Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-11-17

mo; he went down to the cotton
mill with n load of bobbins, and he
ought TO be here by this time"
MAY / go little way and meet
him?" asked Dear.
Yes, Remembering that Dear had
been in the house all day only first
light a candle and make the tea. and
put more wood in the stove, and bring
me Tiptop's nightdress, and unite the
boys shoes, and wear your hood, and
don't be gone long"
Dear had closed the outside door.
ready TO start on a run, when she heard
old Fans whinny in the direction of the
barn. Papa has come, and is unhar-
Messing Fam" thought she, feeling a
little disappointed that she could not
meet him and ride home. Instead, she
turned to the barn.
At the stable door stood old Fan,
steaming rs if she were having a vapor-
bath. Papa had a load home"
thought Dear, as she went up to pat
Fan. But what was that she stepped
on? A thill? Yes, broken thill, still
hanging TO the harness Startled.
Dear glanced around the yard. The
wagon was not there, and now she saw
that only part of the harness was on
the horse, and that was trailing on the
ground.
Before this in her heart had time to
take shape, Dear opened the stable door
and let Fan in, and, carefully closing
the door, ran for the street. The road
over the top of the hill lay like three
narrow foot-paths, with straight ridges
Of turf between, and along these narrow
paths Dear sped with flying feet, strain
ing her eyes to see she dared not think
what
At the brow of the hill she paused
and looked down. The road wound
like brook down the long hillside,
turning to the right and to the left,
with here and there steep pitches and
many bars, till it was lost in the dark
ness far down toward the valley. As
far rs her eyes could reach there was
nothing unusual to be seen; but at her
feet lay broken harness strap. Up
that road Fan had come, and down that
road Dear must 90.
On and on, over bars and pitches,
scarcely touching the ground. loose
stones hit by her feet flying before her,
till, suddenly, halfway down the steep
est pitch, she came to place in the
road where the stones and the gravel
had been plowed up as if by the plung-
ing of horse.
Here lay the wagon seat. A little
farther on lay two or three planks across
the road, and ut the foot of the steep
pitch lay, on its side, wrecked lumber
wagon, which had run backward till it
capSiZed; and across the steep gutter by
the roadside lay load of plank which
had slid from the wagon as it went
over. Here was n part of the broken
reins belonging to the harness, with the
ends under the load of plank.
The wagon was her fathers, Dear
knew that; but where was her father?
She stood and looked on either side, up
the hill and down into the valley.
Nothing moved; there was not even
wind enough 10 bend the tall dead
grasses by the roadside. and no sound
was TO be heard in all the still night but
the pnrling and babbling of the little
brooks that had quilted deep channels
in the Waterways on either side of the
road. Dear could bear this silence no
longer.
Papa, papa, where are you?' and
the wild cry went up the hillside and
down into the valley, bringing no an
swer.
80 papa, papa! what shall do?''
she called again, and as she listened
with straining ears, she heard, or
thought she heard, low moan near her.
She dropped on her knees. ..Papa.
papa, are you here?" 1t was a PRAYER
now. Surely she heard a sound rs if in
answer, and it seemed to come from
the plank that had slid over the gutter.
In
peering among the planks. She could
see nothing, but she could hear a sound
plainly now. She tried with frantic
haste to raise the planks. but there was
not strength enough in her small arms
for that. and almost without thought
she darted, not up the hill to her
mother. but down into the black valley
at the foot of the hill. where a cart-path
leading from the woods intersected the
road. Along this dark path, overgrown
with alders, she went till she came to q
low shanty built between two trees.
and. bursting open the door. she cried:
80 Biddy Mccoy! come quick; some
thing dreadful has happened ON the
hill"
What is't yer sayin'?' said the
startled Biddy. starting from her seat;
but as Dear was already out of doors,
she added. suiting the action to the
words: "Here. Bridget, tax the babby,
and you Nike" to stupid boy by the
fire, "get yer lanthern and come
along;" and without waiting to put any
thing on her head she followed Dear.
The child was already out of sight,
but Biddy went on at n sounding gallon
till she came to the foot of the hill.
There she saw the small figure flying
before her and reckoning her on.
"Shure. an somethin dreadful has
happened, said the breathless Biddy,
crossing herself as she came up to the
wrecked wagon. "Is any one hurtod?"
as Dear called her to help.
"Pm afraid-rm afraid there's some
one under the planks." gasped Dear,
trying single-handed TO lift the load.
Here, CURL, that's no way to Taauk,
tax the top one first. Nike, yo law
sowl. get along wild yer lanthernr' and
her voice went down the hillside like
the blast of a trumpeI, starting even the
slow Mike into o -un.
i