Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-22
her wa1ed to the Christina. TIDE, and New

IeHiaOe0 unfulnled, TIL Al last WIDOW Dustin
ceased 10 expect
It vas late on a cold night IN early April.
ana che had been long IN ped when az last
the summons came. IN the shape OF tap 50
Iant that Ii was thrice TepeatAi before it
reused her. She threw Oh a shawl and hurried
u the door. f-r.-9- .s =, go
"Girls-is 1t you, girls" she demande1
Its only me-" and 10 Mrs Dustin s unspeak-
able surprise Jessamine Mayhem. wrapped ia a
fur cloak. stole in alone out OF the darkness.
''Y gu said | might come
WHY. yes, and welcome. But where's the
Cthers?'
..Oh, they-they've gone over TO the star
bucks, at Smooth HummoGhS-'
:. Wen. rs r,lnny you should separate IN this
way. thought half the fun was Ii bell' To-
gether.I. -. ..--. o..
oh yes: so it is''-confusedly. t'But, you
know, the Staroucks' isn't bit good place 10
hide 10. They're sure 70 BE- caught: aud Molly
wants TO be, because her mothers ,gOae over
to Scons.t TO Sarah Jane, YOU Know. Her baby
came last Tuesday, and while itfS. Greanleaf5
gone Is SUCH good time TO have'a party that
Moliys rather counting on being found But
I'-blushlng deeply didn't want 10 De-
g. cont see why not, II Mol!y'5 70 have
the party, anyhow. 'TSont be no trouble 10
oh. it isn't the trouble. Blt-out, you see
me and Mark Colin have sort OF private
wager; and If he finds me. he'u-I'p-,'
wen. 7rh1's declare, Miney. you're color
What. It's really" Ideelare, never did Well.
Miney- Id ne caught. II | was you Marks as
good fellow as ever stepped and your ma she
was a-telling me once that hed been alter YOU
forever and day-eycr SenCe you was Old
eneughtO say Boo to-"
=. ''..on. know said Miney. half laughing and
half CRY Ing. Nobody need TO praise N ARK TO
me- But, can't you see? | don't want 10 be
caught easy. He'd think most d'd it a -pur-
pose II I'd gone TO the Staroucks, andf- a
deep blush finished the sentence
A drOll look came into Mrs. DuStinS ewes at
tilS naive explanation. but she preserved dis
erect silence. II was barely ten o'clock, 50 she
TOOK Muey into her own bed for a preliminary
rest, ignored the fact that the girl was lying
awake. feigned slumbar herself, and was re
warded when she reused sharp at four by II nd-
ing her fast asleep Very quietly she rose and
dressed, raked out the fire, 1iileG and hung on
the Kettle. and when at five Jessamine sprang
up terrified at the sight OF the gray, on-coming
dawn, breakfast Was ready. aud the kitchen
warm aud coy.
Don't you be scared" said the hostess.
- Mark Coffin norno one else Is a comm Ia here
TIL after six has struck. You've more'n three
quarters OF an hour to spare, so you just sit
DOWN and eat hearty, for the cellars cold still
and ii Amt no place for you. as | very well
know, only there's no helping IT." Adding. in
her private mind, And | Just hope thar 81 ark
II o. along early, before you get your death OF
cold, for you re bound TO be found this tinla and
found you shall be. as sllre's my names Ann
Dustin
There must have been some lurking mischief
IN her eyes. for, after she was comfortably eS-
tahlished In the cellar, Minnie looked up ap-
prehenSlFely, and said:
"Oh, Mrs Dustin, you won't tell him, Will
your
Not |. I'll not say a word. was the reply:
and Mrs. Ann slammed down the trap.
Eight O'Clock StruCk-nine. ten, eleven. All
the elaborate preparations for looking unpre
pared seemed thrown away. for no Mark came.
