The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-12-26
The Hour of
Danger
By DUFORD JENNIE
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(Copyright.)

4 S BARRON waited near his rural
"A free delivery mail box at the
/ end of the lane, he muSed on the odd
| turn of events that had happened dur
! ing the week. He had taken the old
| house back among the hills in order
/ to work out in peace some Of the
/ problems in the book he was writing
1t was a lonely place but suited
1 him. Then he had made the discovery
/ that his mail man was a brown
faced, rosy-cheeked girl who had rid
den into his heart.
The steady sound OF hoofs broke
/ into his reverie. He looked down the
road. She was coming.
AS she rode up, extended his pack
age, he caught one of the reins.
you mustn't delay the United
States mail, Mr.. Evans" she said,
smiling.
Why the mister?" lie asked. Here
I am, way up in a wilderness, and
1 need little friendship. And here
you are, riding these lonely hills"
But I an not afraid NIis-I mean
Barron" A bit Of color glowed under
her brown cheeks.
The suggestion of her independence
of him made a little gulf between
them, but she seemed to sense it, for
she made little bridge back to him.
But it is nice to have you stop
and talk to me-and think of me-"
she said, and her eyes were gentle
upon him.
She caught up the reins as If
bit in fear of the mood that was upon
them.
Really, 1 must not stop to gossip.
Good-by" She cantered away, way
ing back.
He watched her out of sight down
the wooded road. Dreaming of her,
he went back to work. She had about
ten miles of lonely riding. Over the
ridge was a cluster of farms, and he
supposed he was foolish to fear for
her safety. But he loved her. and that
fact was enough to make him worry.
The next time she came he caught
her hands.
Chester" he said, "a bunch Of
rough-looling customers went by, and
1 don't like to think"
She leaned toward him from the
saddle.
at is nice to have you think of
me-" she said gently, but 1 am per
fectly safe. [ rode right by them. You
are city-bred, you know, and 1 am
hill-bred-but l like you just the
same" and off she went
The next afternoon he heard the
hoOfs down the road, but around the
curve came, not the graceful brown
figure, but a riderless horse that he
blocked off on the narrow road and
held. The mail pouches were gone
and the bride had been torn as if
it had been ripped by force.
He stood stock still, then went in
to action. He led the horse to the
cottage, tied the broken rein, slipped
a blue automatic in his pocket, tele-
phoned over the ridge to farmhouse,
and gallOped down the road. He
scanned the road as he went, and,
finally, the almost impossible hope
in his heart that she had fallen off
was ended. The spot where he
stopped showed footprints of a strug-
gle. He rode onto tell any listening
ears that a rider had gone by-dis-
mounted and hurried back
He found where a light car had
been hidden. He trailed it down the
road half hopclessly, but found where
it turned into an abandoned road.
In one of his many strolls he had
previously explored this road and he
knew that it led back to an aban-
doned farm building. He slipped along
swiftly, nervous with great fear
for the safety of the brown girl he
loved. Robbery was the motive OF
those who had attacked her, he
thought, but in the security of the
lonely region, he feared to think
what else might happen to her
The road opened from the thick
young woods into a clearing and the
old house was at the upper end. He
crept around through the woods, 60
ing cautiously. He heard the mutter
of voices.
The voices grew louder. Inch by
inch he crept to the back window,
and slowly peered over the edge of
the sill.
Two men, rough of garb, rougher
of face, We're busy tearing open the
last of a pile Of mail and packages.
Beyond them he saw Hester, ankles
and hands tied, a blue bandana hand
kerchief wadded into her mouth. She
saw him, and through the gag a
sound came The men looked at her
then turned.
They stared at the automatic.
Back into that corner" he ordered.
They obeyed hands up.
He drew himself slowly through
the window, went to her, with one
hand released her while with the
other he covered the two men.
The roar of car being driven up
the old road broke the silence. Barron
smiled. His telephone had brought
aid and the men had spotted the
handkerchief he had tied at the roads
entrance. -Four men piled in through
the open door, took one look, and
searched the covering men.
Barron lifted Hester until she rest
ed against his shoulder She was