The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-12-26

IL. Iao of
the pond beyond, flashed with the gIory
Mary saw Silas go and come with his
lantern, as he took his last turn at the harm
and she pondered how he could come hack
into the night. Former, her one wish, since
the ice had made the week before had heen
to possess herself of Silas' skates. which
were hanging in the harness room, and TO
try them on the millpond OF course Silas
would now put them on as soon as he had
watered the oxen.
But of course Silas did no such thing He
had been at work since before daybreak,
He was glad enough to go to bed at eight
o'clock. Moonlight or pitch darkness were
all one to tired Silas.
Then absolute silence came. And Mary
Martin, really for the first time felt that
her Imprisonment was serious.
To be hindered from washing the dishes.
from feeding the hens, and from fetching
the kindling was hardly grievance
But to be hindered from this possible hour
of skating yonder-that was serious indeed.
But even Mary's invincible courage gave
way at last She found her head dropping
for sleep, when, to her surprise, a bang
down stairs announced that Mr.. Shepard
was shutting up for the night. This was
the slam of the front door, refractory about
locking.
Could it be possible that they were going
to bed so early!
What luck And Silas' skates were in
the harness room.
Yes. She could see the best room win.
dows from her prison. She could see Mrs
Bangs take off her front hair and put on
her queer Old-fashioned night-cap. ShH
could not see her mistress room. But shl
could see the column of light from lS
window on the snow and the sycan5Sts
And at last both lights were eXtin gushed
For the other windows, Mary was careless.
For Silas, she knew the stupid creature had
been asleep an hour.
If he had not been stupid he would be
skating on that ice now.
1t can hardly be said that Mary had had
any plans for escape. She had STAYED in
her room because, on the whole, this seemed
advisable. As Mr. Mill would say, it was
more useful that she should stay. But now
it no longer appeared useful to her She
put on her thick shoes and all her other
walking gear, and opened the window.
There were full twelve feet between the
floor of her room and the ground Even
Mary did not dare to chang Off, - as she had
expected to do.
4 little annoyed, she looked round the
room, not so much for a means of descent
as for the most convenient, sure that civil
iZation would supply something
After this hesitation she promptly ran
her little iron bedstead to the window, tied
to the top rail the corner Of a sheet, and in
minute had swung herself down, hand
under hand, by grasping the folds, and
cropped llSnCIy upon tne snow.
In another minute she was in the harness
house, and in a third minute she was buck
ling Silas' rather long skates upon the
stout boots which Mrs. Shepard had pro-
vided for the winter.
'Silas must get me q better pair said
the girl aloud, and then swung off to that
delight, almost like that of hving, of
quick push up the pond, directly toward the
face of her only companion, the good
naJured moon.
No Lily-nO Emma kindest Of the readers
OF these lines-I say with distress that no
touch even the slightest, of remorse EN-
FILTERED the flight. 1t was clear sheer
Aryan delight in the open air-shall l say.
in the world Of God: The confinement of
eight hours had made it perhaps the more
delicious
The poor-house, which to this child was
heaven and home, stood by a great pond.
Three or four villainous pairs Of skates, or
half pairs, were part of the equipment
known to the youngsters, and concealed
with vows and sOlemnities from year to
year. Whatever favors that home had to
give Mary had shared: so she could skate
easily and well.
And while she should have been abiect
in sin, she was triumphant in freedom.
Nor had she any stop-watch to trouble
her, Araminta; nor bracelet on her wrist,
which should prick her at the hour of ten or
eleven. Nor had she passed her word to
any fairy godmother that she would return
at eleven and three quarters
There are disadvantages in not having
| fairy gOdmOthers. And certainly this poor
child had none; nor had she ever heard of
| girl that had, But there are certain ad-
vantages as we'll To Mary the advantage
| was that, as no one had told her that she
might go out, no one had told her when she
| must come home.
Like Red-jacket, she had all the time
| ere was. And she used it with his free
| dom.
| She came home precisely when she was
| so tired that it was no longer a pleasure to
| skate. That is, she chose her time, as gull
| chooses his time to rest upon the sea.
Sac took off her skates, carried them to
| the carriage house, and walked slowly
| acrC;s to the ''ell' of the farm house, where
| her Sheet still waved in the wind
| With that general survey Of the premises,
| to which all savages are trained, the wild
| creature scanned the whole establishment
| Her quick eye caught cloud of smoke
| rising outside the kitchen chimney from
| the shingles of the roof
| She screamed with all her might;
! "Silas Silas, Miss Shepard!n And, with
| out waiting for an answer she dashed into
| the harness room, threw down her skates,
and brought out the Shor5 ladder which lay
there. 1t taxed her full strength. But she
was not made Of very frail timber, and she
was equal to the burden.
IL was not so easy to get 1t up. But the
| girl was handy, and after two failures, she
saw it well in place, alas, not quite reach
| ing the caves.
She did not falter an instant; she filled at
the cattle trough a tin pail and a meal
| bucket, carried one up and set it in the
| gutter, and then the other She then swung
| herself upon the roof, still screaming
"Silasm and Miss Shepard'' but with no
reply.
She husbanded her water. The smoke
about stifed her. But there was no flame.
She spattered with her hand the contents
of each vessel Over the shingles, and these
were so hot that steam rose instead of
| smoke. She threw both pail and bucket to
the ground, and slid down the ladder. This
time she carried up the tin pail, and returned
Tor Silas' axe.
One sldllful blow opened a little hole,
| through which torrent of flame spurted,
| of water quenched it. Another cloud Of
steam and she stepped to her ladder to
descend for more supplies.
Alas her weight came strong upon the
| gutter. Who shall say why-the whole of
it gave way. The ladder fell-Mary fell
the gutter fell upon her-the ladder fell
| upon her.
She felt no pain. But she screamed, as
before: "Silas! Silos Miss Shepard Miss
| Shepard.
And when she tried to pull herself out
| from the wreck she could not What had
| happened! He foot was all tangled in the
rounds. She could only paw with her arms
in the snow
"SiIas Silas! Miss Shepardl" No answer
The brave Girl raised herself on her plbnvy