A Brave Girl

It was one of tho bleakost of November days, when loose shutters flap, swinging signs creak, and the wind, blowing m fitfnl gusts, plays the mischief genérally, that a hasty message came to " Pine Farms," as the quaint, pine-studdeii old place was caUed. An old and bied friend lay dying in the next village, the messengor said, and if Farmer Harria and wifo would be there in time for a parting word thoy must come at onco. The dying man bad been from early boyhood John Harris' fast friend, and it was with trerabling bands he hastened to harness the old gray mare - his wifo meanwhile, with her daughter Bessie's assistanco, hurrying together snch articles as might be needod for a two days' absence. In less than an hour everythiag was ready, and the white-haired couple, seated within the roomy space of tho old-timo chaise, lingered for a moment's converation ere thev doparted. The distanco to Morton, the next ; lage, was not great, nine or ton miles at most, and the üitervening road, although unf requented, oonsidered perfectly safe ; bnt on tbis occasion the farmer and hit) usually cheery okl wife found thernselves leaving the house vith a strange feeling of reluctance. It might havo been the effect of the message they had just received, or perhaps the weird dreariness of the day that so effeotcd spirits, but certain it was that neither had in all their lives experienced such ntter depression, suoli an overwhelming foreboding of evil to come. " I don't know why it is," the old lady remarked, as ahe kissed Bessie for the last time, " but I never hated so to leave home in my lifo. It seems as if I was leaving you to some danger." " No fear of that," laughed pretty Bessio Harris. ' ' Torn will bo homo in half an hour, and besides, we have plenty of orearnos in tho house should they be needed." "Well," rejoined hor father, " tako caro of yourself, anyway," and looking back as he drovo away, " lock up the house directly." " Whatover could havo made thern so nervous I wonder," thought Bessie, as slie watched tlie chaise out of sight ; " and the idea of ray locking up now - whyit's Hoarcolymore than flve o'clock." Nevertheless the girl proceeded to do as she had been directed, and teiking up j her sewing, sat down by one of the windows to watch for Tom. Presently he camo, a rustió Apollo in beauty, a young Samson in strength, and Bessie could i not but smile to herself at the thought of danger, with herculean Tom so near. Yet danger, and that of the direst sort, was even then very near, lurking in the very air and catting its hideous shadow athwart the pathway of the sunnykearted young girl. The brother and sister sat down to tea, and Bessie laughingly related the strange nervousmess her father and mother had evinced as they drove away that afternoon ; but Toni only looked grave, and whcu au liour later a knock carne at the kitchen door, he strode toward it with iiu involuntary expansión oí musclc and a list feftdy tot use. But Le tümost laughed cmtright at his superstitious folly whcn the sligbt figuro of a neighboring faxmèr's boy presentad itself in the doorway. The lad, like the messenger of the aftemoon, brought no good tidings. His young master, one of j Tom's cliums, !iad just been thrown frorn his horno, and the affrighted mother ■wiinted him to come over, whüe he, the boy, went fat the doctor. lt was ti request not to be refused, aud forgotting any f'iirs ha might have had oa Beesia'e account, the young man at once put on hi hat and coat and preparad to obey the summons. "])on't open the door to any one, sis," he cülled back .is he left, " and if I return to-night I wül tap three times on the door, and prolmbly cali out." "I shall read until twelve," she pleasantly responded, " and if you come after tliat you will havo to tap very loudly," and with a little laugh ïom strode away in the darknesK townrd lus friend's house. The oíd Dnteh dock in the corner had jnst struck nine, nul Bosnië, readiqg in lier comfortable uni ehair, was stortled by tliïee distiucl taps oa the door froaa wliich her bpotheï l;nl ceeentí JaesetJ out. "What!" she exclaimed to herself, " Torn back so sooq !" And regardU-ss of üie adrnonilions of the Sfternoon, nul the pm Bng words of her bruther, Besste bastered Co tlirow open the door ; lmt no sooner had ahe arawp tlio bolt tlian a largo man- not Tom however- waöwd past her mto the room' two others followiug qnickly at liis heels, the last ane olosilig and locküi" the door beliind hini. The flrst of the threo who had tlms unceremomonsly presented himself , from this faet as weU asfrom his gigantic figure and peculiar leariug, appeared to be the leader of the jarty, and it was ho who now addressed he afïrighted girL mi- " Youug womnn," saullxo, " we 11 just tate business in two words, and remember, the flrst show of noise even to a whimper on yonr part will f ctch this, and he presented an ünmonse horsopistol close to hor check. ' ' And now to t " he oontinued with a grim smila at hia companions. " If you