The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-12
found ajar, and opening it easily the light fell


cheerfully on the dusty floor.
''Shall we clean this ont before we go up
stairs?' asked the president, who responded
sagely. "always begin at the top Of the house
and sweep down." We mounted the steep stairs
to the loft, finding considerable difficulty in
getting Carries small person over the last
stride.
II think we ought first to get rid of these
things. Ughl'' and Myra shook off lively
spider; 80 we fell to work investigating every
corner, ejecting hundreds Of happy families
from their peaceful homes. Time passed
and still we brushed and still they crawled.
81 can't see that we have done q single bit
of good" said Carrie, looking up at me pa
thetically with the dirtiest facet ever saw, land
I'm ravenously hungry-who's got a watch?''
I found it was after IL o'clock. We had
devoted two hours to spiders, and the dust
still lay thick on the walls and floor with the
exception of what had stuck to our grimy
selves. 81 don think will mention what we
have accomplished" remarked as we tramped
to the house to dinner, land / wish we had
brought something to eat with us; now we'll
have to take this walk four times more to-day
Myra laughed good naturally at my crossness,
and was 30 thoroughly undisturbed herself that
was aggravated to the last degree, but after
dinner we sailed forth with fresh energy,
going straight to the sweeping indifferent to
spiders. By o'clock the loft was clean enough
10 please even our las tlulOuS mlnuS, ana tne
hay neatly piled in the corners for seats. We
tried to dance and found the floor even and
smooth but it needed waxing and Carrie said !:
Lets hurry up with the lower story and
there will be time for some Of the boys to
come down and rub candles over the floor be-
fore night"
Myra was the first to leave the loft. She
jumped the first steep step and followed her
almost instantly. As she did not move l
thought she was waiting to help Carrie as we
had done before but she did not turn around,
did not even move her head, and with hor-
rible fear of l knew not what stealing over me
bent forward and looked into her face. 1t
was blanched and stiffened into all expression
l am glad to say have not often seen. The
eyes widely distended, with q certain
dry look l. them impossible to
describe The lips colorless and rigid.
1t did not occur to me to speak, but
followed the direction Of her gaze, seeming to
know what should see. There at the foot of
the stairs little to the right there was q
closet, the door of which stood par tally open.
The west door of the barn, which we had flung
wide on our second entrance, let in every ray
of the setting sun, lighting the clos and
showing with fearful distinctness q mans leg
in the gray and black striped pantaloon OF the
convict, u ragged, muddy boot, and Oh! most
horrible! bit of iron chain. The rest of the
figure was buried in the darkness of the closet
the back being evidently toward US, since saw
the heel of the boot.
thought of my home in the city, and tho
mother who had kissed me good-by so ten
derby. I thought of school, of all the dear
girls at the farm thought, still with my
eyes on that terrible chain Of what Jack Ben
nett had whispered to me in the drive yester-
day, and wished in a dull sort of way that
be could know Of our dreadful danger feeling
sure he would have come to us. Then
fryr cd NV faca N fraa my vau
the closet with a jerk. She had not moved,
the awful look was still on her lips and in her
eyes. l looked up and saw Carries white face
and her poor little shaking mouth that could
not frame a word. 1 think with responsibility
comes to some people a certain capacity for
action. and as IL gradually grew upon me that
that / must be done for all Of us. My
brain seemed to get clearer, and with q little
struggle touched hyra, saying Is naturally. as
I could:
why, girls. we have forgotten to pile up
those boards" and pushing Carrie back into
the loft sprang up myself. Reused by the
sound Of my voice Myra followed with the sort
Of mechanical obedience shown by pc pie under
the influence OF mesmerism-a terrible thing
to watch. Carrie. who had seen nothing except
our Mortified faces chung to me nearly fainting
as I whispered 'Convicts," and what course to
take did not know as yet. We had walked to
the front of the loft, and were standing at the
open door used for taking in hay when caught
sight of the old rope and pulley, swung from
the roof by small crane or derrick.
Girls" said excitedly, 1--WE must go down
by that rope" chung for support to the door
and reaching out drew the rols in. Myra did
not say one word, but Carrie whispered she
was afraid to trust herself to it, and offered
to go down first. was rather . tom-boy, even
at IS, and had neither fear nor difficulty in de-
scending hand over hand. Myra aud Carrie
watched me anxiously and I beckoned them to
hurry, not daring to call for fear Of drawing
the convict's attention TO our proximity. il that
had not already been done. xyra swung her
self out, with an expression OF wild alarm, sank
ponderously to within about three feet Of the
ground, when-snapl went the rope, At the
very top. Her speed Of descent increased won
derfully and scared out Of the few that had
remained to her. She sat on the ground ex-
actly a. abe had fallen, refusing to move or be
moved. More troubled for Carrie th for
her, AZ saw the fall had resulted in no injury.
called Carrie u softly at first, then little
louder, but each time without success. Seri-
ously disturbed, whispered, Carrie, did you
see the rope break?" but there was no reply.
"Myra," l moaned, "whst shall do? You
must help me-" She struggled to her feet, and
now that the first surprise Of the fall was over,
l think the shaking did her good, and she
answered
10 pass that door 10 go up the steps, do you ?"
s'Well," said l. II am afraid 1t could do no
good; he may think we are all gone, and not
go near the loft. He was evidently hiding
himself. and Hiram said they were afraid OF
being seem
So with cruel pisgivings about poor little
Carrie, we raced away ~ fast e. we could to-