Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-11
At this moment I saw Marian making

| pG6SeTNdlIOu gave Liz StI SuStu W SUR, W
roll over. The bark and ferns flew in all
directions Marian shrieked; but her ar
rangements for seating herself had gone
too far to be affected by this sudden phe-
nomenon. She came down heavily, and
she and [ and the shawls and the ferns,
fungi and moses, became complicated
into a confused and undistinguishab1e
heap.
This the girls considered the best joke
possible. With shouts of laughter, they
disentangled and picked US up. But at
sight of my face there was exclamation ::
Why, Queen Log, what is the matter?
Are you hurt? You are as pale as sheet.
You look as if you had seen a ghost.
Don't stare so, Dolly. Do speak. What
is it,"
| tried to speak, but, instead, burst into
a fit of nervous crying. The girls, fright
ened and perplexed, thronged about me.
In the midst of their rapid questions an
awe-struck voice was heard, saying:
Where are the spoons? 1 put them
| just here. am sure | did And here is
the very napkin they were in"
"Oh," l sobbed, those men took them
away"
"Men! What men,"
Then it all came out, and the circle Of
pale faces and wide-open eyes which at
tended my somewhat incoherent explana
ton struck me as so funny that [ went to
the other extreme of feeling, and, before I
knew it, was laughing as hard as I had
cried
" And you lay still and never moved q"
gasped Rosa. How brave! I never
could have done that. I should just have
given one scream, and then [ should have
tainted away"
That would have been truly judi
cious," remarked Esther, dryly But the
question now is, what shall we do?"
"Do?" walled Rosa; "why, get out of
these dreadful woods as fast as we can, to
be sure. Robbers and murderers!
never heard anything SO awful. Why
did we come? Oh, how horrid it is not
to have any man to take care of you'll"
Her alarm infected the boldest of US,
and regret to sayour progress homeward
partook of the nature of a stampede Mrs.
Pendexter, who was rolling out tea-bis-
cult in the buttery, was taken all aback
by our sudden appearance.
Sakes alive! I want tc know! This
does beat ALL" were her remarks during
our recital. Such thing wasn't never
heard of in this country before. Elkins
| That's the squire. And the man with the
seventeen hundred dollars must be young
Mr.. bennett, on the Brush Hill Road.
He's sort of a stranger, you know. Mi.
Pendexter was a-saying that he'd sold out
all his hay at good price to pay off his
mortgage"
Where is Mr.. Pendexter?" said
Esther, promptly. "He must go over
and give this Mr.. bennett warning at
once"
rs, is, ts," clucked Mrs. Pendexter.
He's off in the medder lot, two miles
away, and SOS all the rest. There amt a
man about the place, Miss Esther"
"There never is, put in Rosa, despair
ingly. Il never saw any thing like it!
Oh, how horrid, horrid it must be in the
land Of the Amazons! | can't think why
Joaquin Miller should write poem about
them"
:" How far is it to Mr.. Dement'S? ?" said
Esther.
Its good three miles, but straight
road all the way. Right through the woods.
You can't miss ito
Through the woods! We all shivered ;
but Esther went on bravely:
every well. Amanda can harness the
old gray, can't she? Please tell her to,
and ~ drive over to Mr.. Dennett'S Girls,
which of you will go with me?"
Nobody answered.
tDolly?"
" Yes" I said, with a sinking heart.
cpl go"
The girls wept and walled, but in vain.
"Don't be silly" said Esther "Of
course somebody must go.'
Well, I do admire your courage -
said Mrs Pendexter, land there's this
about it: there amt no real danger.
They're always scared at daylight"-
speaking of the genus burglar as of a
wolf. You won't see your men again,
Miss Dolly, promise you. If l wasn't
sure Of that, [ wouldn't let you go no.
how"
Fortified with this, we set off, conceal
ing our inward tremors as best we might.
The road seemed long, but at last we came
to a pretty brown cottage, with little
lawn, flower beds, and an air of taste
and refinement new to us in that region.
A handsome, sunburned young man, who
was cutting the grass with a hand NOW
machine, came forward to meet US,
and raised his straw hat with the unmis-
taxable air Of gentleman.
Esther explained our errand, Mr.. Den
nett listening intently, never taking his
eyes off her face as she spoke.
q am probably the person meant" he
said. cat least / have the sum alluded
to in my house to pay debt which falls
due next week" He paused, ana thought
for moment silently.
q wonder you were notafraid to drive
over to this lonely place." he said,
| smiling