American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-30

| asked them, instead, to take n short walk
down the pleasant road, they resolved to
escape such oppression. even if they had
| to imprson themselves in the dark barn
Tor an hour or two to do it. 1t was very
quiet there, and decidedly dull after the
first fifteen minutes. Fenny found it So
Ted, what'll we do?' he asked rather
fretfully.
But Ted had suddenly remembered that
he had intended to make a kite that morn
ing He had a ball of string and a sheet
of bright pink paper laid away in a
drawer, and he had meant to ask Clara
for some paste. Of course, he could not
do it now, he said to himself; though he
did not stop to explain why. He
was too busy with thoughts of his
spoiled plan to feel in any mood
for answering his Cousins questions
and Fenny, finding his companion as dull
as the place, lay on the hay and watched
the sunbeams that found their way in
through a knot-hole, turning the grain
dust to gold, until presently he fell asleep.
Ted followed his example after while !;
and, as no sound came to disturb them,
the nap was a long one. They had no
means of knowing how long they had
slept; but it seemed to them that it must
have been hours, and Fenny announced
that he was particularly hungry.
I'm just sure it's away after noon, and
| think it's queer nobody called us to din
ner,' he remarked, uneasily.
81 s'pOse they thought we would come
back when we got ready; and, any way,
they didn't know where to CALL" said Ted
slowly. He began to have a faint suspicion
that they had abused themselves more
than anybody else would have thought of
abusing them.
"Well, it was mean not to give us any
dinner cause we didn't want to go of err
rands; and somebody might have called,
anyhow, if they didn't know just where
we We're" grumbled Fenny.
He had forgotten the unanswered calls
of the morning; but Ted remembered,
though he did not care to remind Fennv
of them, until a thought of what Daisy
had said suggested an idea.
"Oh. they guessed we had gone to Aunt
Mary's; don't you know? Let's go truly
She has real early suppers."
The prospect of a speedy supper was
sufficient for Fenny. He consented at
open the door they found it locked on the
outside.
''Now that's just like Charlie He
might have known" began Fenny, and
there as suddenly stopped; for, of course,
Charlie couldn't have thought of locking
them in when he supposed they had gone
to Aunt Mary's. There was no hope of
getting out the door; but that, after all,
need not prevent their leaving the barn
They could go up to the loft, climb out at
the little window, and drop down to the
yard below, Ted suggested, after min
ute's thought.
1t was only more announcement way of
getting out. The distance from the
ground was not great enough to make it
dangerous, and they were soon outside,
safe and sound, except that the sleeve of
Ted's jacket had suffered from a project
ing nail. Ted looked at the great rent
He did not fancy going off
for a visit in such a Jacket as that; but
what could he do? Clara's needle would
soon set all right; but how could he tell
that he had torn it climbing out the win
dow without acknowledging where they
had been all the time? And that would
lead the explanation still further back.
Besides, he didn't want to see Clara any
way. 1t was so strange that they were so
anxious to avoid the pleasant home and
every body in it, since they had done only
what they had right to do.
You can tell Aunt Mary you tore it on
a nail. She won't bother, nor ask ques-
tons, nor anything" said Fenny, seeing
his cousins hesitation. Come along"
1t had grown warmer since morning,
and the unshaded road over the hill was
hot and dusty. Perhaps it was because
lHC DoyS "cic hungry tudt tllc way StcIueu
so much longer than usual to them. They |
walked over it slowly, saying but little to
each other, and both were glad when the
white farmhouse appeared |
in sight
Hope she'll have ham and biscuit and |
honey for supper" said Ted, as Fenny |
knocked at the front door. Don't stand |
here knocking, Fenny. Let's go round"
But the back door was locked the shut |
Il. L..
hat none of the family were at home |
Then flash of recollection came to
Fenny.
"Ohl she's gone to town. / heard her |
say the other day that she was going
why didn't you say so, then, and not
let us tramp all the way out here:" de- |
handed Ted. But he knew why; so Fen
ny did not think it worth while to answer,
and they sat down on the steps to rest a |
little. A bee was making flying calls |
upon Aunt Mary's peoples and marigolds |
feds eyes followed him, but his thoughts |
we're busy with something else. Every |
hing had seemed to turn out wrong. 1t |
hadn't been "A pleasant day, and he couldn't |
lelp thinking that he did not enjr this |
new style of independence so very much,
ifter all
The walk home was mofr tiresome and |
lad been, and the boys slipped into the
house with step very unlike the one with |
which they had marched away from the
piazza in tie morning. No one met them |
m the hall or parlors, and they made |
heir way out to the kitchen.
"Where are all the folks, Norah?''
They're not back yet. They won't
come till after sunset" answered Norah,
III ming partly around from her ironing
able.
Come from where?' asked Ted, in
From the Lake Woods, to be sure |
You might have known all about it if you |
hadn't gone flying off nobody knows |
where this morning, and all of 'em hunt |
ing for you"
How did they gos" questioned Fenny, |
rather family, after Il moments pause.
in Mrs. Mills's light wagon and they're |
this evening Mrs Mills and Miss Clara |
had it all planned yesterday, and Miss |
Clara had the biscuit and cake made;
only Daisy wasn't just WELL she was
afraid she mightn't be able TO go to-day |
and you'd all be disappointed, 50 she said
nothing about it. But she sent Mrs. Mills |
word this morning"
That was Clara's errand, then, when she
had wanted them to go Overt Fcnny
drew long breath and winked very hard.
He didn't think it would be manly to cry;
but tears could have found their way very
easily into both the blue eyes and the
black ones Just then. Norah was too busy
to paw much attention to the children, but
she told them where to find something To
eat and they went out and sat down on
the piazza again. A pleasant drive
around the head of the pond, dinner in
the woods, an afternoons fishing, and, !
a. fhn.,