happen to have any odd ohange or wfttohes ari&jin aronnd, we'll jnst take tliem along ; and first, my beauty," amlhe looked shaily atlior "we three ai-e a-gom to have a ittlo fun," and then drawing her down upon his knee ho whispered a íew words n her ear, then aloud, " so now show is to yor room like the pretty laas yo be." Now, Bessio Harri, unlike her stalrart brother, was slight of build with the delicately veined forehead and BleBder hands whioh betoken a coiistitution none top strong, and a decided tendciicy to nèrvousness, and how it was, as ene afterwds said, that she did not drop down dead at the nian's feet was more thau sho could possibly cpmprehend But drop down she did not, and although her heart for the moment stood stül, and her limbs seemed paralyzed with horror, the only hne of action by which to save herself flashed with telegrapluc rapidity aoross her mind. It was evident the man expected a scène, and his cyes fairly gleamed m expectation of a determined resistaneo on her part, but at this, perhaps the most critical moment of all, Bossie made her flrst move, and to the fellow's great ast-,;alnvmit, Rottled herself moro ably in bis lap, and smiled pleasantly in bis face. . " You needn't be in such an in' hiirry," she said, fiüliiig into bis own Btyle of lingo. " My brother won t be báck for bours yet, and we niight as welt bavo sometbiiig to cat lirst. Ihere is somc splendid oíd alo in the callar and a cold turkey in tho cupboard, and 1 11 get tbem out at once. " "Tbo eatin' and drinkm , retumed tbe man witb a coarse laugh, "ïswell enough, but, rny pretty, yer tijm' to come some dodge or other, and I teil yer it won't do." "You'ro a íool," she retorted, and putting her pretty arms around hia neck, sbe wbispcred : "lamas fond of f uu as you are, but tbey keep me se close I , Iiave but few chances in that way, and she added, witb arebuess itself : "I den t liko jour two friends half as well as I do As tbo girlmadeno movement to leave bis lap, tïie man believed her, and had he been the most noted beau of the period, with a reigning belle at bis feet, bc could uot have shown bimself to have feit more highly flattered. "You must come with me to the cupboard," sbc laughingly continued, and, suiting the action to tbe word, fairly j dragged bim across the room to where it stood, nnd from its depths quickly snatched up a bottle of old rye her father bad just purchased for medicinal purposes. "Smell that, all tbrce of you? she cried, " and tben say I'm try-ing to como adodgoif you can." The excitement of tbe moment had sfiiit a crimson flame over her usually palé clieoks and a new brilliancy into her j dark eyes, and Bessie, always pretty, I now looked positively beautiful. The three men, fully awake to the beauty of her appearance.'now laughed loudly, and each, taking a pull attho bottle, badeher do the same. Although recoiling from the hquor, to wbioh she was not used, she gave no sign, but drank as requestod, hoping, as it burned ita way down her throat, that it might strongthen her in thfi trying part she was about to enact. The next thing was to get the three villains to eating, and with almost the rapidity of thought she had the table spread, setting cold fowl, ham, bread, cake, and preserves in tempting array before them. The sight of these viands, tho girl had rightly calcnlated, oould not be withstood by mon leading the unoeitain livés of thoso before her, and true enough, without a second invitation, they drew up to the table aud " feil to " with the voracity of so many half famislied wol ves. " Ain't you goin' to cat wiüi us, gal? askod tho largo man, liis inoutk already crnmrned with bread and cold fowL "Yes," slie aiiRwered ; "as soon as I draw some ale. That rascally old father of mine keeps it locked up ; but," she added, "I know where to flnd üié key. " The icterestiugtriohcre again laughed long and loud, and Bessie, as slie left the room, re-colioed thcir mirth, internes that to other than the depraved beings before her would at once liave betrayeil the terror and despair that was fust straining her nerves beyond their utmost capaeity. The house was built on the old Southern plan, with many rooms on the gronnd floor, several of which were bedrooms. One of these belonged to Torn, and opened directly into the kitchen, and it had been the girl's idea to pass into this room on the pretest of getting the key of the ale cellar, take down the loaded revolver which alwaya nung Desido the bed, shoot one or more of the robbers as they sat at the table, leap from the window, and run lar life. So f ar her plan had worked well. The tliree scoundrols were fairly attraoted in another direction, it was but one step to j the loaded revolver ; but one othtt to the ( ■window, and escape in the impenetrable darkness beyond, but at this moment, thi! most intense of all, the horrid qnestion carne trembling throogh hor mimi, could Bhe, so frail, so weak, succeed m evading three such determined desperadoes, and they, within a few f eet