Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-10-07
GaIes ano Skftfbts.
KETTLE CREEKS MIRACLE.
Br AusBUKx TowSER.
CONTINUED from yesterday. }

(Continueo from Yesterday
After he had only just passed out of his
bovhood, Miller Bundy uttered those wise
words and that prediction. that were al
ierward 90 frequently quoted.
The gate to the sluiceway Of the mill,
that almost required yoke Of oxen to
draw up. was pulled away from its stanch-
ions one night, and the water flooded the
mill, the miller's garden and the lower
part of the house, before the pond was
lowered below the level of the bottom OF
the sluice Only circumstantial evidence
could attribute this evil TO Ranse Loop.
but it was not far from being accurate.
The venerable and indeed Reverend
George Priestly, hurryiDg on Sunday
morning to keep an important appoint
mept on his circuit, wondered why. in as
cending slight rise in the road. his roam
"3iIly' stopped stock still. and answered
neither to his chirup, 70 the jerk Of the
reins, nor the sharp touch Of the whip.
The Reverend George Priestly looked
around, and observed a stalwart young
man, with heels braced against the side
hill, and hands, with ouistretched arms,
pulling against the blackboard OF the bug
gy. circumstances from the reverend
lips prevailed not.
The stalwart young man leisurely. but
with cunning that showed he was &C
auainted with the craft, and aided by a
wrench and screwdriver, took the harness
entirely to pieces. piling the various ma
ierials-screw, leather. buckle. strap. hub
and spoke-into a symmetrical pile in the
road
These were among the gentler and
more playful of his antics, the offspring OF
his lively nature and his appetite for mis-
chief
"Ah, them Loops them Loops said old
Miller Bundy. None on EN- ever lack
ed brains ef they wus wantin' in morals.
This one--this here Ranse, will be Loop
all the days of his life, and he'll die with
one tight round his neck -
It was the morning of the fourth day
Ranse was lighting the fire in his forge.
The cold was intense. II manifested itself
TO every sense as well as to that Of feel
ing. TO the ear by the crunching. grind
ing sound made by feet or sleigh runners
passing over the snow. Some Of these
Ranse heard without and presently his own
name was called. He stepped tn the
door.
The face that looked out had grown
hard and bitter within the past few hours
lie raised one hand. resting it on the door
post. and as he looked forth, saw man
trotting beside load of wood. drawn by
pair of oxen. He was mutfled up to his
ears in tippet, and carried his hands in
his trousers pockets. He lifted up the TOP
Of his head so that his eyes seemed to be
looking over a tall fence, and seeing
Ranse, he said.
IL war passed along to our house last
night that your wife was over to Squire
Holbert's. in Shallopville Township. and
that she was nigh onto deaths door.
said war comm over this way this
mornin' with load Of wood, and would
stop and tell you"
Then, with word or two to his oxen
he dropped behind his fence and again
trotted along
Ranse's position did not change for some
time. As far as any movement was con
cerned. he might have been frozen there
Over to Squire Holbert's twelve good
miles over the Sand Creek hills. and
dying Could he have been Alright? The
oxen and the load of wood were some way
up the road. He ran after them.
II say. Jonas" he said slowly, "did
you say that my wife was over to Squire
Holbert's and dying?"
The man looked around. lifted himself
on top of his fence again and nodded.
And how in the world did she GET
there P"
"They didn't specify exactly" the OK.
driver replied. looking at Ranse rather
distrustfully-''onlyt that she had beer lief,
there by the Rev. s. o. Sly"
Ranse ground his teeth together. and
muttered something that sounded like;
80 soon P''
Then he turned back and wa, ked slowly
toward the forge. the tide of his feelings
rising In his breaet nj every step. His
conclusion had been reached before he ar
rived at his shop. He turned and went
toward his house. In his best garments
he appeared presently before the woman
whom he had persuaded to come tempo.
rArily and care for his home and children,
81 may not be back before tomorrow,
he said but shall be back then
The quickness of communication by tel
ephone from one end of city to the other
is esteemed one of our modern miracles
but there has always been something in
the atmosphere OF small village that will
carry piece Of news through it. and drop
it at every house door. with a rapidity
that would astonish the telephone it.
self
Before Ranse had been trudging over
the snow for fifteen minutes, the fact Of
his departure, and why he went, were
known in every house in Kettle Creek
post-office and every ear was all agUg
for what was to come next.
In little more than two hour'. Ranse
stood at the door OF Squire lIolbert's
house, n semi-tavern off the mail-coach
route-long. low ard somewhat shabby
so situated on long slope that. on the
upper side you could step from the ground
to the roof
There was both an eagerness and re-
luctance manifested by him. His face
showed the first. his actions the last
Squire Holbert himself answered his
knock and greeted him only with SYM
pathetic shake Of the hand and q nod
toward door up the hall. and saying
quietly:
She's In there. We have taken Just as
good care Of her as we could. The doc
tors with her now
More mechanically than otherwise.
Ranse stepped across the hall. pushed
open door that was sjsr there and en-
tered small room, in which were bed.
fhrv,s, mr. four chairs and a washsfAnd