The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-07-02
INTERESTING STORY.
ANNIE'S FRIGHT.

Mother seems so feverish, and the baby
frets SO, father, think you had better go in
town for the DOCTOR" said Annie Ainslie,
coming TO the farmhouse door under the
woodbine, and speaking to the stalwart man
in his shirt-sleeyes who was leading the
plow-horss up from the new-turned field.
She was tall, slim girl of sixteen, with
soft, dark eyes and hair with sleeves rolled
away from her round, white arms a big
gingham apron enveloping her youthful fig
ure.
Her father stopped and surveyed hen
kindly.
Well, just as you say, Annie"
81 should feel safer to have him see
mother tonight hope she has not taken
cold, she added, in a lower tone, as she
went back to the Cruel she was making.
She looked little tired and careworn,
this slight girl of sixteen, who had charge
of the whole house and sick mother.
Much as the Ainslies needed household
help, it had not been attainable, and Annie
bore her unaccustomed burden bravely. All
knew how hard it was for her, and sympa
thized and helped as much as possible
The family consisted of her twin brother,
Allan, her father and mother, and the hired
man, Peter, who slept at his own house,
half a mile away, but consumed unheard-of
quantities of bread, beef and doughnuts at
her fathers table three times day.
The farm was large one, and the first OF
May was the busy season, when hard out-of
door work made cooking for these men no
trife. Annie bravely moulded the white
loaves and piled up stacks of brown dough-
nuts but when the tiny little one walled in
the "spare-room and her mothers weak
voice was heard crying:
Never mind, Annie, don't leave your
work. I'll try to quiet her." the strain was
almost more than the faithful girl could
boar, for she knew that her frail, little
mother, was not able to have so much care
Of the child.
Then Annie was passionately fond OF
babies, and she already had devoted love
for the little doll-like creature, with its tiny,
clinging fingers and helpless silken head,
which nestled in such evident comfort on
her neck, when she could spare an hour to
hold it.
She'd be SO good if l could tend her.
But have to leave her to wear mother out
while take care of the three big men," she
said to herself, that afternoon, as she stole
out of the bedroom on tip-toe where the in.
valid lay sleeping, with flushed cheeks and
sunken eyes, carrying the innocent cause of
30 much discomfort into the kitchen, where
her brother Allan was washing his hands at
the sink. ALLAN, you take her awhile
The young man received the uneasy bum
die of flannel gingerly, and walked up and
down the floor with it, while Annie hurried
the supper upon the table, and laid out
clean shirt for her father to wear to town,
And do try to get some kind of help,
father" she said, when he was ready.
Anybody is better than nobody"
"rll do the best can, my girl. Allan,
10 you want to go to the dentists this even.
ingp"
Allan, who had suffered from an aching
tooth for week, assented, and the two
drove away.
Annie hurriedly washed the dishes, much
disturbed to find that her mother seemed
not rs we'll after waking. Peter had already
gone home The milk was strained the
sun was setting it was peaceful country
evening
Suddenly Annie heard noise in the quiet
house--the sound of feet going quickly, and
rather lightly, up the front stairs. She left
the kitchen, went through the stting-room,
and into the front entry TO listen. The
blind-door was ajar i; she had left il latched,
Had her father come back, and he or Al.
Ian gone up the slairs2 No, the buggy was
not in the yard tEtis 49,
She parted her lips to call "Who is
here ?" but the stiffness Of the lonely house
gave her feeling of shyness.
She listened and hesitated, and at last
went slowly back to the kitchen. She re-
preached herself for not being willing to go
up stairs and see who was there but she
felt 30 alone, and they were so far from
neighbors Her mother must not be start
led.
But as she went back and forth over the
wide, yellow floor Of the kitchen, making
her usual preparations for the night, she
grew more and more uneasy, and her heart
beat hard as she went into the sicl-room,
where the shades OF evening were gathering,
and observed how feeble was the counte
nance among the pillows. t8et
She had feeling that some evil was near;
and her mother was certainly very sick in-y
deed. M ~
Cover me, Annie 1. feel cold !" said
the invalid and, indeed, she was trembling
as with an ague
Annie carefully spread a blanket on the
bed, and when her mother seemed easier,
she stole out of the apartment, and wen,
through the kitchen into Darkroom, from
the windows of which, as it was an L. she
could see the chamber-windows in the body
of the house.
Concealing herself behind green paper
shade, she peeped mp. And then the girls
brown eyes widened with terror.
The muslin curtain in one of the cham
ber-windows was pushed aside, and held in
the grasp of a mans hand, while the man
himself stood bent forward to the dying
light examining pistol.
She could not see his face plainly, only
his black beard and the top of his head,
which was covered with thick, matted hair.
The next instant the curtain dropped as the
man raised himself, falling before she had
time to see his face.
But she had seen enough. She knew that
this man was a large, powerful one, and Q
stranger. What was he there for His
motive must be robbery. Only the day be-
fore her father had sold fine colt, and the
money! hundred dollars--was in an old
fashioned secretary in her mothers room.
Annie wrung her hands. oh, il she had
locked the door Immediately that her father
departed Her carelessness had made ac-
cess TO the house too easy, though danger
had never menaced her quiet home before,
and she had often been left quite alone
without fear. tAN itA
The boytoa ~ fI,a non rect peiUhhor was in