Connecticut western news., 1916-04-27

that set his head to throbbing, and in which the only real thing was the stall wart bulk of MacPherson encouraging him forward-aHd then-the little shoe. He reused himself with a start, realiz- ing that the Scotchman was answering his question.
 Ut might hae been fifteen minutes mayhap more, when we coon to her little footprints in the snow. Then" he paused a moment and his voice softened, i've found her wee slipper in a snow bank. A bit further we found tother one-and the snow began tae be fecked wi draps of blood. But l should say it was mair than half an hour before we coon upon the lassie herser, lying in a faint like"
 Was she conscious?'
 "Nae, and we could ma bring her to, so we wrappit her ill GOT coats and took her back to the gude wife"
 "Will you tell us please in what con- ditiOn Miss Page was when I-when you,-arrived at your house with herr"
 MacPherson drowned at the memory and a deeper note crept into his tones as he said slowly:
 "She was nae conscious, and her clothes were tairn to pieces and hangin' in ribands. Such clothes as she had on, puir lassie! Her feeties were cut 1 wi, the ice and the stones, and there 1 was a terrible wound on her forehead and an ill faured queer bruise on one 1 shoulder"
 "Was your wife alone ill the house when you returned?'
 l Nae, there was maybe half a dozen men frae the town, who had heard of l the lassie and had coon to help the 1 search. They set up a shout when they saw us, and I had one of them fire his revolver to tell the others Miss Page was wi us."
 "Did they show any emotion at the sight of Miss Pages condition?" asked Langdon, and little shudder shook Mrs. Page, who alone of all those pres ent knew of the tragedy to which that emotion had led. MacPherson's voice, too, was grim as he said: ] "I wouldna call it emotion but there was a gude bit of murmurin' against i those who had driven so sweet a lassie | i death in the snow. The murmurin grew louder when they saw the hurt i and there were cries to know who had done it. When Mr. Langdon told them, the murmurs grew louder and finally 1 one of the lads cried out in a loud voice. This town has na room for wifebeat- 1 CTS and drunken brutes-he ought to be hung"
 A stir of excitement swept through 1 the courtroom, for MacPherson. with out a gesture, with no more than q rising infection of his voice, had brought before them a vision of the snowy night and the little house from whose doorway the lamplight streamed out, mellowing the snow to gold, and l touching with it's fingers of light the grim faces of that group of men stirred to the deep anger of the mob at the thought of Dan Pages brutality.
 Did the other men make any ] threats?"
 Aye. Another one of them cried oot, 'Killin' is too good fer Dan Page. He should be horsewhipped out of town At that, my wife coon up to me and says, For the lassie's sake. don't let them be takin the law into their oon hands or there1l be murder done this nicht.' So I cried 'Dinna take the matter too personal, lads we've law and a gaol in this town: Somebody get the sheriff."
 "Did they heed you?"
 q couldna tell at the time, because just then a cutter comes dashin' cop with twa men in it, and one shouts oot, Have you found Mary Page? And they all answers, Yes, she's foundI Then he says, I'm James Pollock-her fiance-and I have come to take her home.'"
 "Was Miss Page still unconscious? The question came sharply. MacPher- son shook his head.
 Nae, she was conscious, and when she heerd him she gave a cry of No. no, nor and dragged herself up from where she lay and chung to MT. Lang don. At that tAe man Pollock pushit by me and cried, Mary! Mary-I have come to take you home.'"
 "Did Miss Page answer him?''
 'Nae, she just shookit her head, and MT. Langdon said, Miss Page is not going home yet But Mir. Pollock was sair angry and shouted, What the devil have you got to do with it? Haven't you made trouble enough""
 "Did Mir. Pollock make any move to- ward Miss Pager"
 Aye He tookit quick step for ward like he would carry her off, but the gude wife stoppit him. Yell ma move the puir lassie till she is warm and restit,' she said, and put her arms aboot her and tookit her into the bed room beyant MT. Langdon helpit her. and when he came oot he said, Miss Page will not return to her drunken