The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-24

could not see her mistress room. But she
could see the column of light from its
| window on tho snow and the SycamoreS.
And at last both lights were extinguished
| 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
| ska ting 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 ''hang of, " as she had
! expected to do.
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 w indOw, tied
| to the top rail the corner of sheet, and in
minute had swung herself down, hand
under hand, by Srasping the folds, and
! dropped lightly upon the snow.
| In another minute she was i'll the harness
house, and in a third inmate she was buc.i-
| ling Silas' rather long skates upon the
! stout boots which Mrs. Shepard had pro-
! vided for the winter
'-SilaS must get me a better pair" said
| the girl aloud. and then swung of to thas
| delight, almost like that Of flying, Of 4
| quick push up the pond. directly toward tho
, face Of her only companion, the good
/ natured moon.
No Lily-no Emma, kindest Of the readers
of these lines-I say with distress that no
torch, even thu slightest, OF remorse en-
Uttered the flight 1t was clear, sheer
| Aryan delight in the open air-shall l say,
| +ha RI Of I'D ant NJ
| eight hours had made it perhaps, the more
| delicious.
TIE poor-house, which to this child was
! heaven and home, stood by 4 great pond.
| Three or four villainouS pairs OF skates, or
| half pairs, were a part of the equipment
known 20 the youngsters, and concealed
with vows and solemnities from year to
year. Whatever favors that home had to
give Mary had shared: 50 sac could skate
easily and well.
md while she should have been abject
in sin, she was triumphant in freedom.
Nor had sac any StOp-watch to trouble
her Araminta; nor bracelet on her wrist,
which should prick her ut the hour of ten or
! eleven. Nor had she passed hNr worl to
any fairy godmojncr that she would return
at eleven and three quarters.
There are disadvantages "a not having
fairy godmothers. And certainly this poAr
child had none; nor mad she ever heard of n
girl that had. But there are certain adj
vantages as well To Mary the advantage
was that rs no one had told her that she
might 90 out, no one had told her when sac
must coI:s homo.
Like Red-iackot. she had all the time
theirs was. And she used it with his free
dom.
Sac came home precisely when she was
SO tired that it was no longer pleasure to
skate That is, she chose her time, as gull
chooses his time to rest upon the sea.
She took OFF her skates. carried them to
the carriage 7ouSe. and walked slowly
across to the ''oll'' 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 sean led the whole establishment
Her quick eye caught cloud of smoke
rising outSids the kitchen chimney from
the shingles of the roof.
She screamed with all her might;
Silasl Silas, Miss Shepardr' And with
out waiting for an answer. she dashed into
t.Ie harness room, threw down her skates,
and brought out the short ladder which lay
there. 1t taxed her full strength. But she
was not made of worry frail timber, and she
was equal to the burden.
1t was not so easy to got it up. But tho
girl was handy, and after two failures, she
saw it we'll in placs.-alas, not quite reach
Ing the caves.
She did not falter an instant; she filed at
the cattle trough a tin pail and q meal
gutter. and then the other. She then swung
herself upon the roof, still screaming
"Silas!n and Miss Shepard" but with no
reply.
SEE husbauded her water. The smoke
about stihed nor. But there was no flame.
she spa5tered with her hand the contents
of each vessel over the shingles, and those
We're so hot that steam rose instead Of
smoke. she threw both pail and bucket to
the ground, and slid down tho ladder. This
81,
for SilaS' axe.
One skllful blow opened a little hole,
through which a torrent of flame spurted.
But the girl vas ready for it, and torrent
of water quenched it. Another cloud Of
steam, and SIZE stepped to her ladder to
descend for more supplies.
Alas, her weight cam9 strong upon the
gutter. Who shall saw why-tha whole of
it gave way. The ladder fell-Mary fell
the gutter fell upoa her-the ladder fell
upon her.
She f.lt no pain But she screamed. as
before: ',Siias! Silasi-Miss Shepard Miss
Shepard.
And wien $40 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.
''Silas. Silas! Miss Shepardr' No answer.
The brave girl raised herself on her elbow.
She made SNOWFALL from the snow her
water Stops mad softened. She fired it skill
fully through Miss Shepard'S window.
Miss Saepardr' for the last time-''MisS
Shepard"
This time-and very quickly-Mr. Shep-
ard appeared.
who's there!"
I'm here-Mary Martin. The house is
a-fre, and l can't put it out. I've got the
ladder round my legs and l can't stand"
Mr. Shepard m ade scant toilet Mr. Bangs
made as little. Silas made none.
In sixty seconds poor Mary was relieved.
George Bangs ran up the ladder and pro-
nounced that her work had been thoroughly
done. Nothing but steam assembled now.
And as he cleared the wreck, 4 few hand
fulS of snow were enough to extinguish the
embers he found in the roof below
As tenderly as if she were a baby, Mr..
Shepard carried Mary up 20 his wife'S room.
1t was only too clear that her leg had
been broken in the fall.
But SIZE shed never tear. And when
Silas came in with the glad news that there
was no danger she only said: ''Mr. File
brown said when the roof was a-tire we
must not waste our water"
Silas was fitted out in the cutter to bring
Dr. Woodward to set the broken leg.
As for Mary, she fell asleep, really feeling
but little pain.
When she awoke there hung over Mrs.
Shepard'S chimney-piece long red stock
ing. crowded full.
The girl lay quietly enough as DR.. Wood
ward fastened on his splints. And when he
said to her. good-naturedly: we WI not
keep you in bed very long" she said, very
prettily: Pm glad l was not shut up be-
fore the fire came"
Doctor. would it hurt her to have her
Christmas presents"
Hurt her! No. indeed, l should say she
had earned them"
''Do you think it was Santa Claus's pipe
which set fire to the Shingles?'
Sally said Mr. Shepard, as he cut off