The Red Cloud chief., 1884-06-13

SoAItuuc DcloN Was Iull OF crcahlng-
and rust'ings: above shone q square OF
yellow light. revealing a steep ladder.
A lighted lantern had been lett for them
In the attic, together with food and
warm wrappings.
Il will fetch the lantern" said he.
and swung himself quickly upward.
She stood below. holding fast to the
side Of the ladder. His quick step
sounded above her head, the light shift
ell and frightened. she saw his face in
a quick illumination: then the ligh,
whiried toward and beyond her, down.
down into the darkness and flashed
upon the stairs. Her breath stood still;
she had a sirkenin- feeling of being
lett alone. Assurance of he's compan-
ions safety reached her. however. in
tie form OF an i~mprecation. checked.
indeed. but hearty, uttered about two
feet above her.
The handle of the lantern was loose"
said he, rs he came to her level. I'll
60 down and fetch it up"
NO, dol't, it is too dark. Please
don't! let us go up"
She had found his arm in the dark
ness and held him back. In the dark
ness. which was much the blacker for
that brief interposition of light. they
made their way into the attic. and
crossing it carefully. afraid of the low
roof. afraid of unseen stumbling-blocks.
afraid of returning upon the yawning
aperture. made the r way To the gray
square of the window. Here they found
a large box. upon which they sat down.
They spoke but little: there were SO few
things left worth u:terance in such an
hour rs this. BY and by. as their eyes
grew accustomed to tire dimneSS. they
di>cerned the general character of their
surround nyS. There was n table
near them with fool: there were boNes
and bundles and a couple of old pic.-
nres. brought up hither apparently
when the tide began TO rise. In the
middle lay the black square througi
which they had made entrance: at tho
far end 4 rough heap of straw was dim'y
distinguished, and from this came rest
less cravings, ScrapingS and r~u>tlin-S.
causing the oma TO shrink and shud-
der.
81 suppose they are rats" she said
once. when the sounds grew louder.
81 suppose so: do YOU mind very
muchg"
NO. if we could only see them"
A-ain for a while they were silent,
hearing the little sounds within and the
ever-increasing sounds without.
At last the man stood up. and pass
ing his hand across mis- face, said: .'Oh.
thi, is very cold blooded, They used
tn fnrfrra witches IN fknl IN n Srnln
whe- the Tide was coming up
He moved to and fro impatier:iy and
stood still by the table.
"tould you not eat s~omething?"
NO. thank YOU
He broke himself a piece of bread.
and returning TO the window. ate a few
mou'hfulS. He pushed open the lattice
and leaned out.
The water was rising rapidly. and
was already washing on the window CT
the room below. He turned back to-
ward her a face of dismay: hers as she
sat within the room was moi clearly
visible. but her attitude was calm and
undisturbed. He sighed, and came
back quickly to sit beside her. But his
quietneSS was of short duration. He
asked. after a few minutes: Would
you not like to 60 out upon the roof:
We shall have to do il sooner or later,
and | don't think we should feel quite
so much imprisoned"
''Oh yes. let US go. Is there a trap
door,"
Il don think there is. / looked lust
now. But | can get up through the
window-the roof is close above-and
then | can help YOU"
He set his foot on the window-sill. I
and thrust his head and shoulders
through the narrow opening. ..Oh
YES, it is quite easy. But how it blows,
We had better have some of those
shawls."
She brought them and handed them
out, watched him draw himself up, and
then mounted in her turn from box to
window-ledge. and, reaching her hands
upward. found herself lifted safely to
the summit.
The surge of wind and water was
her hat was blown away AT
once and she was blinded by her hair.
When she had freed her face and drawn
up her shawl over her head she was
able to perceive tina. the roof was
OF two long parallel gables. and
between them, at each end. a
of chimneys rose from a solid
platform. They went forward to the
more sheltered group and sat down on
the block of brick-worh at the base.
They had before them the wide, desc
late expanSe of waters: below them tor
rents ran laundering between dwellings
ont-houseS. and in the pauseS of the
that beat the walls and of
he rushing and rending sounds within
hey heard a southern wind drifting
with signs between the chimneys.
There was no token Of life. no light, no
sound of hope. Yet they felt a sense of
'elief and freedom in being here. where
hey could see and know what was be-
!
''Oh. that is better" said she. and
fitted up her face to breathe the fresher
ir.
lone would say" said he, watching
he dark cameo of her face. as it de-
itself from the straight line of
lasonry. '.thst you had a kind of en- /.
of all this" !
In a sense l have. There is so /:
luch space and power. And there is I
feeling of having for once put ac- I
and responsibility out Of ones S
ands. There is nothing now which it I
possibly be ones duty n, do |