Year: 1865

:. night was SO much overcast, it would be
: impossible for any one to see him from the
t house With women's intuition Madgt
Y at once felt that the head and shoulders


could belong to no one but Mr.. kulp.
: | will be down in minute or two,' she
called out in Dick in a hard, shrill voice
1 which she hardly recognized as her own.
J. She came in, shut down the window and
= replaced the blind, and stood for moment
with the fingers of both hands pressed
1 against her eyes, thinking intently. Then
: taking up the candle, she carried it into
; her fathers bedroom, the window of which
: looked IN the direction opposite to her own;
} but instead OF proceeding to put on her
: bonnet and shawl, she stole back into her
own dark room, and drew the blind about
an inch on one side, and looked out. II
was as she had thought; there were two Of
; them and at the moment she looked out
, they were talking earnestly together, as
, they stood close to the gable of the out
J building but next minute Dick seemed to
push the stranger back out of sight and
/ came forward himself, and took up his first
: position, close to the house, waiting for
, Madge to come out.


Madge stood up in a maze of doubt and
fear Why had not Dick come alone? And
who was that other man hidden away be-
i, hind the gable with Dicks connivance ?
Why, III fact If Dicks story were true, need
there be any cOncealment at all p?


!, :" Are you ready p called Dick and then
: there came sharp imperious summons with
his knuckles on the door below and then
the door itself was tried but it was lock-
ed


Madge started out Of her reverie open
ed her bedroom window, and looked out for
the second time. DO make haste ? exciaim-
ed Dick the 'pDment her head was protrud-
ed from the window How long are. you
going to beY


-" Answer me one question: said Madgc.


Did you come up from the village alone
Is there any one here besides yourself? You
know, Dick, that | am easily frightened
and-the hour is late, and-and-


Before Dick could reply the hidden man
hurst out into the moonlight, revealing Mr.
Kulp to Madge's straining eyes


" Come, stop all that iabber = exclaim-
ed Kulp, brutally, IF You had been guided
by me'-this to Dick we should have had
what we came for before now but YOU
must needs go to work in your own idiotic
way ; and sec the result-all this precious
time wasted, and nothing done Look you
here young women = turning to Madge ::


you need not expect your father home Just
at present he's disposed of where he'll
trouble nobody for some time to come
There's not a soul within mile of you, ex-
cept us two--two fellows who don't stick
at trifies, against wisp Of girl who
gives tongue If she sees a mouse suddenly
Now we've nothing against you yourself ;
we don't wish to do you any harm. What
we've come for is the money we know there's
in the house-not the old mans own money
but the money belonging to the railway
You can drop it quietly out of the window,
if you like--we know within a quid or two
how much there is-and We'll take our
leave at once and you'll be none the poor
er--it will only be the railway that will
suffer, and they can afford it, But offer
any resistance, or try on any ofyour tricks,
and we'll not only have the money, but your
life into the bargain


The idea of any one thinking it worth
while to rob the station had never entered
the head of Madge but as Kulp spoke, she
remembered that there was that night a
much larger sum of money in the house
than had ever been there before. Dick,
from his frequent visits to the station, was
doubtless well aware that old David was in
the habit Of keeping the cash in his bed
room, as security against thieves. All
these thoughts passed through her brain
while Kulp was speaking. When he had
done, she gave one great despairing sob,
wrung from her by the thought of her low
er's treachery, and her heart for the moment
seemed to wither up within her. But the
necessity for immediate action was passing
she would have time enough in the dark
future before her to brood over her sweet
hearts baseness. What must she do? If
her father was not i'll, as these men had
first averred, then why had he not come
home? He had never, even when most
overcome, staid out till this hour. Was
it not possible-nay, probable-that they
had murdered him first, to get him out of
the way, and had then come on to the sta
ton to complete their work by robbery, and
perhaps murder, there?


a rude summons from Kulp cut short
her brief reverie. Now, young women,
what are you about? Do you expect us to
wait here all night"


"' Oh, Dick, for PHYS sake, tell me what
has become of my fatherr she said, still
speaking through the window, and needless
for the moment of Kulp


"Dick rose from his seat as if he we're
going to reply, but Kulp waved him back
'Yonr fathers disposed of where he'll trouble
nobody, as told you before And now let
us have your answer at once Do you mean
to give us that money quietly or not?'


"'No-,a thousand times no = exclaimed
Madge, passionately. 'Cowards that you
are, come and take it, if you dare and she
shut down the window with bang, as
though disdaining further parley.


The thought of her father lying wound
ed, perhaps dead in some lonely spot, lent
her courage, reckless audacity, that
made her for the time almost Indifferent to
any thing that could happen to herself
What means of defense had she was her
first question. Scarcely any The doors
and windows, indeed, down stains were fas-
tened but she knew well that they would
not stand long against the assaults of two
men determined on effecting an entrance
There was no arms of any kind in the house
There was the door at the bottom of the
stairs opening into the kitchen-she might,
perhaps, do little toward securing that
The candle was still burning where she
had left it and as she went into the room.