of her very garmimts ? At all oveuts, she said to herself, Bbe would try, and with an involuntary praycr Lo tlie Almighty for help, thi brave girl seized the revolver, and aiming it at the largo man's head flred her ' tirst shot, folio win g it quickly with anI othex at the one sitting next hiin. The ! third could only be a random shot, but TSrssie sent it with unerring aim, and ilvinc to the wiudow, mounted the sill. So true biul been her airn, for Beesie TrasaoapitaJ markswoniaia, that twoof the villaiiiM were already in thearmsofdeath, luit, tli thinl discdmrgo had only taken effect in 1 1 last one's right arm. Witli Bie oharacteriatic quickness of his olass lie onoe huw Iiüw mattere Btood, and without a glaiioe at bis fallen comyanions mafta i'or tho girl, dcaling her a heavy blow with the butt of Iiíh pisto]. Khf hml noavly reached the wimlow, and although hnrt by tho force of the blow was ïiot Btunned, and with wonderfnl nerveturned upon her pursuor, hovBg liim baok with her lcft lnmd, while with her right she emptied a f ourth charge j from her revolver into hi.s body. With a bitter curse the man feil ; wounded bnt not senseíesR to the floor, while Bessie lost no timo in maköig her leap from the window. But as if destined to fee thwavted at every point, the poor girl insteod of landing safely on tho gronnd a few feet beneath her. fomul herself suspended inidway on the framcwork of an old fine trainer that in the excitement of the moment she had j gether forgotten. Vainly she endravored to wrench herself from its grasp ; never had a vine trainer provod aoimperiBhable j ns this ; níiver a petticoat so Btroug as the one she then wore. With tho blood now stronming over her face and into her eyes and month from the blow she had just reoeived, Bessio believed her last hour had come and groaned aloud. " I hear you," bellowed the woundcd wretch on the other sido of the window, "and I'm crawling along the floor, and as soon as I git to the window I'm going to shoot you. " , No cordial could have revived the ïamtI ing girl so effectually as the tones "f that villaüi's voice, and onco more she made an effort to f ree herself from the wwfen ai-ms of the vine trainer, and with uo i better iUOöeaa than before. Bui too plainly could she hear the man I endeavoring to fulfill his threat, the i creaking of tho boards betraying his gradual approach to the window, and the ' momento seemed louger than hours as ! they passed. The revolver had long sLne dropped from her nand, and a few minutes more woiüd bringher wouklbe mraderer to the support of the window sill. Her doom she said was now senlod ; but I as tho darkest hour is often nearest i dawn, so Bessie a deTivéranóë at this in■ stant presented iteelf. Sho had forgotten it, but her workcaso or housewife as it was called in those days was in her pocket. It contained beSide necdles and thread a pair of small but extremely sharp scissors, uid to these she was to owe her resoné. It was but the work of a moment to get theni out and cut hersclf loose from the tenacious framcwork, and a few seconds later Bessie found herself potjpced with a .heavy thud upon the frozcn grouud beneath her. The man insida heard her fall, and renewed his already desperate efi'orts to gaüi the window, his face just appearing above the sill as Bessie rogaiued the possession of the revolver, for which she had been quietly scarcliing on her hands and knees. The darknesa of the night preventea his secing her at a first glaiice, but with the bright light shining from the kitchen bevond, his head was plainly discernibje, and with the last remnant of her fust doparting strength sho again raised the rovolvcr and iired, then, with what speed she could maater, struck out for the road ; and hero it was, but a few rods bevond the garden gate, that Torn fonnd shortly afterward, in a seuseless condition. Of thethrce men, butonö survived tlie contest of that fcarful night, he being the one, as the reader will siu-mise, who persisted in folloing the fleeing giii to the very last limi1, of his power. But his after cáreer was of but short duration, death clüiming him bofore ho could be brought to triul. The large man, who I appeared to have diod without a struggle, was found to hnve been the leader of a gang of marauders Üxatwere fastbecomiug the terror of that part of the country, ', and his sudden takingoü'proved a bl-ssinL? to the community. The rest of the band, disheartened by liis hickless eml, loft the country, and Weïe seen no moro. For threo long montlis Bessio hoverocl between liSe and death, aud wlieu she finally recovered somc-vvbatol' her former ; strength, it was -witli but a semblanoo of her old time joyousness of spirits, and a stroak of gray iningled with tli nutbrown hair so much adniii-ed by all who knew hor. Farmer Harris and his wife evor rcmemi ered the strafige f orobodingw of that dark November aftornoon, and Besme, brave as shc had shown herself to bc, was never again lef t alone in the littlc wilderness of "Pine farms."