The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-03
OLIVES ADVENTURE.

good it would do anybody. So calculate
we may sleep quietly in our beds"
Yes--but. father" said Mrs. Jaynes.
ford, with an anxious look (she was a mod
ern Martha, numbered with many cares,
this angular hard -working, yellow faced
farmers wife, 81 really think you ought
to get an extra bolt on the back door, and
/ never did think hook and staple was
safe thing for the little hall door. II there
is gang of burglars and murderers go
ing through the country"
And Olive Morrison, the little lame
school mistress, who happened that week
to be boarding" at Farmer Jaynesford's
moved her seat instInctively closer into the
angle of the chimney corner, and lifted
pair of large, gray, startled eyes toward
the good-humored face of her host
"Fiddlestick !" calculated Mr.. Jaynes-
| ford, 81 keep loaded rife and old Towser
has throat like trumpet, and guess il
they come here they'll clear out again
pretty quick, Anyway, Pm not afeared
"There is such a thing as foolhardiness,
lothian" said his wife sententiously, as
she stirred the batter for the mornings
| griddlecakes in squat stone jar with
| high-shouldered handles on either side.
| Olive Morrison went to her room that
night in fear and trembling. after having
set up by the family as long as she could
possibly find any excuse for so sitting up
| and lingering. She was Il soft-e eyed, rosy
| complaXioned little thing, with a tender,
tuneful voice-a girl who would have been
very beautiful, We're it not for the paralysis
of one limb, which lade it necessary for
her to walk with crutch, and somewhat
| dwarfted her natural height Everybody
| liked Olive.
| The parSimonious opened their hands to
her simple needs-the churlish grew al
most courteouS-the hard-heartcd in
stinctively softened, and those who be-
lieved in the hopeless depravity of human
nature, made an exception in favor Of
| Olive Morrison. Even the riotous, rebel
lious young horde of the district school
were more maleable, by far, under her
gentle rule than they had been under that
of the male teacher who had just re-
signed his position in despair
| As she stood before the glass, unbrading
| the brown, shining strands of her long
and luxuriant hair Mrs Jaynesford looked
into the room.
ITS a sharp, frosty night, Miss Olive"
she said; g. hadn't you better have an
eXtry comfortable on your bed :"
II don't think | need it, Mrs. Jaynes-
ford" said the girl. But do--do sou
really think there is any danger of our be-
| ing robbed and murdered -
| 81 only know what I've heard, there
bein' II gang o lawless fellers bn the
country" Mrs Jaynesford answered with
| q sort of gloomy satisfaction in the
prospect. And don't know why they
shouldn't come here, as we'll as any place :;
faint likely they know we haint no
silver, and lothian keeps all his money in
tt,af. .n,,, ,1f oil
but I've heard o better dogs than he is,
bein' settled by dose of poison, and I'd
like to know what good Jotham's loaded
rifles goin' to do us, AFTER he's had his
throat cut from ear to ear in his sleep"
ooh, Mrs. Jaynesford = shuddered
Olive, the brush falling from her nervous
| fingers 81 can't stay alone tonight
will you send Bessie in to sleep with
me p
But i'll spite of little Bessie Jaynes.
ford's peaceful breathing at her side, Olive
Morrison could not 90 to sleep until mid.
night, and when at last a few snatches of
capricious slumber visited her eyelids, it
was embittered by ,frightful dreams of
black Grape masked burglars standing at
her bedside, and pistols presented close to
her eyebrows.
"Pshaw ~ said Olive to herself the next
morning, as she viewed her pale face and
swollen eyes 81 am goose-and I'll be
one no longer. What good could any one
gain yhurting a poor lame girl like me ?
/ don't believe there are any burglars
around-and if there should be, don't
believe they will come to Farmer Jayncs
ford's."
But the walk was long and lonely, and
when Olive reached the fallen tree, Just
beyond the rocky spring, where the school
children always stopped to drink, she
sat down on the trunk of fallen tree, to
| t,a II Il
OF her weary way
AS she did SO, the sound of human voices
reached her ear--the gruff, low voices of
two men talking by the spring beyond.
Olives heart stood still, as she suspended
her breath, in order TO listen! VINO could
they be? What were they doing there at
that hour? Should she scream and fly, or
should she trust to her dark dress and the
obscurity of the twilight TO screen her
from discovery She chose the latter al
tentative, and shrank further into the
deep shadow of the withered eech copsc
"A brown house, said one man, with
a big chimney in the middle and new
stun wall round i'll tell yer you can't
miss it,
A new chill of terror crept through
Olives veins as she recognized the de-
scription of the Jaynesford farmhouse.
And how the plague are we to get in
without rousin' the house !" retorted the
second man, rather harsher and more
grating than the first.
He told me. Thar amt no fastenin'
but Il hasp on e shed door-its easy
lifted with bit of crooked wire. We can
slip in when they're asleep, an whew, the
things done in minute ~
Il don't believe in 10 such way Of goin'
to work as that" growled the second
man.
"What would you do Go round to
the front door ard rouse EN- all up
Pshaw, Jim, you're n deal too soft hearted.
and that slwhat I've always SAID y
81 don't like the job, anyh' w, sullenly
retorted the other man.
It's soon over" was TIE indifei ent re-
ply, and where the odds Amt il nil
the same a hundred years from row F.;
Pooh, Jim didn't Suppose you was such
q soft siomachcd Miss Nancy Of a fcl
lar ~
II amt no wuss than anybody else ~
grow'ed Jim, but Pm human, and i'ye a
little gal of my own 10 home, uo bigger
than Jaynesford's little Eessie, antl-"
The .Iaynesiord's heard her tale with
GREATNESS horror and dismay
II knowed itr' cried Mrs. .Taynesfortl
with prophetic JUNCTION. Il told yOu how
it would be all aloug. lothian, but We
wouldn't listen To me I'm Il wOin; :, and
women amt worth payiu' no tentioa
tor
" But | don't see what It Is they're
arterr honest lothian cried, scratching
the bristly bla;k curls OF his round rate
Anyhow, III send ever for Deacon Don
leys two sons and Joseph Packer, and
we'll give them good old fashioned wei
come. let them come how and when the,
may. You say there are only two Of 'eia
Miss Olive 2"
only heard two OF them talking, >
said Olive but there may have been !;
dozen for what know"
suess we can manage EN-" said
hopeful .lotlam, taking down h. gun
from its two hooks ever the stone hiTnnel
piece and beginning .e surely tai Inspect i:
"Forewarned is fOrearnIcd they say, inf
I've afays fOdud there WAS a e,aal deal o
solid truth in them oid pruserils my
grand Their used to quote"
Evidently there was no sleep for tn,