New Britain herald., 1922-02-16

stood little Roderiek, with Il piece of black cloth tied over his eyes. Around his neck was q rope, knotted into a slipnoose' The other end of the rope was fastened 10 tree limb above the barrel and whilo Roderick pre. carionsly balanced himself on the bar rcl his sister Mary stood beside tt, her hands upon if. evidently prepar- ing 10 pull it from under the child.
 Take Him-Mothcr !"
 few feet away. Marion, with Roderick's brothers holding her flrm. ly by either arm was squirmine in their grasp, flashing out with her feet in her frantic efforts to get free. She had stopped screaming for her mother, evidently reserving her breath for the valiant struggle she was making to reach the child on the barrel
 You poor fish :" Mary said con. temptuousy. "Nobody's going to hurt him ] fixed the rope so it wouldn't slip. Rodcrick likes to be hanged, don't you Roderick ?''
 'Merciful heaven." Lillian breathed, and threw her weight against the screen door violently. The catch gave, and the next second all three of Us were speeding across the lawn, our voices calling a peremptory com. mand to Mary.
 But Marion's flying figure was be- fore us, and I saw one of Roderick's brothers dancing in evident pain, his hand to his mouth. That Marion must have bitten him in order to get free realized subconsciously, but all my conscious attention was riveted on Lillian's ordinarily gentle little daughter, who reached the tree just in time to catch Roderick as Mary withdrew the barrel, and to hold him in such position that the slip moose which had drawn close around his neck could not choke him.
 "Take-take him-M h Q r." she gsspod, as her mother reached her side, and she put the now screaming child in her mothers arms, | then turned to Mary.
 Now :" she said tensely, drawing deep breath, and the next second | she had thrown herself upon the other girl with wild ferocty which | was so foreign to the child's ordinary nature that l watched her fascinated
 "1s He All Right?"
 Mary Harrison went down at once before Marion's onslaught, and though she used fists. feet and teeth valiantly as the two rolled over and over on the grass together. she had no valor to combat the Berserk-like rage which possessed Marion.
 Here .'' Lillian transferred the sobbing. screaming Roderick to the arms of his mother-who had ap- peared utterly dazed and incapable of action from her first glimpse of the scene-and ran swiftly to the struggling children. I reached them at the same. second, but l do not think Marion saw either of us. Seated astride of Mary, who by now. utterly vanquished. was shielding her face with her hands and sobbing violently, she emphasized each excited word she was uttering with a pummeing thump:
 Fhere-you-m murdering " ful girl If you ever play hanging again with a baby like Roderick, who can't help himself, I'll kill you"
 Marion Marion .'' Her mothers voice, her mothers compelling hand upon her shoulder, brought the child back to herself with a swiftness that was almost her undoing. She sprang to her feet swayed toward her mother with face and lips drained of color.
 "Oh, Mother Mother '" she said remorsefully But she wouldn't listen, and she would play hang Rod erick, and Jerry Ticer had gone away. and l knew that moose wasn't tied right. for Uncle Robert showed me , how to lie one once, and if hadn't reached there to catch him he would have been killed. Mother, is he all right %
 From behind us. Eliza beth Harri- sons voice sounded icily:
 Perhaps your daughter can ex- plain. Mrs. Underwood. how it is that she is wearing my Oriental necklace in her hair"