The Opelousas courier., 1884-02-09

aunt; you're only third cousinF' / re-
piled on the defensive, but secretly
uneasy.
Ipeered into the dark opening until
my eyes became used to the gloom, and
Icould see, past the broken chairs, two
or three pieces of board resting on the
stones, and at the very farthest part al
most was something that might be the
ball.
Il see it I'm going in afterit !" I
exclaimed. h.
Don't you Go it ! You'll get killed r
said Lou.
"But I pushed in by the chairs and
reached the first board safely. There
I stood, leaning against the chimney,
TN I couldsee better, and then I peer
ed along on the next board. Yes, that
surely was the wooden carved ball al
most at the end, half under a cobweb.
I took a step or two farther, and set
my foot on the second board. Then /.
looked on and down into what SEEM
ed an abyss of darkness, but far below
was a little CLEAN of light. For an
instant I stood wondering what it
could be, and then Istook mother step
reaching my hand to grasp the bal.
The board tilted under my foot. ]
felt myself slipping into the horror of
darknessl I heard Lou scream, and I.
clutched despairingly at the rough
stones beside mt. In that way |
steadied myself, and then l shut my
eyes till I got confidence enough to
step cautiously backward and recover
my footing on the first plank. 1t was
such a relief when Z felt Lou Hemp
stead catch hold Of my dress behind.
"I1l hold on and pull, Maidie!' she
said, in a terror-stricken voice; but by
that time it was easy work to crawl
past the chairs back to the stair-top
again.
"But the ball is lost forever nowi" I
said, ruefully, for even as l slipped, I
had heard it bound off among the
stones.
aNeYer mind,' said Lou, comforting,
y.
eBut I do mind" I replied. ssfor I
shall have to tell grandmother, and
that win make her think of Uncle
Giles, and she'll cry. anyway, though,
I won't tell her till after dinner" I
added,
Lou smoothed my dress and hair,
and thenswe went down stairs. No
body had missed us, and Aunt Ann
was just setting the chairs around the
table.
dinners about ready to take up,
girls" she said, 'and, Maidie, there's
your father and mother coming now"
The ehicken-pie, the biscuits and
butter and jelly, we're already on the
table, and we ran to the kitchen to see
Aunt Ann take up the turkey and
grandmother dish the vegetables.
"The turnips are mashed and the
onions are seasoned said grand
mother. .Tm just going to take -up
the potatoes. For mercy's sake. Ann,
what's this?f"
II don't know" said Aunt Ann; ait
isn't a potatol' !
We pressed closer.
"Ohl Oil it's the wooden ball" I
cried. ats the wooden BALI / lost it
down behind the chimney, and it fell
into the potato-potr'
looked up and there was a little
open space where the chimney stones
above projected unevenly against the
boards Of the kitchen wall And that
was where the light had crept through.
GRANDMOTHER said afterwards that she
left the lid of The potatoes just q mo-
ment while she went to the dresser to
Get some salt to throw in. SO they
would boil white.
But at the time ofsthe discovery, all
she said was. GILES ball! Poor boy!
where is he now Y In a trembling
voice.
/ was suresshe was going to CRY, and
felt 50 bad t ran out past mother,
who was taking her bonnet of,
through the door and down to The
gate. And I leaned against it and
cried myself, for what with the terror
and excitement and reaction of the
whole thing, T was all unneryed.
did not hear a quick step that came uI
the road, nor see the tall young man il
blue who approached me, till ! felt his
hand On my shoulder, and looked uI
Ia meet his bright eyes shining down
upon my fearful ones.
aAren't You my little niece =, he ask
ed, gaily
oh, Uncle GiIesg I knew yor
wasn't drownedt"" { exclaimed; ana
thsnhe lifted me on his shoulder and
took me to tue house in triumph.
Then my dear precious grandmother