Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-03-04
"rhere! that will do. You need wait

larry of lovers quarrel-she angri!y
tore the engagement ring from her
finger, and ha1ghtily dismissed the one
who had dared to suggest that there
might be such thing as mems rights.
He offered to remain in the house UNI
til morning; but she scorned his prof
ferred protection, and he could do moth
ing but leave her, saying: -.
"You will be sorry for this, Jennie. "
81 will call you back when get sOr-
ry," she said, lightly.
And bidding her goodnight, he was
gone.
Then, and not till then, did she real
ize it all. Her anger and pride gave
way to q sense of loneliness and regret
as she recalled every word of the
stormy interview, and nervous fear
almost paralyzed her as she rose
tremblingly to lock the door behind
him.
The ticking of the clock sounded like
the strokes on blacksmith anvil. A
thrill of terror chilled her blood as a
mouse scampered across the floor. Her
little, cold hand had barely reached the
bolt, when-oh, horror of horrors!-a
deafening report sounded somewhere
at the back of the house, and, no long
er paralyEed in tongue or limb, with
wild shrieks of terror, she bounded up
the stairs.
"Oh, Sadie, Sadier' as another and
another report sounded, ''some one is
shooting through the back Window
Vigorous strokes on the bedroom
door aroused the sleeping mother and
child.
What is it? Oh, what is it," en-
claimed the former, as Jennie fell nj
most fainting into the room.
Its firing! listen-therc!' as till
another report sounded through the
house.
oh" screamed Sadie, 1T is-it is.
Where is Mr.. MAXWELL Call him.
He is gomez walled poor Jennie,
wringing her hands.
Gone? The scoundrcl! and left us
here to be murderedr'
1T wasn't his fault. l sent him
away. Oh, what shall we do? The
hall-door is unfastened-- THERE
believe / hear some one coming up the
stairs. No. it is only Imagination
Thank Heaven, this door has double
lockr'
BY this tirae Sadie had a window
open and was screaming murder at the
top of her voice.
No one will hear you but our assas-
sinsr' walled Jennie, her voice almos,
drowned by the shrieks of the baby.
whose piping treble was piercing in the
extreme.
LET us set fire to the house!" sug-
@ested the frantic young mother.
Some body may see the light and
come to our rescue"
''Oh, Sadie, that would never do!
The dinner-bcll in the yard can bt
heard over mile. will go out and
ring it."
Jennie had suddenly grown calm and
brave. She felt she was to blame for
their unprotected situation, and the
hope that Der discarded lover might
hear the bell and come to their rescu,
strengthened her limbs as she hurried
down the stairs, across the yard and
seized the bell-rope.
The alarm rang out on the midnight
air. and the vibrant tones seemed e
promise protection.
She felt calmer as she retraced hel
steps; and Sadie, knowing her light
football, rc-admitted herto their retreat
Tom Maxwell was walking moodilN
up the road that led to his father
house, when the distant music of s
Ss-m-bell sounded on the air.
Strange thought he. SIS it som,
~, 1,l,
right?' But with 4 thrill of anxiety
Surely the sound comes from the Kerr
farmhouse. Something is wrong
here"
And turning instantly, he retraced
Lis steps in one-fourth the time he had
taken them. in moody sorrow, few
minutes before.
The house was not on fire, as he had
feared, but the hall-door stood wide
open. Shouting loudly. he was an
swered in faint. grateful tones; then.
almost without knowing it. he had the
frightened, penitent girl in his arms.
and Sadie was explaining the cause OF
their alarm.
Reassuring them. he took lamp and
started upon tour of investigation.
The parlor, hall and kitchen revealed
nothing. but in the pantry four inno
cent-looking tomato-cans stood upon a
shelf, their contents scattered over tn;
floor and adjacent furniture.
The mystery was explained. The
tomatoes which Jennie had thought so
snugly .'put up had taken a notion to
see the outer world, bursting their
bonds with loud report that sounded.
in the silence of midnight, to the over
strung nerves of poor Jennie, like the
firing of a gun.
Tom tried hard to suppress the laugh
that escaped his lips when he an
nounced the result of his search.
BY this time the house was half filled
with the neighboring farmers and their
families. in every stage of dishdbiile,
the first one appearing being Harry
Cooper, who now had Sadie and the
baby both in his arms.
A general shout of laughter arose.
and in the confusion that followed Tom
drew Jennie INCREASINGLY to the par
Tor. which was unoccupied. He closed
the door and then pointed silently to
tho clooE tho hands of which Were. nj.