StNicholas [serial] . by the arm, he blew out the candle, and ledher forth into the street. There they gatheredaround her: great brawny constables and an oldwoman of fourscore years, clothed from head tofoot in rags. Beyond a doubt, cold fear had en-tered into her bones, for she stood before themhunched and trembling, her toothless jaws smit-ing the one against the other. Now, then, said Roland, who are you? I keeps a lodging-house, she piped. Oh,mercy! she let out He s alwayspaid his rent,like an honest man, and I ve never asked noquestions. Roland took her up. Enough, said he. You have nothi
StNicholas [serial] . by the arm, he blew out the candle, and ledher forth into the street. There they gatheredaround her: great brawny constables and an oldwoman of fourscore years, clothed from head tofoot in rags. Beyond a doubt, cold fear had en-tered into her bones, for she stood before themhunched and trembling, her toothless jaws smit-ing the one against the other. Now, then, said Roland, who are you? I keeps a lodging-house, she piped. Oh,mercy! she let out He s alwayspaid his rent,like an honest man, and I ve never asked noquestions. Roland took her up. Enough, said he. You have nothing to fearfrom us. But where is your lodger that has shotmen upon the highroad ? She got back upon her feet. D ye mean you know? she asked, as if re-lieved. Jerry Abershaw, said Roland, simply; andshe drew away from him. You ve come to take him? she asked. Yes. He 11 shoot on sight, she gasped; and henever misses. Ye cant spill blood under my would never sleep again. For all that, said Roland, he himself meant. JERRY SAW THE USELESSNESS OK ANY ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE. 1013 1014 THE REFUGEE [Sept., to do dark deeds there to-night. But the tablesare turned against him. As like as not, she muttered, and said it againand again. Is there any one with him? No, she answered. He s gone. He went anhour ago. Who? I dont know his name. I think he was a duke,though, she said. How long was he here? Three days. He never went out. He sat inthe best parlor, reading books —poetry, sheadded, all of em. So des Ormeaux was gone. Roland looked atAnthony, and then, followed by the constables, heled the old woman back into the house. At Ro-lands bidding she entered the kitchen, whichlooked out upon the stable-yard. There JerryAbershaw, with his coat off, and his pistols laidout upon the table, sat before a round of beef anda large pewter mug, with the froth running overinto a plate. Jerry, said she, there s visitors. He got to his feet, with a pistol in either hand. I was expecting em, said he, qu
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidstnicholasse, bookyear1873
