The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-20

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novels.
Meanwhile it would be impossible to de-
scribe the condition of Bridgets mind,
thus left alone in the kitchen. Being
firmly impressed with the conviction
that unknown perils beset her, at first
she dared not move from her chair. The
cackling of the sociable fowls outside
the door and each fresh gust of autumn
wind caused her new terror. Finally,
after long waiting, she gained courage
to cross the room and light the fire,
moving about on tiptoe, with terrified
glances behind her. If Miss Abigail
had known that it was quarter past |
eleven before the cabbage was put over
the fire, she would certainly have !
scolded; but fortunately she had enough |
to doup stairs. Bridget at last took heart |
of grace, and seizing the wash-basin, |
started for the cellar, and the potatoes
which were in its farther corner. Bridget
never entered this cellar, which was ex-
cessively dark and irregular, without
crossing herself. Now the prospect was
especially terrible, and with muttered
PRAYER to the Virgin, she went down the
stairs with occasional haltings, and hay-
ing filled the basins with almost miracu-
lous speed, scurried back again. But
to-day the kitchen had almost as many
terrors for her as the cellar, and half
way up the stairs she was startled by a
violent gust of wind and an ominous
sound above.
"Begorra, now," muttered Bridget to
the potatoes, as she stopped in despera-
ton, "the ould craythur himselfs in
the housep
Another wild blast of wind that shook
windows and doors. Bridget had reached
the top of the stairs. She had closed
the door leading into the wash-roOm half
an hour ago. From behind this door
sounded rumble which seemed caused
by the sliding of some heavy body, fol
lowed by violent clatter; then came
heavy shock against it, which seemed to
Bridget's excited senses like the thunders
of the Judgment-day. The door burst
open, and never doubling that robbers
and murderers were behind it, Bridget
dropped the potatoes with shrek that
) rang through the house, and rushing
back to the cellar, pushed the door to-
gether, and held it with the strength of
desperation.
Mollie, in the chamber above, reused
from her book by this startling Interrupt
, ton, sprang into the center of the room,
and listened moment, with face as
white as her dress. There was final crash
below, and without the least idea what
she was doing, Mollie started for the
kitchen in such haste that she fell down
the last five of the back stairs, and burst
, ing open the door at the foot, rolled into
the lower room, where she picked her
, self up, too much excited to think of
|, her bruises. Potatoes were scattered over
l the floor in every direction. The kitchen
door was open, the wash-room door was
open, and the beam lay on the floor
From behind the cellar door came a half
smothered moan. Moilie had scarcely
time to realize these facts before Miss
!; Abigail arrived on the scene, breathless
I with excitement.
e ooh, aunt" gasped Mollie, horrified
VI at the sound of another grean behinC
II the cellar door, I" some ones down Gel
lar, and Bridget's there! do believe
y have frightened 'em, tumbling dowI
e stairs"
o Chow many of 'em are there p
, per, glancing around for some weapon O.
> defense.
q 81 don't know. 1 guess there are two.
" Miss Abigail waited for no more, but
I nerved by the thought of Bridget in tn
:. hands of murderers, seized the kettle o
;s boiling water from the stove, and rush
:, :, ing to the cellar door, which opene'
!, from the kitchen, threw herself agains
it. She soon found that the door wa
held on the other side, and that it woul,
"A require her utmost efforts open it.
- Come and take thisW she said t
~ Mollie, holding out the kettle.
- There was a trial of strength. Mis-
u cable, but Bridget was desperate, an
y. would have died before the door shoul
e have been opened. The spinster wa
~ ~ forced to give up the contest, and stoo
~ ~ back, baffied and exasperated. A brigt
y. idea, however, presently darted throug
u her mind; and singing to Mollie to fo
I'd low her, she ran into the wood shet
y Mollie, leaving the kettle in the fir
ie handy place, which happened to be tt
~ lowest step on the back stairs. obeyec
no but Miss Abigail was already on the wa
-. back with the clothes-line in her ham
h' elf we can't get in," she explaine
in nervous Whisper, +" they sha'n't g
W out at any rate! / don't see as we ca
ire help Bridget any, but we can keep e
tty down there till Jonathan gets bac
Us There's only one window, and that
-, barred and too small for man to era,
.Sn ,n through.
,5e Miss Abigail proceeded hastily to t
~ slip-knot around the old-fashit
va door, which she drew tight; then, eros
bet ing the kitchen, she passed the other Ell
90 of the line around the pump, and ma
N"t 10,
I'll ton, wound it around again and agai
rod r and finally tied it in an unskillful b
o1a viciously twitched knot. Moliie, who
S;s Tao spite of her concern for Bridget, b
'as+ been in terror lest the outlaws shou
bat long breath of relief when this W
Az by sharp exclamation behind h,
,ad had crept feebly down the back stairs
;n@ Abigail" and had, of course, fall
a;rs over the kettle of boiling water, annie
- - rivulets of which she was feebly strl
Cling.
get lherel now shes Killed herself
Ing calculated Miss Abigail, diving unt
? to the rope to the rescue, while Mol
e looked on in horror.
you Uranoma hlcnton was n1teo anu !:
-ho, on couch IN the corner, and wnlle M
rps Abigail, oblivious of everything el
ger for the moment, was ascertaining the
tent of her injuries, Mollie commen,
Or a a nervous promenade about the roc
the 1t was in the midst of this promens
her that she happened TO glance out of
,nly west window, and saw, to her utter h
It of ror, the figures of two strange men ct
and ing "across lots" toward the hot
There are no words in the English
low guage strong enough to express Moll
gail, feelings at this juncture. She
clutched feebly at Miss AbigaiPs DIR
ash as the latter hurried past her in sea
gail, OF remedies for scalds.