Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-02-12
What Happened that Afternoon.
BY ELLA A. DRINKwATER.

Lydia Gaylord was sitting on the stoop
one warm spring afternoon, leaning back
against the front door, with knees drawn
up to form a resting place for the paper
covered book that she was reading
Suddenly one of the front blinds was
thrown open, and an excited voice called
"Lydial Lydial Do stop that noise in
the back yard"
"Yes, m'm," replied Lydia, without
raising her eyes.
"Lydiar screamed the voice. "Do
you know that l am writing your fathers
letter? Go instantly and tell those
boys to leave the yard, and not come
within mile of the house until l finish
my letter"
'Yes, nm" Lydia answered again,
rising reluctantly, to walk slowly around
the house, keeping her eyes upon her
book.
Three boys were sitting on the grass
plot, playing mumble-peg-rosy Hal,
delicate little Twist, and their neighbor,
the dark-skinned Hypolite.
"Lydiap "LyddyT and miss Lydia"
greeted her in three different keys.
"Hushi hushl" she returned, holding
up her finger. Don't you remember
that mother is writing her letter?"
I'VE are as still as the rats" asserted
Hypolite. I'VE have been doing all the
speaking in the language of the deaf
and dumb"
But you must all go out of the yard,
and stay" said Lydia, resolutely. "Moth-
er is as nervous as possible now"
With some grumbling, the boys scram-
bled to their feet, and ran noisily out of
the back eaee. But, with his hand on
the latch, Hypolite turned and inquired,
seriously: "Is it often, Miss Lydia, that
your mother writes the letter."
But Lydia's eyes were again fastened
on her book. Seating herself against
the door, she drew herself up into her
fsvorite position, and become absorbed
in the fortunes of "Timid Lucy" Her
blue silk net slipped off her head, and
the breeze tossed her light hair about
her face. With scowl of annoyance,
she shook it back, without looking up.
A bird on the maple branch above her
head poured forth its soul in song; but
her ears were deaf to all the melody.
Forgetful of consequences, the boys
rushed around the corner of the house
and disappeared in the cellar, with a
horrible yell; but Lydia did not stir.
Very Unexpectedly the characters in
her book became strangely confused,
stars danced before her eyes, and she
became conscious that her mother had
opened the door behind her, and she had
fallen backward on the cold oil-cloth.
Didn't you promise to keep those
boys quiet ?" her mother asked, tharply,
as she stopped to pick up Timed Lucy
You know as well as 1 do the mail goes
out at six o'clock, and if my letter is not
ready your father will not have it when
he arrives Shields, and l don't know
what he will think is the matter. 1t
will make him down sick, I've no doubt.
l could't find my glasses, and then had
to look for a good pen, and l have moth
ing written excepting the date and My
dear Hus.' Did you tell the boys shall
not speak to their father about getting
them a Shetland pony unless they let me
write in peace?"
I'll tell them," said Lydia, rubbing
the back of her head. "If you'll let me
have my book, I'll keep them stiller than
poor Hypolite's rats"
mo, you shant read word. Not a
word shall you read till my letter is fin
ished. Go into the cellar and send
those boys into the street"
Mrs. Gaylord returned to the sitting
room, to write band and Lydia fol-
lowed the boys into the cellar. Hal and
Hypolite were feeding twenty-one rab-
bits with cabbage-leayes, and Twist
was dropping bread-crumbs into large
tub of water, containing seven turtles,
of various sizes.
"NOw, boys, you've lost your pony,
severely announced Lydia, stepping into
the midst of their menagerie.
"Ohi have we?" howled Twist, in
stantly dissolved in tears. "Have we
truly, truly lost it ?"
Yes, you have, unless you go away
from the house and stay until mothers
letter is finished" answered Lydia, re-
lentingly.
81 forgot all about the letter" decla-
red Hal; "but I'll stay away forever and
ever this time" Il
And I'll cross the throat Of me if
do not keep them away" added Hypolite,
the first finger of his right hand J
across his throat.
"Take your turtles out of the water
first, Twist" advised Hal. "They are
box turtles, and can't live in the water.
We found them in the dry woods, and
you must keep them in the same kind of
place as near as possible. So here goes"
.ipping the tub over and throwing the
,nrtles violently onto the floor.
"Lydidy shrieked their mothers
roice, from the top of the inside cellar i
tairs. "Send those boys out, or your !
ather's Letter"
The rahhifa ,zerA nihhlinQ their leaves 1