Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-22

She had been thinking about something
ever since Saturday afternoon, and at last
she sprsng Suddenly up.
What difference does ii make to Tom
Perhaps he'll be glad y and once more
the attic boards creaked. and when Miss
Judith took her seat again. she had little
bundle softly by her side. The old clock
licked slowly on, but the latch lifted at
last, and Miss Judith raised the bundle
from the floor.
See If those skates will fit you they
might as well be worn as to rust, sup
pose" she said.
The visit to the trunk haunted Miss Pop
hurst after Gallowses was asleep, and at
last she stole silently into his room, but
before she reached the bedside, she stood
trrnsfixed. Good land! if the child amt
hugging close 10 Toms skates, yet and
that other things under his cheek again,
and do believe he's been crying. Why,
what ais the boy? And the SHOWS com
ing down now at rate that put the mill
pond out of sight for one while"
And so il did, and the life went out of
skates and the lookup plan, together; the
heroic spirits dropped, and quiet settled in
upon the school-room for the next two
weeks. The holidays were coming so near
that perhaps it was Us we'll to let them
come peacefully after all. Thanksgiving
Day astonished every one with an unpre-
cedented thaw, and a rain that turned the
snow-covered pond into an oozy surface,
black as ink and though Miss Pophurst
had a chicken and little ball of plum
pudding for dinner, there was no getting
out, and still less of the rAerry-making
and gay company Gallowses had heard all
the boys promise themselves; and he hid
away in bed at last, thankful that the day
was done how should he ever live through
a whole week like that when Christmas
camel . 49, ATS --. Is 1tA t@.t
But before Christmas came the world
seemed to be in altogether different mood.
The sunset skies turned yellow as gold,
and the purple hills stood sharp and al
most black against them in the frosty air
the nights grew singing and clear, and at
last, as Christmas Eve itself set in, north
wind whirled down on the glowing pond,
and when morning dawned, as Deacon
Bayberry assured the boys, ..Pharaoh and
all his host might feel free to march
across
Whittier had our sorrowful memories
fed away. that wild, joyful, Christmas
afternOonf Faster and faster flowed the
warm, eager blood through his veins; had
he ever been miserable had he ever
sObbed himself 10 sleep in world where
skates and skating grounds were found?
On few the hours; what did make cut
ting letters so very hard? Over and over
the ''P'' he was determined to cut, Gallow-
scs went, too busy to notice that one by
one the boys had slipped away, toward
the cove above. for fresh ice for the black
face Of the pond was Scared and white at
last. Another fifteen minutes. and sud-
denly there was wild cry behind him:
..Sam Abberton and Hal are in the water?
am going for help" and with marble
face Bob Aylmer plunged off the ice.
Were those Squire Phillips gray sleigh
robes and notified gray horses dashing
pasti
. you get out!' Numbered the Squire,
and snatching Bob into the sleigh, he shot
the gray horse down the mill-road by the
pond, and then with swoop, round to a
motionless, black group, huddled on the
Ice.
And what did the Squire do then? What
had any Of them done all this time stand
ing motionless, in dumb, freezing terror,
a. the ice crumbling from the hands that
clutched 1t, brought the black. open circle
nearer to their feet.
They can't hold on there much long
err" murmured one big fellow at last, des-
peratsly pushing out stick Hal grasped
wildly for it; it was too short.
But bark |! There was another skate
ring! A little figure in wide trousers was
coming up! "Help, Gallowses ~ gasped
Sam. The brown eyes took one sweep
over the black, widening gulf, and, then,
Jacket in hand, Gallowses crept toward it.
One long, vicious crack ran across the ice
Miss Judy's boy stopped, and holding his
jacket by one wrist flung out the other
toward Sam. But an arms length still
lay between! = ~l-i
Then something else came flashing off
Gall0wses houlders-long. red, white
and dangling.
He's tying them to his sleeve ~ and the
huddled figures held their breath, but at
last . shout rose up. s,s.-.
'4Coming! Coming! He'll fetch him
Hurrsh?" and half-frozen, trembling and
livid with fright, Sam came crawling on
firm ice! s7asTT 4.t.4
But another piercing cry broke in, and
Hairs eyes met the shouters in an agony
Of appeal.
Hes losing hold! Save my boy, too!''
groaned the Squire and Gallowses took
one more sweeping look at Halls corner
of the hnngry-looking hole How the
current underneath dragged at anything it
carried through. But once more he
crawled toward the treacherous edge. lie
was near enough TO throw to Hal, but the
thin ice snapped and bent 1t would never
hold them both. ..
Throw me line from the sleigh. -
Trembling hands obeyed. Tying one end
to what he held he flung back the other
towards thicker ice.
Catch it, some of you,'' and then he
threw jacket-sleeve to Hal. He grasped
stifiy Ut it; could he hold it? Yes: and
with one desperate struggle for life he
gained the ice. II bent and snapped, but
they were dragging at the other end
dragging bravely now. He was safe
but another cry rose up. The thin shell
of ice that broke as Hal climbed up was
all that had held Gallowses from the hun.
CRY, rushing stream, and Miss Judy's boy
was out Of sight.
why, what upon airth ?'' said Deacon
Bsybery, peeping through the mill win
dow y the cry rose. 'Oho Mischief, and