Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-10-06
AN HOUR OF TERROR.

the hired help, presenting herself in the
doorway with her arms dripping with
hot soap-suds, and her calico skirts fes-
TONED about her spare form in a way
which Worth never would have mag
ined, ssthere's an insane man in the
barni''
l had just settled myself comfortably
down to my morning task of coloring a
cluster of slender-stemmed blue hare
bells, which Donald had brought in,
trophy of his before breakfast walk up
the mountain. Baby was sweetly Sleep
ing under the pink lace draperies of her
crib. Tommy and little Donald were
fishing for minnows in the meadow
stream, and 1 was heartily congratulate
ing myself upon the success of my idea
of renting mountain cottage, ''far
from the busy haunts of men, for the
sultry summer months. IL
Where" quoth 1, to myself, as I
glanced around the cool, little library,
with its home made hangings of butter
f1y-patterned chintz, its Japanese screens
and the decorated china which [ myself
bad arranged on impromptu shelves and
brackets, Gin all the dusty, heated city,
will you find nook like this, with the
scent of giant pine-trees floating in at
the easement, and the whistling of black
birds filling up. the silence? declare, it
is enough to inspire any one! I could
almost write a novel, or an epic, if it
wasn't for baby, and the children, and
my fiower-painting, and the tarts, and
Syllabus, and frozen custards, that
Betsey can't be got to comprehend"
Thus, Tapped in Elysian dreams, and
secure in my own estimation, Betsey's
announcement came like thunder-clap
upon my hearing. I dropped my
camel's-hair pencil, and sat gazing
blankly upon her CHASTITY countenance.
"A--what?" gasped.
ssAn insane man, ma am," said Bet
sey. Leastways, that's what Deacon
Gadsley shouted out, as he was a-gal-
lopin' by on horseback to catch the
down train with the mailbag, hollerin'
good and loud, as he's aware I amt
quick o. hearin'. Tell your missis,
says he, 'to call the children in-there' s
an insane man in the barn. says he.''
''But, Betsey," cried l., involuntarily
clutching at the baby's crib, sit can't
be possible!"
"That's what Deacon Gadsley said,
ma'am. and I'll take my Bible oath to
it," said Betsey, nodding her head, with
a countenance expressive of entire con-
viction. sft
''Then, why didn't he come to our
help?" l exclaimed, wringing my hands
helplessly.
"Don't know, ma'am," said Betsey,
I" unless it was because the mail-train,
like time and tide in the spelling-book,
waits for no man." a7
'sBut what are we to do?" I almost
sobbed, my courage and, presence of
mind nearly deserving me, as l pic
tured to myself the horrible vision of a
crazy lunatic dancing about among the
hatchets, scythe-blades and hay-cutters
in the barn.
s'Don't know, ma'am," said Betsey,
viewing me with a sort of mild con-
tempt, as one of the helpless city ladies
who become powerless under the pres
ence of any sudden emergency, "un-
less you call in the boys, and lock the
barn-doors just as quick as possible.'
/. l looked appealingly at Betsey.
Betsey," said 1, ''would you mind
locking the barn doors, like q dear, good
soul, while / run after Donald and Tom
myp"
Betsey cleared her throat emphatic
ally.
"Not if I know it, ma'am!" said she.
81 hain't no more partiality than other
folks for crazy people. My uncle, he
was assistant-keeper in the huntsville
Lunatic Asylum, and he was choked to
death by one of the patients forty-odd
years ago. And don't mean that sort
of thing shall run in the family, ma am,
not if Lean help it,
s.Then,' cried I, driven to sudden re-
solve, ''stay here with the baby, Betsey.
Don't leave her, for your life, while I
90 after the boys. Good heavens! If
the wretch should be attacking them
even now!"
With almost superhuman speed and
swiftness, ran down along the edge of
the woods, seized Tommy and Donald
each by one hand, and dragged them
home, not even pausing to explain mat
tiers to their bewildered little ears.
"Come, children-come!" painted.
"Oh, do make haste! We must get back
to the house Immediately"
&C Pint I've left nv fishinr- hook man.