Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-02-26

work under the scat in the rear.
There he dog licked his wounds
where the man had clawed him and
growled continually while the scruff
OF his coat settled.
"-Arc you hurt, Miss" Slug asked
the girl.
mo. =. That is-rot much. Il
isn't me I'm thinking Otis mother.
Oh, what's become of her::'
! CAS- | YVES drivin' over the top OF
, the hill about five minutes ago sec
Il woman runnin' in the moonlight
across the south mowin'. | thought
it was queer. You don't suppose it
Wa her. do YOU
Then she ,taltcd for help 10 The
Osgood's It's the nearest way
acros, he south moving
"W halter you wan 10 do? You
can't stay here like this"
81 don't know. could wait ill
the Osgood boys come
"You better let me take you to the
Osgood's-if you n'cHn the Henry
Osgoods. You can't go back in the
house tonight. Besides, don't know
how bad Cards chewcd the old man
up. Sheriff Crumnett ought to be
called right away quick"
She let him lead her to The buggy.
He helped her in. She tucked the
heavy quilt about her and he added q
blanket. lie got in over the oppo-
site wheel, picked up the rcins and
pulled The bcrbboned whip from its
socket. The little mare WAS dashed
in wild gallop and the rig careencd
Off through the night.
1t was four miles by the road to
the Osgood'.; Young Truman guild
ed the foaming little mare into the
Osgood's front yard and halted close
to the steps, where she quivered and
chomred at the bit. The old Os-
good house was dark and silent. Evil
IDENTIFY the mother had not arrived or
lights would have been burning. Slug
vaultcA ove!' the wheel, alightcd ON
the riozza and hammered at the door
with the butt Of his whip.
Tho minutes licked past. They
waited. Slug hammered again. Eut
though the noise he made sounded
through the house ike the summons
Of an encmy Of invasion, no sign Of
life appeared within. A bic black cat
came around the corner. It lcapcd
up the front @tcps, pur'ii1% and mc'v-
inc. It rubbed AGAINST Trun!a"I
ankles.
"Lool; ~ if the amt home he
annnuN"rl.
Again ard again he nounded. lie
vent around to The side doors anI
nladc :. similar racket. He called to
The upper windows from the front
y3rd.
"Therc amt a window open any
wherc,' he announced. "They would
Mt sleep on q warm night like this
with Ill the: windows shut. Do you
want ne to take you back--or any
where"
He Gro"c her back. A halfhour
later they drove into the Wheeler
ward Slug turned the buggy in OYER
The SOFT sod.
! Silent Wheeler was gone from the
perch steps.
Leaving the %irl in the rig and pre-
pare! for trouble. the boy alghtad
and called through the darkencd kit
chen door. But he received TO rc-
ply.
He found matches in one of his
pockets. he broke one from .hc
card, waited until it had burned W
and then went boldly inside. The
Girl saw he reflection Of the ELAINE
travel through the lower rooms. I'M
Il minute 10 wa, back.
"Thcrc amt anyone here at al
Miss Wheeler. Your Ma is probably
still off looking for help. Your dad
Ia; probably-'
"-"onc down to McDclmott's once
r1orc. And NV name isn't Wheeler
its Vocabulary Wood
"What do you want to do?"
As he waited Cor her to decide. he !
sudd"nl'' raised his head and listened. /,
"Nhat'a that" he demanded sharp
Jy.
The girl listened likewise. Then he.
dc'irntc lips "rcw hard.
"That's only Attic. He's my step
brother, Hes probably in his up
stairs room"
Slug had heard of Silent Whnclnr's
crazy son. He did not refer to him
again.
"You can't stay here" the Trunan
boy declared. "Your stcprathcr
might come back and try to pull eff
more fireworks. You ought to go
and wait for morning.
And | ought to go get Sheriff Crur,-
petit. Old Wheeler belongs in Jail
after Il night of this. You women
folks can't trust yourselves to him
again.
81 haven't any place I could po!"
the girl broke down. "Not unless
it was to ono of the ncighbors. And
there arn't any besides the Osgood.,,
that we know real we'll"
Slug came across to the rig. He =
stood by the rail looking up into the 4
orettv features.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked gent