The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-06
UP THE FLUE.


here?'
Yes, we have been here eight years, she
replied, with a rare smile that glorified her
face. 81 have passed through many trying
ordeals here but 1 really think 1 had an ad-
venture in the east, before l married the
Captain, equal to any that 1 have expert
enced"
"Will you relate it and oblige us?" urged
Russell.
Mrs. Boswell" said Dan, the irrepressible
youngster of our party, you can become
heroine of romance if you will"
''Thank YOU" said our little hostess. Il
don't mind accepting the honor"
Three of us were sitting in an inner apart
ment of the small frontier hostelry. The bar
room was packed with miners, and we had
chosen to have our supper served by our
selves, as we had appointed to go to Custer
City in company.
Mrs Boswell was much below the medium
size, quick of speech, light of movement as
bird and graceful as fawn.
cit was in 18-,' she began; II had lust
made the acquaintance of Captain Boswell;
he having some business matters to arrange
with father, had called at our place several
! times Finally, there came a rare day in
autumn, and he and father were coseted the
greater part of the day, overhauling papers,
memoranda, deeds and receipts My father
at that time was doing a great zeal OF busl-
ness as an attorney.
cat tea time, father said to me, 'Bess, you
won't mind an evening alone, so long as
| Thomas is about will your
M altbOnph there manV
robberies being committed in the neighbor-
ing cities, private families in the suburbs
| felt no fear Our house was mile from the
| city proper, and a half mile from nelghbors
either way.
We find he continued, that the Cap
tain has got to hunt up some more papers
| concerning the estate before he can give Bar
on a satisfactory title. We shall go to Judge
! Whitcomb's office and our search may be
| so successful that II O. clock will find us home
again. Still we may be detained long
err. Shant l call and tell your cousin
| Milly to come down and spend the night
with your"
'No-yes,' I contradctorily answered.
DO as you please; I am not timid III the least
with Thomas about
But Captain Boswell is going to leave
| So 900 here until ne returns
J." Does anyone know about the money!
Only ourselves
L
likely to be back before graveyards yawn and
thieves walk abroad
Thomas brought the horse round and,
while father spoke to him. l touched the Cap
tain's sleeve:
"'Where is your money left?'
"'In your fathers desk in the library.
| Then he looked with a tender, inquiring
glance into my face chow the little woman S
cheeks flushed at the memory and said:
Little girl, if you are in the least afraid, we
will not go tonight, although it is absolutely
necessary
81 told him honestly that was not afraid.
1 never had that strata of timidity in my
makeup peculiar to womankind; and so they
rode away.
81 sang about my work as put things in
shape around the room and viewed the bril-
liant sunset without fear or care.
Thomas our new man-of-all-work, was
very busy potterng about the grounds, tying
up grapevines and mulching evergreens l
knew there was some coarse aftermath upon
| the hill, that father was anxious to have put
| on the strawberry beds, and, seeing Thomas
go up there with his basket 1 tied a scarf
over my head, took another basket and went
| up to help him.
"As passed up the hill 1 saw a man in
the highway speaking to him. hesitated
about going on, but the man made only a
moments pause, and then went down the
| hill, and was soon concealed by turn in the
| highway.
"'Who was that, Thomas inquired.
! "'Oh Miss, it was man from the mills,
| saying that my brother has had bad fall on
the dam, and is believing for me to come
and see him. His legs De broken entirely.
"'What will you do?
II told the man l could not come to see
him to-day-but if I went, Miss, l would be
sure to be back by eleven of the clock, if not
| earlier
utVo,, ,,,ov oo Thomas &c 1,o,,- hro+l, ~. 10
hurt so bad. Papa will not be away long
But my young LADY,
"'Never mind me in such q case as this l
! was always very tender-hearted. You may
go and l will run right back to the house.
HE talked for a few minutes more, was
| profuse in his thanks for my kindness, and
then started down for the city. l took up
| the two baskets, and went singing to the
| house.
81 sat an hour by the open window, enjoy
| ing intensely this being alone and the quiet
beauty of the cool autumn evening.
perhaps you will wonder at this" and
the dimples played about her pretty mouth,
"but little birds were singing new song in
my heart, and the quiet let me hear the
sweet echoes.
''Bul directly 1 chided myself for being
rather careless as the road was thorough
fare, and chance stragglers might surprise
me- l arose, closed my window, and obey
| ing some strange, impressive power,
walked through the hall into the library,
took my fathers key from its accustomed
place, unlocked his desk, found the package
of 5000 and, placing it in my bosom, re-
locked the door, and returned to the sitting
room. 1 did not light lamp; | had no need
of fire, as that from the kitchen stove
warmed the stting-room sufficiently in this
mild weather.
THE house was old-fashioned, very, with
Fireplace in the sitting-room opening up
into chimney OF capacity sufficient for a
! foundry stack. We had cheerful open
fires later on; but the house being an an
cestral pile, was getting somewhat dilapi-
dated, and the partition separating the hues
in The Large chimney had fallen in. Men
had been set to clear out the rubbish and
make repairs, but the work, half done,
| was snsnended ON account of the arrival of