The Glasgow courier., 1916-03-31

men. Then l cude hear shouts: Come
oot, Dan Page, we've summat to say
to you.' So didna drive right oop
to the place. l stoppit in the road and
crepit through the wood at the back
and, hiding under the hedge, got oop
to the rear. Then l wrote on a wee
scrap Of paper, I've news Of Mary
and come to bring help Then !
tappit on window. till saw Mrs
Page peerin' oot-nnd held up the
paper.
the back door and l slipplt in. Oh
Mr.. MacPherson.' says the puir lady
cryin', is my girl safe" And says,
Safe and sound asleep And she says,
Thank Cod Then ! heer,l- anothe.
voice sayin', Annie, Annie-who Is 1t:
Don't let them get mech, my God
don't let them get me! And l saw
that Dan Page was hidin' behind her.
clingin' to her skirts like a scared
BARN. His face were all drawn and
twistit like. and his mouth was slob-
BERN. and he kept cryin'. 4 was drunk
Il was drunk! You tell them. Annie
You tell themr At that she says like
one speakin' to a child, There. there.
Dan-you're safe! And then there
came an awfu' cry from ootside:
Come oot, Dan Page-or we'll smoke
ye oot like the beast that ye arer At
that Mrs. Page began to sob and says,
oh. what shall l do? What shall
do! They will na talk to me-and
they'll burn oor hoose, they'll burn oor
hoose! Oh, If Philip were only herer
"'Dinna greet l said, til get him.
but he nun ha' time. Let Dan Page
! 60 upstairs and talk to them from a
window
| "'Oh. Dam says the puir lady, Dan
will you do that? Tell them you
didn't mean to hurt Mary or-or me-
NO. no. he whimpered. 4 can't. l
can't! But grabbit him by the arm
and pulled him to his feet. BE man,
l cried, and shookit him. BE man
and get you upstairs
You'd be safe in the cupola. Dan,
says Mrs. Page. I'll stay with you-
and this kind man will go for Philip
But he kept sayin', NO. no. and |
could hear the others bangin' at the
door and dared not stay. so slippit
oot the way came and went off for
Mr.. Langdon."
Mrs Page. whose anxiety to be near
Mary had kept her from returning to
the witness room, shudlcrcu ut the
memories that MACPHERSON was con
juring up out of the past. The soft,
ness which time has lent the tragedy
Of that chill winter morning was
stripped off, exposing the old horrible
wound. and she could feel again those
cropping fingers. icy cold. clutchng at
her as she strove to drag Dan Page
up stairs towards the cupola.
She could hear his voice. now thicl,
with drink, now athrill with terrible
fear-as he pleaded with her to hide
him and to save him. She had been
mercifully numb with the horror of ii
then: consumed only with the desire
to hold those men at hay long enough
for Macpherson to bring help. and il
was that desire which gave her the
strength to drag the heavy bulk of he,
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
; stepped out on the platform of rougl
boards and dropped the inert figure OF
her husband at her feet
Then with all the elouuence Of he1
great fear she had pleaded with thu
: mob below to so away. They hat
seemed all eyes floating on Il great poo
Of blackness against the snow as sht
. looked down. but later she could Sc,
the grim mouths below the eyes ant
t knew that her pleas were falling OF
+ deaf ears
Finally one who seemed to he tn,
ringleader had stepped forward ant
cried:
+ "Wherc is your husband? 1t is hi
: that we want to talk to-" And sh,
: had lied and said. "TIe is sleeping"
They muttered OminouSly at that ant
again the ringleader spoke: I'VE hnv,
e no quarrel with you. Mrs. Page. but II,
h drunkard who strikes his daughter ant
= drives her insane shall stay in thi
town-Dan Page has got to go"
Il HE will. he WILL" she promised wild
ly. "Ill take him away today. II,
didn't mean to hurt us--he didn't know
what he was doing But he'll g,
away.-oh, l promise that" And agail
n the grim voice answered her:
Hell go, but WE'LL see him of
Let him stand up Ike man and tall
to us"
II At that they all took up the shou
for Page. and he. lying on his face OF
| the boards. moaned and prayed to tn
| God he had long forgotten. to sav
| him.
How long she talked and urged an
wept and pleaded Mrs. Page herse
did not remember. but somehow 81
had held them-still threatening-sti
ominous--till far down the road ST