Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-08-27


footsteps had died away. "They can dc
Clara's erra1ds for her themselves, if they
want 'em done so much. | won't go fo1
any body, cause [ said [ wouldn't"
They'll see lis, if we go out" said
Fenny
swell, we can stay here WHILE" an
swered Ted.
Charlie had closed the door before he
went back to the house, and staying shut
up in the barn that bright, warm morning
was not the most agreeable thing in the
world. If Clara had told them to do it,
they should have considered themselves
| prosecuted, indeed; but, since she had
asked them, instead, to take a short walk
down the pleasant road, they resolved to
escape such oppression. even if they had
to lmprisOn 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 kite that morn
ing. He had ball of string and sheet
OF bright pink paper laid away in a
drawer, and he had meant to ask Clara
for some paste. Of course, be 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 knothole, turning the grain
dust to gold, until presently he fell asleep.
LED followed his example after while /;
and, as no sound came to disturb them,
the nap was long one. They had no
means OF knowing how long they had
slept; but it seemed to them that it must
nave been hours, and Fenny announced
that he was particularly hungry.
I'm just sure it's away after noon, and
l think it's queer nobody called us to din
ner," he remarked, uneasily.
Il 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 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 90 of en-
rands; and somebody might have called,
anyhow, if they didn't know lust where
we were," grumbled Fenny.
He had forgotten the unanswered calls
of the morning; but Ted remembered,
though he did not care to remind Fenny
OF them, until thought OF what Daisy
had said suggested an idea.
ooh! 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 speedy supper was
sutflclent Tor Fenny. He consented at
once; but when they attempted to push
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 a min
utes thought.
| IL was only more inconvenient 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
doubtfully. He did not fancy going off
for 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 thew
/ 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
nall. She won't bother, nor ask cues
tlons, nor anything" said Fenny, seeing
MS 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
the boys were hungry that the way seemed
so much longer than usual to them. They
walked over it slowly, saying but little to
each other, and both were glad when the
comfortable 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
there knocking, Fenny. Let's go round"
But the back door was locked, the shut
tiers all closed, and it was soon evident
that none of the family were at home.
Then flash Of recollection came to
| Fenny
ooh! she's gone to town. | heard her
say the other day that she was going
Thursday"
"Why didn't you say so, then, and not
let us tramp all the way out here?" de-
manded Ted. But he knew why; so Fen
ny did not think it worth while to answer,
1 and they sat down on the steps to rest a
little. A bee was making flying calls
upon Aunt Mary's peoples and marigolds.
I Ted's eyes followed him, but his thoughts
were busy with something else Every
thing had seemed to turn out wrong it
hadn't been a pleasant day, and he couldn't
| help thinking that he did not enjoy this
new style of independence so very much,
after all.
The walk home was more tiresome and
silent than the one out to the farmhouse
had been, and the boys slipped into the
house with a step very unlike the one with
which they had marched away from the
piazza in tie morning. No one met them
IN the hall or parlors, and they made