Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-03-01

head, and without turning round an
swered, saucily,
"No, Sir, don't mean to let you
in to>night."
The ugly face looked thunder.
struck, then frightened. and finally
two grimy paws cIutched the win
dow, shutting it with crash that
made the glasses culver, snd the ugly
face was gone.
ooh dear, now he's angry - l all
ways do carry my fun too far" cried
| Mrs. Cuthbert, springing from her
chair and rushing into the hall.
"George George 70
She turned the lock.
"George |"
The porch was empty, but she
caught sight of dark figure hurry
ing up the path to the barn.
ooh, you're not going to hide from
me in that way, Sirll" she called out,
Running down the steps and on to-
ward the barn.
The dark figure was swallowed up
in the great black doorway before she
| reached it.
"Oh, you great goose |" she said.
standing on the threshold, "don't you
suppose l can find you? You had
better give up at once"
Then she waited. The dark figure
crouched still closer behind the old
carriage, and there was 40 answer.
/ 81 shall find you, Sir; | know
every corner" she gave warning ;
then, with arms stretched out before
her. commenced the search. La and
out among the barrels and boxes she
went in the utter blaokness, calling
out merrily now and then that she
| would find him and punish him for
giving her 80 much trouble. Once she
1 almost touched the shrinking figure
1 but it held its breath, and she passed
4 on.
1t was a weird game of hide-and
seek the dark figure with the ugly
face covering among the wheels,
listening with strange kind OF
I savage fear to the light footsteps
that sounded now here, now there ;
| he beard them climb the ladder and
patter about in the loft overhead, then
come down again, and the voice-not
| so merry Dow-repeat her assurance
of finding the truant, and sudden
desire entered his brain TO spring up
on her and choke her. 1t would not
| be the first time he had done such a
deed but her perfect audacity seemed
| to paralyze him, and again she pas
| sed him all uneonscious. He saw her
| pause in the doorway, dimIy outlined
against the sky, and then dlsap-
peared down the path.
OFF she amt the Quickest IN p he
growled as he crept from behind the
carriage. changed eff she amt a
| ghost or suthing." And with this
| peculiar comment on Mrs. Cuthbert's
| bravery, he shook himself and made
bis way out of the barn with side
long gait, as if he was used 20 slip
| ing in and out of places.
Mrs. Cuthbert meanwhile sped on
to the house, her step FASTENED by
the idea that her husband might be
there-perhaps he had slipped out Of
| the barn while she was up in the loft
or perhaps 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 dispairing yet she snatched up
the lamp, and determined to search
the house. From room to room sbe
| went, calling upon George, ard look.
ing 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.
"Oh, how can he be 80 cruell' she
sobbed, "and for such a little thing
He might have known | was only in
fun but maybe he's only in fun him
self, and will come in soon.
Cheered by this last reflection, she
trotted briskly down stairs, stirred
the fire into blaze, and stood watch
ing it too fidgety to settle to her sew
ing again. The wood famed noisily
then glowed a silent red, and 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.
Cuthbert looked at 1t reproachfully
as if it was the time.piece's fault that
it was so late. Where a1GS her hus.
band? Perhaps he was wandering
about in the dark, unable to find the
house. Why hadn't she thought Of
that before? She would put a lamp
in every room.
And in a few minutes lights were
twinkling from all the windows, Civ.
ing the little cottage quite gay and
festive air. Who would have guessed
that q lone woman and sleeping
child were it's sole occupants? Not
the dark figure with the ugly face,
doubled up under the lilac bushes
that bordered the gravel path.
As the hours went on, another flg-
ure Joined the one of the ugly face,
and was greeted with an oath npon
his laziness, and the information that
something was up" that the first
chance was "spiled," and that they
would have to clay to awhile;" and
then both dark figures, with many a
curse and SILVER, crouched together,
biding their time.
Poor Mrs. Cuthbert, as the night
wore on, wandered from window to
window, with the vague feeling that
if she could not see her husband from
one, she might from another. Som e.
times she stood at the door, listen
ing intently. and conjuring every
breath of wind into the longed-for
footsteps, her heart dying within
her at each fresh disappointment.
She must have walked miles in that
small house; the baby waxed restless
and she was up many times to re-
-. 80 ror; m yr that tina eturQy