Year: 1871

/ Our heroine lived in Bartlett, New


Hampshire, and was descendan


of the old Crawfords. Her fathel


was q Crawford, and followed thu


profession of a guide among thC


mountains. Her name was Bessie


and she was the only daughter re


naming at home-a keyed


brown haired girl, of slight but com
pact frame, just entering her nine


teenth year. Her mother had been


dead several years, and upon her de-


vofyed the care of the household.


One day, late in summer, Mr..


Crawford went with a party of tray


elers away to the head waters of one
of many mountain streams that emp
ty into Saco, and Bessie was left
alone. Even the dogs had all gone
with the pleasure seekers. Near the
middle of the afternoon, while the
girl was sitting by an open window
in the front room, engaged in sew
ing, man came up from the road
and asked her if she would give him
q drink of water. Bessie had seen
this man before, and had not liked
his looks. He was stout, broad
shouldered, ill-favored fellow, and
the bits of moss and spikes of the
pines upon his clothes, indicated
that he had slept in the woods.


But Bessie did not hesitate. She
laid aside her work and went to get
the water. When she came back
the man had entered the room.. She
did not like this, for she was sure he
had come in by the window, but she
handed him the tin dipper without
remark. The man drank, and then
set the dipper down upon the table.
Then he turned upon the girl, and
drew broad -bladed knife from his
pocket.


'Look We, my young lady," he
said, Il know that you are alone,
Show me where the money is. If
you don't, 1 shall kill you, and
then hunt it up myself. I'm in
earnest, and there amt no time to
waste. Don't make a fuss, for if
you do you'll feel this knife quick"


Bessie shrank back, and looked
into the mans face, and she could
see that he meant just what he had
said.


''1f l show you where the money
is, will you promise not to do me
any harm?"


"Show me, honest, and 1 won't
harm you"


Then come with me. But you
will take only the money. You
won't take my fathers papers:"


''Only the money, girl"


Bessie led the way to small bed |
room on the ground floor, where
there was an old mahogony bureau,
the upper drawer of which she un-
locked. The man, when he saw
this, thinking, doubtless, that Craw-
ford's gold was in his grasp, shut
up his knife, and put it in his pock |
ct. The girl opened the drawer, and,
quick as thought, she drew forth a
large navy revolver-one with which
she herself had killed a trapped |
bear-and cooked it.


"Villain!" she exclaimed, planting
her feet against the wall and aiming
the weapon at his bosom, many q
wild beast have | shot with this
good pistol, and now I'll shoot you
if you do not instantly leave this
house! will give you not even a
second. Start, or l fire.


The rufiian could read human
looks as well as the maiden, and he
could read very plainly in the firm
set lips and in the flashing eyes
but more clearly in the steady hand |
which held the pistol-that she
would not only fire,as she had prom
ised, but her aim would be a sure
and fatal one.


And he backed out from the bed
out into the sitting
room, then leaped from the open
window and disappeared.


Bessie kept her pistDLby her side
until her father came home; and
when she had told her story, search
was made for the ruffian, but he was
not found. Our heroine had so
thoroughly frightened him that he
never came that way again.