Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-07-13

1t was Miss b. who prepared The
meal this time. The man tried to help.
her, but his hands shook, and his feet
stumbled as If his eyes could not see.
Miss B. noticed then that his face had
grown white and set. There was now
no merry smile on his lips. At supper,
too, he ate almost nothing. Miss B.
thought she understOOd-it was those
headlines.
At seven o'clock Miss B. lighted her
lamp.
1T will be dark-quite dark SOON"
she said feverishly.
The man reused himself and rose to
his feet.
"Miss-er, are you Miss Hayden?"
Eyes; Miss B. Hayden. Everyone
says Miss b."
well, 1 wonder, Miss b., il you
know-what you've done for me-to-
day?" he asked in low voice.
She stirred restlessly, and raised a.
protesting hand.
"And I wonder" he continued Slow
", IF you'd be willing-to do-more."
mo, no, mustn't! There's moth
ing could do" she cried excitedly,
staring into his face.
/. He turned and walked the length Of
the room, dropping himself into a
chair before he spoke.
Somewhere, years ago." he began,
II read bit Of history about some
judges that had condemned king to
death. They had to hide to save their
lives, and they came to New England.
A minister took one and hid him in q
secret room for twenty years. And no
one knew that he was there. So you
sect can be-done."
The woman paled and started for
ward in her chair.
"You don't mean - you can't
mean" she stammered wildly, ''that
IL" She could not finish her SEN
tence.
He made gesture Of dissent. The
old whimsical smile came back to his
face.
"Not for twenty years, of course
but, perhaps = for half Of twenty
days., ne murmured.
She sprang to her feet.
mo, no, never! 1t is impossible. I
never heard Of such thing!"
'But have Just told you Of one
for twenty years."
"But, I alone-a woman! Things
like that don't happen, really, nova
days. They-couldn't!
mo, they couldn't" echoed the man
in dull voice, with sudden change
Of manner. you are right. They
couldn't" He rose from his chair and
went over to the fireplace. He seemed
suddenly bent and old. "Don't worry.
1t will soon be dark" he murmured
with forced cheeriness. "And then
I'll 60"
Miss B. sat down impotently. Her
whole face was drawn into anxious,
terrified lines.
WAS 1t the paper7" she asked.
He turned sharply.
did you-read it?" he demanded.
mo; but I thought maybe those
headlines" she stopped helplessly.
An odd relief showed in the mans
eyes. With a nervous movement he
thrust his hand into his hip pocket
and crowded into smaller space the
half-sheet Of newspaper that was
there.
ut was-the paper" he acknowl-
edged. They're after me-and they'll
get me, of course" @
Miss B. wet her lips.
But what could l dor she stam-
mered.
For moment he did not answer;
then he spoke, his eyes carefully
avoiding hers.
IF I could stay up there"-he.
jerked his thumb toward the room
above-''for week, or maybe two,
there'd be chance then that I'd get
away-without their-spottin' me-"
In thinking 1t over after she had
tremblingly gone to bed that night,
Miss B. could not tell just how the
man had carried the day. She knew
only that he had carried 1t, and that
he lay now In the room above on an
old mattress that had been stored
there.
With the coming Of the dawn began
strange days for the mistress Of Hay
deus Notion Store. Miss B., accus.
toned half her life to solitary meals
prepared by herself, found now curl.
GUS charm in those prepared by, and
shared with, an agreeable companion
who plainly did his utmost 10 please.
So one by one the days passed. That
she was doing wrong in harboring thus
a fugitive from the law never occurred !.
to Miss B. She was alone in the world,
The man himself was ,deferential,
anxious to serve, and always pleasant.
He seemed never to forget the service
being done him, though he seldom re-
ferred to the cause that had called II !,
forth. What he had done to occasion
the search Of the ofncers he did not
tel, and Miss B. did not inquire. He
did ask once flor the newspaper, but
only once, for Miss B. had nervously
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