The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-04-05

ana tnen Inat sne WOalQ 1nQ MIN ana
punish him for giving her SO much
trouble. Once she almost passed the
shrinking figure; but it held its breath,
aud she passed on.
1t was weird game of hide and seek;
the dark figure with the ugly face cow
ering among the wheels, listening with
strange kind of savage fear to the light
footsteps that sounded now here, now
there; he heard them climb the ladder
and patter about in the loft, and come
down again. and the voice-not so merry
now-repeat her assurance of finding
the truant, and sudden desire entered
his brain to spring upon and choke her.
1t would not be the first tine ne had
done such a deed, but her perfect
audacity seemed to paralyze him, and
again she passed him all unconscious.
He saw her pause in the doorway, dimly
outlined against the sky, and then dis
appear.
"Ef she amt the pluckiest 'un!" he
growled, as he crept from behind the car
rage. changed eff she amt ghost or
suthin."
And with this peculiar comment on
Mrs. Cuthbert's bravery, he shook him
self and made his way out of the barn
with a sidelong gait, as if he was used
to sinking in and out of places.
Mrs. Cuthbert meanwhile sped on to
the house, her steps hastened by an
idea that her husband might be there
perhaps he had slipped out of the
barn while she was in the loft, or per-
haps he had not gone into the barn at
all.
Alas for her hopes The sitting
room was empty, and just as she had
left it.
Not despairing yet, she snatched up
the lamp, and determined to search the
house, From room to room she went
calling upon George, and looking into
every closet and behind and under every
article of furniture, but not glimpse of
her husband gladdened her eyes, and at
last she sat down by the baby's cradle
and burst into tears.
ooh, how can he be su cruel!'' she
sobbed, "and for such little thing, He
might have known was only in fun; but
maybe he's only in fun himself, and will
come in soon."
Cheered by this last reflection, she
trotted briskly down stairs, stirred the
fire into blaze, aud stood watching it,
too fidgety to settle to her sewing again.
The wood famed noisily, then glowed a
silent red, then crumbled and fell, an
untidy, dreary mass of whitened ashes
and dying embers, and still her husband
did not come.
The clock struck nine, and Mrs. Cuth,
bert looked at it reproachfully, as if ii
was the time-piece's fault that it was SO
late. Where was her husband ? Perhaps
he was wandering about in the dark. un'
able to find the house. Why hadn't she
thought of that before9 She would put
lamp in every room.
And in a few minutes lights were
twinkling from all the windows, giving
the little cottage quite gay and festive
air. Who could have guessed that 6
lovely women and sleeping child were
its sole occupants? Not the dark figure
with the ugly face, doubled up under
the lilac bushes that bordered the grave
walk.
As the hours wore on, another darE
figure Joined. the one of the ugly face
and was greeted with an oath on his la
ziness, and the information IL at some
thing was up" that the first chance wa
"spiled," and they would have to " La.
to awhile" aud then both dark figures
with many a curse and shiver, crouchet
; together, biding their time.
Poor Mrs. Cuthbert, as the night crep
, on, wandered from window to window
. with the vague feeling that if she coul'
, not see her husband from one she Nigh
from another. Sometimes she stood a
the door, listening intently, and conjul
ing every breath of wind into the longed
r for footstep, her heart dying within he
. at each fresh disappointment. She mus
: have walked miles in that small house
, the baby waxed restless, and she was u
many times to replace the covering
+ that the sturdy little legs had throw
9 off in climbing the invisible mountai
; that a child is always ascending in b
sleep.
The clock struck one. How like th
/, voice of fate it sounded! Itwas not at a
# the cheerful thing that, when the sun W;
:, shining, had announced the dinner hol
that day.
Ie A distant dog bsrked, and Mrs. Gut
bert rushed to the door; she had resume
~ her sewing to keep herself from goir
n distracted, and she clasped it in her han
What black, black night! and he
in cold the wind was. Hark she was ce
tain she heard voices by the gate. Ye
k, she did. Just then the baby began
ly cry, and only stopping to call back, ''
it moment, darling" she plunged do,
YES the walk.
All was silent there was no cne the
VS. She stood with her hands upon the gs
RS. few seconds, looking eagerly up
nd road, and then walked slowly back to
house.
AS the front door closed, the lilac bu
by the gate quivered, and two dark
ures crawled from under it.
int When Mrs. Cuthbert laid the baby
.he his cradle, after singing him back to
invisible mountains, the clock struck t.
ON and Mrs. Cuthbert looked hoplessness
mt the face.
ard George was never coming home,
decided. 1t was no use watching; he
in never coming home any more. TIL
she as the next gust of wind sent twig