the turn of the son. Here was the continuation of the feud between the two families the blood-anger which had smoldered for years, finally to find ft expression in this outrage under the gnise of war. With the major dead, and his only child married to Anse Cowan-whether by force. or otherwise-the account would be closed. Once legally this villains wife all her inheritance would be in his control Death, even, was far prefer able to falling alive into their hands l felt instinctively that it would be her choice. She had uttered no sound. no cry after that first startled excla- nation. Suddenly her hands grasped mine in which l gripped the revolver.
 Do not shoot-not yeti" she whis- pered, the sound of her words barely audible. Wait; there is one chance still that we may deceive them.'
 A way leading out? You mean a secret passage?"
 No, but a spot where we might hide, and be overlooked. I am sure none of these men know this house; Anse Cowan has never been inside of 1t. and most of the ruffians with him are from beyond the mountains. If they do not find us here when they search, they will believe we have es- caped."
 They will discover the preacher" protested, yet with a faint throb of hope. He will be heard from pres ently, and they will learn the truth from him.
 All he knows-yes; but that is not much He cannot be sure that we have not had time in which to get safely away"
 She drew me back, and I yielded to the grasp of her hand The darkness was intense, but she moved swiftly and surely. as though knowing inti- mately every inch of the way; her fin gers touching mine were warm and firm, no longer trembling. The door In front crashed, and an oath rumbled upward; to the rear light flashed, it's reflection reddening the stair Aided by its distant flicker we raced back down the upper hall to where it mar rowed. A ladder stood there leading upward to a small scuttle above. In. stantly my miad grasped her plan the atticl If we could attain the attic unseen, drawing the ladder up after us and lowering tho cover over the hole, our presence in the house might re- main unsuspected.
 T see what you mean" I said swift. ly. "Go up first, Miss Noreen-h hurry"
 She crent through the narrow seut. tiehole, her supple, slender body find. Ing easy passage. With two blows of my boot ioosened the supports, free ing them from the floor, aud mounted recklessly. Already men were on the stairs, the gleam of an approaching light refiecting along the side-walls. There was light flooring above, and sufficient space in which to move free. iy, although l could see nothing, not even the breathless girl at my side. Together we grasped the upper rungs. and drew up the ladder, sliding it in behind us on the floor. The seuttle