Litchfield enquirer., 1879-07-31

thy said to herself. 'l wonder if he IS anx- ious about the dams," She resolved to watch for hissreturn, but she was busy settling her mother for the night, when she heard his foot steps on the porch The roar of water from the hills startled Dorothy as she opened the door ;.it had increased in violence within an hour A gust of wind and rain followed Eyes ham into the entry.
 'Come in,' she said, running lightly across the sitting room to close the door of her moth CTS room
 He stood opposite her on the hearth-rug and looked@inGo her eyes across the arrangement l of the summer. It was not Dorothy of the mill head or of Slocum's meadow, or the cold maid Of the well it was very anxious lovely little girl, in crumbling old house, with a foot of water in the cellar, and a sick mother in the next room. She had forgotten about Ephraim and his idols; she picked up Shep's trowsers from the rug, where she had dropped them. and looking intently at her thimble fin ger, told him she was very glad he had come.
 ''Did you think wouldn't come ?" said he. ''pm going to take you home with me. Doro- hy,-you and your mother and the boys. It's not fit for you to be here alone!"
 Do you know of any danger?"
 'I kaa0so of none, but waters a thing you can't depend on. Its an ugly rain older men than your father remember nothing like it."
 II shall be glad to have mother go, and Jimmy; the house is very damp. It's an aw- full night for her to be out thought"
 ''She must go p said Evesham. "You must all go.S I'll be back in half an hour"-- ....-
 Y shalfnot go," Dorothy said; ''the boys and Iymust stay and look after the stock. -'
 ''Whats that p Evesham was listening to trickling of water outside the door,
 ''Oh it's from the kitchen The doors blown open, guess"
 Dorothy looked out into the passage; strong wind was blowing in from the kitchen, where the water covered the floor and washed against the chimney
 This is a nice state of thngs Whats all this wood here for ?"
 ''The wood-shed is under water, you l know e
 ''You must get yourself ready, Dorothy! I'll come for your mother first in the chaise."
 'I cannot go," she said; 'I don't believe there is any danger. This old house has stood for eighty years; it's not likely thisis the first big rain in all that time" Dorothy's spirits had risen. Besides, I have family of or phans to take care of! See here," she said, stopping over basket in the shadow of the chimney It was the hospital tent' and as she uncovered it, broed of belated chickens stretched out their thin necks with plaintive peeps.
 Dorothy covered them with her hands, and they nestled with cozy twitterings into si- lence.
 ''Youre kind of special providence, aren't you, Dorothy? But I've no sympathy for chickens who soW be born just in time for the equinoctial."
 Y didn't want them," said Dorothy, anx- ious to defend her management. ''Tbe old hen stole her nest, and she left them the day before the rain. She's making herself con- fortable now in the corn-bin."
 ''hSe ought to be made an example of ;- that's the way of the world however ;-retri- button don't always fall on the right shoulders. 1 must go now. We'll take your mother and Jimmy first, and then, # you aoomt come, you shall let me stay with you. The mill is safe enough, anyhow" ......
 Evesham returned with the chaise and a man who he insisted should drive away old John and the cows, so Dorothy should have less care. The mother was packed into the chaise with vast collection of wraps, which almost obliterated Jimmy. As they started, Dorothy ran out in the rain with her mothers sspectacles and the five letters, which always lay in a box on the table by her bed. Evesham took her gently by the arms and lifted her back across the puddles to the stoop.
 As the chaise drove off, she went back to the sitting room and crouched on the rug, her wet hair shining in the freight. She took out her chickens one by one and held them un- der her chin, with tender words and finger | as susceptible as their bodies, Dorothy's or phans must have been imperiled hy her caress- es.
 'Look here, Dorothy Where's my trow- sers?" cried Shep, opening the door at the foot of the stairs.
 Reuby was behind him, fully arrayed in the aforesaid articles, and carrying the bedroom candle.
 ''Here they are-with needle in them, ,'
  the middle of the night for p
 Well, l guess it's time somebody's up Who's that man driving off our COWS ?''
 "Goosey It's Walter Eveshams man. He came for mother and all of us, and he's taken old John and the COWS tosave us so much fod- dering."
 ''Ain't we going too?"
 '1 don't see why we should, just because there happens to be little water in the kitch- en. Pve often seen it come in there before p
 ''Well, thee never saw anything like thss
 '1 don't care," said Reuby. II wish there'd come regular flood. We could climb up in the mill loft and go sailin down over Jordan's meadows. Wouldn't Luke Jordan open that big mouth of his to see us heave in sight about cock crow-three sheets in the wind, and the old tackle a-swingin' !''
 Do hush p said Dorothy. "We may have ] tO try lt yet.
 There's an awful roarin' from our window. |" said Shep ''Thee can't half hear it down here. Come out on the stoop. The old ponds have got their dander up this time"
 They opened the door and listened, standing together on the low step There was. indeed, hoarse murmur from the hills which grew louder as they listened.
 ''Now she's comin'! There goes the stable door! There was only one hinge left, any way, said Reuby. Mighty! Look at that wave l"
 It crashed through the gate, swept across the garden and broke at their feet, sending a thin sheet of water over the floor and stoop
 "Now it's gone into the entry. Why didn't thee shut the door, Shep 7"
 ''Well, think we'd better clear out, any how. Let's go over to the mill. Say, Doro- thy y'aa3, sha,a't Ta we ?, ,o,o, : o.,o ,.. ... ',
 The second onset was not so violent, but they hastened to gather few blankets, and the boys filled their pockets, with delightful sense of unusualness and peril, almost equal ! to shipwreck or an attack by Indians Doro- thy took her unlucky chickens under her cloak and they made rush, all together, across the road and up the slope to the mill. -.. Why didn't we think to bring lantern ?'' said Dorothy, as they huddled together on the platform of the scale. Twill Nee go back after one, Shep ?''
 'If Reuby'n go, too." IF. -Ess-gs- Il "Well, msy legs are wet enough now ] Whats the use of lantern2 Mighty Moses Whats that ?'
 'The old mills got under weighl' cried Shep. "She's going to tune up of Kingdom Come i'
 A furious head of water was rushing along the race. The great wheel creaked and swung over, and with shudder the old mill awoke from it's long sleep. The cogs clenched their teeth, the shafting shook and rattled, the stones whirled merrily round.
 ''Now she goes it !" cried Shep, as the hum . ming increased to a tremor, and the tren.or to Il wild, unsteady din, till the timbers shook a and the bolts and windows rattled II just } wish tather could hear them old stones hum. , "Oh,, this is awful r said Dorothy She was shivering, and sick with terror at this un- seemly midnight revelry of her grandfather's old mill. It was as if it had awakened in a l af dQiI Hr