Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-10-05
From the Chimney Corner.I
KETTLE CREEKS MIRACLE.
BY AUSBURN TOWNER.

1t was terrible oath! Following it, a
hammer few from the stout hand of the
blacksmith and smote with crash upon
one Of the outer door-posts of the shop.
1t sent the splinters flying in all direc-
tions from a spot where just before the
head of man had rested. 1t was only
brief conversation that had preceded
this violent outburst, and one that had
been entirely confined to a man whose
behavior betokened intimate companion
ship. He had been standing leaning
against the door-post, with one leg
crossed over the other, and picking his
nails with a peculiar knife that be-
trayed his calling to be that of shoe
maker
His general appearance and his shabby
garments proclaimed also that it was his
habit to attend more faithfully to the
affairs of other persons than to business
that concerned himself. He had stood
there some minutes without having ut
tered word.
where's your wife, Ranse % he had
asked at length, looking somewhat fur
lively from under his eyebrows at the
big blacksmith.
The same question had come into
Ranse's mind more than a hundred
times that morning and, thus put to
him. seemed only an echo of all the rest.
Yes where was his wife? He had not
been home all the night before. There
had been a wild frolic. as he called it.
at the Red Tavern, almost five miles over
the west hill
They had kept it up all night, and he
ha6 tn III
him as he crept YEARLY back through
the deep and freshiy-fallen snow to his
shop. She must have known by the
ringing Of his anvil that he had returned,
and that she might bring out to him his
breakfast, as she had done time and
again on similar occasions. Yes, where
was his wife?
"Where's the Reverent Scudder O.
Sly?" pursued the shoemaker, after no
long interval, for that which had passed
through Ranse's brain had been so rapid
in its fight as to occupy scarcely the
time of q breath.
He looked up at the question, evil
IDENTIFY not catching at once, or COM
pletely, the connection. Then he turned
over the piece Of iron on which he was
working, gave it tap or two with his
hammer, and plunged it in a tub of
water close at his hand, where it met
with shush, sputter and hiss, raising
above it cloud OF steam
Both gone," presently added the
shoemaker, pursuing his own train of
thoughts and answering his own ques-
tons.
Ranse turned full around upon him,
with his hammer swinging loosely in his
right hand and piece of iron held at an
angle from hun by the pincers in his
left. There was something IN his eyes
now like danger signal, but it was not
noticed, or, If noticed, was disregarded.
His visitor calmly curled piece of
the nail from one Of his fingers with the
keen blade of a knife, twisting his mouth
awrY with the effort, and then closed the
conversation with the works: "And
both gone together %
His quick jump from the doorway
saved his life. As 1t was, he stumbled
over a block of wood, and fell full
length upon the ground Before he had
even begun to rise Ranse rushed from
the stoop and almost flew past him.
There was group, mostly Of women,
standing near the gate leading to Ranse's
house, hundred rods or so up the
street. They saw Ranse coming at a
pace like that Of an enraged bull, and
the group, to all of whom he was Just as
much OF terror, melted away from the
spot. One of them muttered to his
neighbor. as they all separated:
II du b'leeve Tom Corey has telled
him."
Why, its been known the hull morn
in oil over the village, was the reply.
stWonder what he'll do?"
What hewould ultimately do was mere
conjecture. What he did immediately
was characteristic.
He swung open the gate and, without
stopping to close it, dashed up the path
way to the house. Although a small
building, it was double one, originally
intended for two families, having in
each portion door that looked toward
the road.
One of these stood wide open. Ranse
sprang through the doorway. He
stamped from room to room" best
room" common sitting room, bedroom
and kitchen.
He grew hot and cold, red and pale,
by turns. His hands were clinched and
then opened, with the fingers stretched
wide apart, as though he was eager to
seize hold of something and crush it; and
the muscles stood out on his naked arms
like ridges of flesh swollen from blows.
The house, except from his own move
ments, was as still as asepulchre. There
were evidences all around of hasty de-
parture, each room, excepting the best
one, having objects in it that seemed to
have been left, dropped just where they
had been used.