The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-13

io Mold those men at bay long enough
for MACPHERSON 10 bring help, ana il
was that desire which gave her the
strength 10 drag the heavy bulk of her
husband UP the two flights Of stairs
into the little cupola at the top.
she could feel again the sting Of the
cold dawn wind against her face as she
stepcd out on the platform of rough
boards and dropped The inert figure OF
her husblad at her feet.
Then with all the eloquence Of her
great fcnr she had pleaded with the
mob below 70 80 away They had
seemed al eyes floating on great pool
Of blacbness aaainst the snow MS size
locked down mt later she could see
the grim mouths below the eyes aud
knew tht her IDEAS were falling on
deaf ears.
Finally one who sccmod tc 10 the
ringleader bad stepped rNrwar4 and
cried.
Where is Your husband? 1t is he
that we want to talk ia" And she
had lied and said, lie is sleeping
They muttercd ominously at that and
again the rlngleader spoke: we have
no quarrel with you, Mrs Page. bu, uo
drunl,ard who strikes his daughter ana
drives her insane shall stay in this
toWn--DGn PAGE has got to GO
lie will he will,' she promised wild
II, IN take him away today. lie
didn't mean TO hurt us-hc didn't know
what he was doing But he'll 20
away,-oh, I prolaise that" Ana again
the grim voice answered her:
"ae'll 90, hut WE'LL see him of.
LET him stand up like q raa and tall,
90 Us"
At that they III took up the shout
for Page, and he, living on his face on
the boar,t moaned and prayed 10 the
God he had long forgotten, to savc
him.
How long She talked and urged aud
wept and pleaded Mrs pagc herself
did not remember but somehow She
had held them still threatening still
ominous--iIll lar daan The road She
saw a small Speck bat she knew was
an approaching sleigh with two figures
in it.
At sight Of it she had forgotten ey-
erythlng except M Infinite relief, and
crying in her Joy had sped down stairs,
leaving Dan PAGE still huddlcd in the
windy cupola
If she hadn't-she shuddercd. and
caught her breadth in Il sm0thered sob
and for Il moment the courtroom hung
IN haze before her and the voice Of
MACPHERSON speaking On the witness.
stand reccded 10 Il vast distance and
seemed to he again the murmuring
voices Of that angry mob But she
| fought back Tie impending falntness
and the rising tears, and rs one brac-
ing himself against HE impact OF
some great wcicht, sac Strengthened
her slender shou c"S TO meet without
flinching the story ot that mornings
tragedy.
"When Mr. Lansdon and | drove
oop,' MACPHERSON was saying, the
men were still there, aud Mr. Iangdon
stood oop in the sleigh and made II
speech to them urging them to 90 home
quietly. Miss PAGE Is safe in the
hands Of n good DOCTOR he said, and
you viii only make a bad matter worse
IL you attempt to carry out this plan
of whipping Dan Page out Of town.
Ill see TO 1t that he leaves the com.
m,mity, but II You drive him out this
way, It's going to mean disgrace to the
town and TO Mary Page, too. DO you
suppose she could bear the thought of
her fathers having been publicly whip.
pedy We'll shouted one of the men,
it's not bc0tin' her the way he has
done it, Drlym her and--thc brute!'
! And the crowd began to murmur again
Then Mr.. Lnngdon told them that the
drink was like a ragln beast inside