The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-13

ram dflppeu OH the caves ana blurred
the windows nearly every day; and
when the sky was clear, chilly wind
blew, that frightened back the leaves
and blossoms, and stopped the birds
songs in their very threats.
but when June came, the weather
was so lovely that we children played
out of doors the whole day long.
The flowers seemed to be making up for
lost time and crowded everywhere,
dressed in all sorts of pretty colors.
They peeped through the chinks of our
log cabin, climbed to its very roof in
pretty, graceful vines, and made it, as
crude and clumsy as it was, perfect
bower of beauty.
81 was so weary after those long,
sunny days out of doors, that went TO
sleep as soon as my head touched the
pillow, and heard no more shaking bolts
or feet tramping overhead. Mother no
longer searched every nook and corner,
every crevice and closet, before going
to bed; and we often left the house by
itself in the daytime, with doors and
windows wide open, and nothing but
the sunbeams, or perhaps a stray chick
en-, had ever ventured to stray within.
Zone warm afternoon in July, mother
and the boys went berrying, leaving me
at home alone. Father was at work on
what we called the burnt land, three
quarters of mile away. l had expected
to be one of the berrying party; but as
l had been out of doors all the forenoon,
and was afflicted with a headache.
| mother thought it would not do at all
for me tie 90 out again under the hot sun.
"'You won't be afraid to stay in the
house alone, will you, Mary?' said she.
Il don't know what could possibly
harm you. | wish you would feed the
chickens about four o'clock. Be sure to
take the gingerbread out of the oven in
about ten minutes, and don't let pussy
get her nose into the custard- pies which
are cooling in the window
Il wasn't afraid the least bit in the
world. The sunshine was streaming in
at the open door; the birds were sing
| ing in the bushes outside, and the
| speckled kitten was chasing her tail
around the kitchen floor Who would
think of being afraid, or even lonely,
when everything was so bright and
pleasant?
q took the gingerbread out of the
oven. 1t was what folks called a tin
kitchen, an affair with several shelves,
which stood before the blaze in the fire.
place. Everybody used it in old times,
before stoves were plenty.
! ''Then | covered the fire with ashes.
that it might not 90 entirely out. When
it was time to boil thetea-kettle for sup
per, you could rake the ashes away, and
and there would still be hot Goals under
them.
Then I sat down and rocked by the
cool window, where a breeze blew in
through the morning-glory vines, and
soon fell into a sort of doze. But it was
not long before bumble-bee came in
| and Weakened me, and, glancing out of
the window, | beheld a sight which fair
~ froze my blood with horror.
ut was a tall Indian, dressed precise
ly as | had seen Indians dressed in pic
lures, making long, but leisurely strides
toward the house.
HE had a sort of topknot feathers
on his head, like that of one of our
| cropple-crowned hens, and | could see
| that his long, brown arms were quite
bare, and looked like copper in the sun
light.
What should l do? where could
hide myself? Ny heart was beating so
violently that felt almost sufocated,
and | stood for moment in the middle
of the floor, unable to move or think.
But there was no time to be lost He
was coming so near that | could almost
see his face now, and what, OH what if
he should find me when he got into the
| housei
sit did not once occur to me to bolt
the doors; but, if it had, there would
have been hardly time, for the bolts
were very heavy, and it was as much as
l could do to move them, and then the
windows were all open too, and though
| they were very small, the Indian might
have.squeezed through one of them at a
pinch.
81 ran wildly toward the bedroom,
and was about to creep under the bed.
But no, that would not do, l thought.
His long arms might reach me there.
Then | rushed through the kitchen into
the shed, and looked about me in
perfect frenzy.
Suddenly the huge brass kettle which
had been my grandmother caught my
eye, hanging from beam overhead,
and quick as thought l climbed first on
to fathers workbench, which stood
underneath, thus, obtaining a footing
on wooden peg which was driven into
the wall, l managed to swing myself on
to the beam, and from thence let my
self down into the kettle, which was
large enough to hide me completely.
Il had never accomplished such a
feat before; but | was light and nimble
child, and in my fear and excitement it
seemed easy enough to perform.
The kettle had not ceased moving
after my leap into its brassy depths,
when the Indian entered the door.
was sure that he would see it, and gave
myself up for lost. l was really para
lyzed with fear, and if had tried to
scream, do not think l could have
done so.
''But he evidently did not look up in
that direction. He stood stock-still in
the middle Of the floor for moment or
two, uttering some indistinct words in
his cultural Indian tongue. Then |
heard him stride into the kitchen, and
from thence into the bedroom, still talk
in so hn to1I-