The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-11-08

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and could not 90 with her Joe wa:
very busily engaged in mending har.
ness which must be ready for use in the
morning, and grandpa was hardly
able to stir with an attack of rheuma.
tism. So Bessie ate her supper in
silence and with a very doleful little
face. Grandma noticed it, and pro.
posed that they should pop some corn,
there were such nice Goals in front OF
the fireplace, and told her that she
would show her how she used to pop il
when she was little girl by covering i,
up in hot ashes.
But Bessie wasn't interested in corn
popping just then. She said that she
was tired of popcorn and wished she
had some one to play with. Then she
scratched little bit of the frost away
from the window-pane and peeped out
of doors, and, fit was dark, it seemed
very CHEEKY, and not bit what Abby
called pokerish. A red lantern was
flashing along the road. There was a
sound of distant sleigh-bells, and the
wind was blowing merrily. A sudden
idea flashed into her mind. She might
steal out of doors and run down to Aunt
Mary's, and no one would know thing
about it. She would wait until grand
ma got asleep over her knitting in the
sitting-rsom, and Abby got settled over
her apple-peeling in the kitchen. Then
if Abby missed her, she would think she
was in the sitting-room with grandma,
and if grandma woke and found that
she was not in the sitting-room, why,
she would conclude at once that she
was in the kitchen with Abby And it
was not long before an opportunity IA
vOred her to do as she had planned.
1t was awfully cold out of doors, to be
sure, but Bessie ran very fast and
did not mind it much. Sometimes the
wind almost took her breath away,
but what was that when one had such
delights before her? Then, when she
got under the hill out OF sight of the
lights on grandpa's house, and out of
sight of any house. she commenced to
feel little frightened and to wish that
she was safe ii home. If size had only
taken old Carlo with her, she would not
have felt so lonely. But still she trotted
bravely on and finally reached the little
lane which led to Aunt Mary's house
and past It thrOu n stretch of woods
into another road. The lane was shell
tered by great trees. so that it was not
so cold, and BeSsie's spirits rose again.
Her hand was upon the latch of the
garden-gate, when, on looking up, she
beheld sight which fairly curdled her
blood with horror. 1t was, in reality,
Tommy's Jack o Lantern which he had
just finished and stuck upon the gate
post, hoping to startle his mother S
sevant-girl when she came in from
milking. But to Bessie, who had not
the most distant idea what it was. it
seemed Ike the head OF some frightful,
grinning monster. whose mouth was al
ready open to swallow naughty children.
She uttered one loud, agonizing scream.
dropped the latch, and ran on toward
the woods as fast as her feet would
carry her. Not for the world
would she have gene through that
gate which was guarded by the horrible
thing. But the people in the house did
not hear her scream, for the wind was
doing the same thing, and she went on
and on, never needing where she went,
caring nothing for the darkness of the
woods, conscious of nothing but the
dreadful fear that the monster was fol-
lowing her. She dared not look behind
her; she had not strength even to cry.
In some places the snow was deep, and
the effort she made in running through
it was very eXhau>ting for little thing
like Bessie. 1t was warmer in the
woods than out in the bleak highway,
but still it was bitterly cold; and it was
so dark in some places that she ran into
the trees
''Oh, what should she do! Wouldn't
she get out of the woods soon and find
some house with good. kind people in
it, who would take her home to grand
MAJ she said to herself.
But it was whole mile through the
woods. and that is a good way for a
little girl to run on wild winters
night; and just before she reached the
end of it, she sank down quite ex-
hausted in the snow. She was horribly
cold at first, but this sensation soon
passed away, sense of drowsineSs
stole over her, and she was soon quite
unconscious. Poor little Bessie!
At home no one but old Carlo missed
her for long time. He did not see
her 90 out, for ne had been eating his
supper in the woodshed at the time;
but when, not very long after she had
gone, he scratched at the kitchen door
and Joe let him in, he looked in at the
sitting-room door. and not finding her
there, he came back to the kitchen,
meditated for moment, and then sig
nifed his desire to 90 out of doors.
Come here and lie down, Carlo; YOU
don't want to go out tonight. If YOU
do so, it won't be two minutes before
you'll want to get back again" remon-
strated Joe.
But Carlo persisted that he did want
to 90, and that he wanted to
90 at once, too, and finally Joe
dropped his work and opened the door
for him. If it had not been bolted.
Carlo could have opened it himself, for
he could lift latch as well as any one,
and. with little patient effort, could
turn knob with his great, clumsy
paw.
"You won't find any tramps to bark
at, or any foxes to chase. tonight,
Carlo, and it's as cold as Greenland,
you foolish old dog" said he as Carlo
leaped down the steps.
Carlo put his nose down to the ground
and Snufed at some little tracks in the