The time may have appeared long TO Minnie In
the CELLAR IL certainly did to her hostess above.
stairs. she fidgeted. she could settle 10 moth
ing. and nothing went straight. Her thread
broke, the machine was contrary" "Drat the
fellow, why don't he Gomez" she repeated more
than once. her eye turned TO the window which
commanded the road over the downs which led
10 the town. 1t was not till the dinner potatoes
were on, and the POT pie beginning to send forth
SaVory fumes from the fire, that AT last he gate
swung violently on It's hinges, and the long
expected Marx rushed III.
Oh, hrs. Dustin, he painted, 'have you
seen Mney Mayhem" The girls are hi ling TO-
day-four OF them. and we found three over at
the StarbuckS; bat she wasn't With EN-. ana
she's the only one care about catching"
want she With the rest? Do tell" said Ms,
Ann. enjoying the situation.
No, and don't call 1t fair replied Mark.
stamping angrily about the kitchen. ~ made
sure she'd De with the rest OF course, and
Siald up all night IN the meeting house steeple
with glass. and saw them stealing off 10 The
HulnlnockS, ana then went after She's gone
away separate, and none OF EN- knoWs where.
Molly'd have tod me In minute il she'd
known, Tor she knew what what We She
amt here, then, you said?'
- SEE nothing. | seq look for yourself. |
amt one TO spoil fun by telling one way or the
other. But even as She She Spoke-oh, treach-
erouS Mrs. DuSt1n.-Sne pointed with large
wink directly at the trap door, whose hinges
were distinctly Visible. Perhaps Mrs. Dustin
had not taken the pains to cover them as cir
cumspectiy as on previous occasions. Mark
was quick. In a flash he saw he comprehrnde1
with one pound he was across the kitchen
had seized, raised the trap and vanished down
the ladder. A girlish scream came from below
sound, slight In Itself, but full Of suggestion
and With wonderful knack or making Itself
heard at distance-the sound. In short OF a
lovers Kiss. After that came silence and more
low talk, broken upon by Mrs. Dustin who
chucklug inwardly, and pink with excitement,
popped her head over the edge OF the aperture.
and remarked: Folks can't live On air II they
are coniiin'. and they can die OF dalno. Niney's
been quite long enough ia that cellar. Mark
CONN. Fetch her up. The pot pies ready
aud II alh't so bad as it smells, and you and
she IL De ali the better fora bite, il you'll con-
sent 10 take time for it,.
The round cellar was not, In truth ro-
mantle frame work for pair or lovers Stiu
lt was rather pretty picture that Mrs. Dus.
I'm I'm looked down upon from over the edge OF
the trap. MI ney and Mark sat side by side In
the midst OF the buffaiO-robes. Her pretty
aead was on nus shoulder. She raised 1t,
dyed with brushes, and Mark muttere1 some
unlng very like "Iang pot-ple," but they as
cended the ladder obediently all the same: and
once at table, dinner did not seem SO oDiec-
tlonable or SO unreasonable az might be sup
posed. II can't think how you came 70 re.
member the cellar so suddenly" Miney said
once; and that mendaciOuS Mrs Ann replied
''One OF the hinges must have come uncoy-
cred, | reckon" while Mark whispered in her
ear Il could have found you In the
heart OF stone, think. Mney, / was
so set on it," and happily deceived, Jessa-
mine si.ed no more. Mrs. Dustin stood at her
door and watched them walk away together.
The afternoon. though bright, was fresh and
cold, for keen sea-wnd blew In, ttattening the
faded grasses and rustliDg the dry heather on
The plain. Mark held JesSamtnes napping
CLOAK tightly together, she leaning upon ais
arm. Tney disappeared behind low thicket OF
eTergreens, and with half smile and half
sigh Mrs Dustin turned back into her kitchen
saying 10 herself
I'm free my mind about that wink when
SneS been married a year or two. She'll for
give me easy enough. or miss my guess. It's
natural Tor girl to want to hide, but she d be
sorry enough sometimes If she wasn't found
out; and I'm woman, and ought 10 know
H17.pti@S BdzG1. 80.
Drew the Wrong Lever"