Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-11-21

And how could blame hiin ii s;.1;.
weather? Yet it was dreadfully lone
some, If you are sociable with your
servants they always presume upon it,
and l do so love to talk.
OF course l watched the clouds with
interest. Ii it should prove fair at last,
Jasper would come home, and If it
rained he wouldn't.
Every now and then there would be
pretense of clearing of, and l began to
hope for a pleasant sunset but it was
always false pretense, and at tea-time
it poured as though there weSe going to
be second food.
Biddy asked me, as it was so near the
Hudson, whether it wasn't likely to be
a-risin', and whether in that case 1--WE
wouldn't be drownedP" And I said
eyes" 1t was too bad, I know, but it
was really some amusement ON such
day to frighten the stupid girl.
had my tea alone-and do hate to
have tea alone if any woman in the world
hates it-and then I put baby to sleep
in her cradle in the sitting-room, and
took my knitting, and was as comforta-
bic as [ could be under the circum-
stances, when I bethought rue Of the
mornings paper. 1 called Biddy to
bring it to me, and she came to me at
once.
cts well thought Of, missus," she
said, as she laid it in my lap. cts
yerself will be interested wild the raid
in. There's accounts Of the house
breakin' in it"
"Of whatP" I CIRCULATED and, though
I assure you I'm not the least nervous,
my heart was in my mouth for mo-
ment.
"Uf the house. breakin', mum, and
how the thaves in the wurreld got into
Misther Dinsmore's house, that's sitiated
the same as this, neighboring nobody,
and tuck all they could lay their hands
on, to say nothin' of half murderin' the
ould gentleman. The saints be above
us this night"
There it was, sure enough, headed,
GA bold and outrageous attack upon
the residence of Mr.. Dinsmore |" I
read it through, and then I said to my
self:
"Jerusha Jackman, remember your
presence of mind. Don't let it fail you
in cases of emergency. Should house,
breaker take advantage of your solitude,
let him find you prepared" 1t was as
though some invisible what's-his-name
had addressed me from the chimney. ]
answered, 81 will" and you can't i'm
agine how bold 1 grew at once. l Ne
hearsed all that 1 should do in case
Biddy came to me in the night, saying,
"Missus, there's some one in the cellar r.
all / should do if I found anybody in
the wardrobe when 1 retired, and I had
the satisfaction of feeling that I was
prepared. 1 might wake up to find the
spoons gone-I might be murdered in
my bed; but it would be unawares, and
they would inscribe upon my tombstone
the words, "She showed her presence
of mind to the last" l felt quite self
possessed and happy, though I was GER
tain-yes, morally certain that some
thing remarkable would happen before
morning; that / should be, as it were,
weighed in the balance and not found
wanting before the sun arose. did not
feel like retiring early, and sat by the
fire till the clock struck IL. Then, just
Is the last stroke died away, Biddy came
lown from her bedroom like red-han-
eel ghost, with eyes and mouth wide
pen, and something of Importance evil
ltntly on her mind. I put baby down
II her cradle and arose. drawing myself
p to my full height. and feeling that 1
as the only one to be depended upon
h,is owfnl emergency.
Bridget" said 1, show many al
they? Is it one or more?"
"Mum ?" said Bridget.
"The thieves, I mean" said I.
"Oh, it isn't thayes, num-" sait'
Biddy. cts only that thafe of WING
that's took the roof clane off the chick
en-house, and there's the wee bits "
chicks a-stharvin to death wild cowld."
"And in this dreadful rain, too,
said I.
cts clared off fine," said Biddy
"and the moons up"
So it actually was, and I began to fee
l very brave.
eve must go out and put them il
the wood-house," said I. And SO say
ing, tucked baby up in her blankets
: and, wrapping a shawl over my head
went out into the night air. 1t hat
0 grown very cold, but it was clear, q
Biddy had said, and we padded rount
: in the mud catching the poor littl'
Z chickens. We had them all at last ex
cept one, and we heard its little voice
s'0ee, 8Dee, s,oee-somewhere, and, o
8 course, could not be so heartless as t,
forsake it. And at last there it was
tangled up in some dead vines, and q
. cold as lump of ice. By the time W
gave it to its mother, who was very gla'
o to see it, the clock struck IL. Bah,
u had been alone three-quarters Of OIL
d hour.
o "Muzzer's darling sound asleep
YETI" said, as went to the cradle
d Merciful powers shall ever forget tina
81 Dol1, x-,oe 80 k1o-ol