Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-18
GRANDMOTHER's STORY.

GRANDMOTHER'S STORY.
"Now, dear grandma, do tell us about
that dreadful adventure of yours, out West.
We are dying to hear it, all of US.
ut don't seem quite the thing to put
such frightful ideas into your young heads, p"
grandma replied, stroking Mafy's brown
cnrls as she spoke. rYour aunt Lucy
Z shouldn't have mentioned it. but since
she 'cas so foolish, an you've got your Curl
4. oeity raised, so--ss s's tfe -
- "'YoGu think it best to crafty it," cried
Mary clapping her hands; $50 do l..
Now, girls don't dare to speak word; l
wouldn't for the world miss a syllable"
1t was about two years after my mar
riage," began grandma, with a,little shake
of her head at the roguish speaker "that
the adventure, as Mary calls it. took place.
John and went West directly after our
marriage. We were pretty poor, both oflls.
s Not but whatpur families stood as high as
any in the village" added the old lady,
s drawing herself up little. "My father,
he was deacon in the Baptist Church there.
But as / was saying, we were not very
well off, and John and had little to de-
pend upon but our own heads and hands.
But he was a smart fellow, and was strong
and healthy, and used to housework. Work
was more the fashion then than it is nowa-
days. Many'sthe large washing. my sister
and | have got through with in the time
one of your Biddies would have spent in
fretting over it,"
The girls laughed merrily, and Kate,
glancing slyly up into the handsome old
face, said, you were very pretty, as we'll
as smart, grandma, or l am much mis-
taken" ~ a., ~
- 5 s.olnyes,' said Mary demureiy, u have
heard of those 'peachy cheeks and
violet eyes, and that l0eely light-brown
hair But, no dear! We shall never come
TO the adventure, at this rate. Girls, do be
quiet"
Well, as 1 was saying, we had moved
out West. We owned a house-a very
small one-and quite a piece of ground
and, by degrees, we grew better Off After
long time, Sairy Henderson came to live
with us-the first hired girl we'd had since
, we were married She was a tall, raw
boned thing, nigh on to six feet high,
should imagine She was q smart, tidy
body, an John liked her. But | never
could not for anything she ever said-she
was rather close -mouthed than otherwise
but on account of queer little ways she
seemed to have at times. But, thinking
this,mtght be fancy, and not being apt to
give way to my feelings, said nothing to
John about it. .sE
When my baby your father, Katie,) was
six months old, Sairy had been with us
then about three weeks. John received
letter from his brother in the big city
He wanted to see him on business impor-
tant to John, as well as to himself We
both felt badly; he'd scarcely left me a
day since we were married, but there
seemed no help for it. But lie arranged
p that should have aneighboI (the nearest
lived only two miles off, girls) come and
stay with US. He insisted on this, though
- laughed well at him. saying l wasn't a
mite afraid.
s7' Well, he left, and a week passed by, and
by that time began to feel most as secure
with only Sairy an ourselves in the house
as when a neighbor came to stay with us
For this happened twice, and when Mr.
Wilson sent word for the third time that
he conldnt come, and who should he send
instead, / laughed and said; 80, never
mind. Sairy's as good as a man, any day
she can handle gun, and | fancy could
throw Mr. Wilson, in minute, if size
- tried" -v -F----7-s r TsrT
Z So that was settled = and Sairy baby,
J and | were left alone. After making
everything secure downstairs, we came up
to bed. SaiTy's room was at one end OF
the passage, and mine at the other
never WAS. enc ofIyeur nervous
women going into conniption-ft, if a
= r mouse TiHs ,aoross them. But, somehow,
=
and, after nursing Willie aud laying him
al! in the bed, sat some time by the window
trying to get breath of air. AT last
rose and undressed me. / had said my
prayers, ahdwas creeping into bed, when
a great horror and trembling-I can't de-
scribe it any other way-fell upon me-
There seemed no reason for it'll didn't
think of any reason, that | rcmember-but
there / stood shaking, though it was a July
nfnrnf gl.1r fp,.,, han 10
grasping the bed-post. rF
"I M0st be nervous" said |, at last, with
laugh sakes alive how father would
laugh at me. Buthlo it must be because
I'm SO tired out" And getting into bed, ]
drew Willie toward me, with feeling OF
relief as felt his soft little hand ON my
breast. The shivering fit had left me, but
couldn't sleep.
Toss an tumble, toss an tumble, all that
blessed night The room as hot as any
oven; the queerest fancies in my head OF
hearing soft footsteps through the house
Believing them to be fancieS 1 wouldn't
= give way TO lem, though, no ways It'll, al
last, toward one O'Clock, fell asleep.
. must have slept ,fill nearly three, and the
great horror and trembling was on me
"a again, taldnG,me this time in my sleep
-n' but I had Il CONSEQUENCES now of some
thing wicked near n1e-of something
. A.. !, ureaOlul about 10 bappen-Tand woke
There, in the grey incoming light sat Sauy
on the bed looking down, so couldn't see
?. her eyes. She had the Ratchet in hel
,hmd--the one we used for chopping
woodland she was drawing it back and
30 forth, overthe fingers of her other hand.
,.a Did1 scream, you ask, Katieg No, my
$50 dear What kept me fromitg Perhaps 4
was fright; perhaps il was my baby's deal
little lips pressing against my breast beg
ging me to be calm for his sake. No
said one silent prayer to God, and lay still
st watching her. Suddenly she turned ant
looked at me knew now what that queel
look in her eyes meant-the creature wal
crazy-and there lay Willie and ! in he
power "
.-'l" Sairy," said l, looking right in he
eyes, though my voice sounded hollow anC
strange to me, not like my own, A" is it TIM
TO get up?"