Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-18


tionary wings, which were now full
hedged, the canvas strained over them to
the topmost. Only light wind was
stirring that day, and every breath had
to be caught and utilized; not q reef was.
taken in.
Trip stood behind the sail that rose up
right from the ground, screened by it
from observation by any one In the road,
in the garden, or cottage. The sail did
not, OF course, quite reach the surface.
She caught the cross bar and scrambled
on to the wing. 1t had q main beam of
great strength, and two sides; across
were the strips of wood, or "splines,"
that held the canvas from bullying ia,
and to which it could be reefed The
girl climbed to the second of these ribs
and fastened the ends of her skipping
rope to 1t; she passed the handles behind
the main beam, and drew them through
and firmly knotted them. Then she
stood up, with her feet in the loop, and
Jumped and stamped, and the knots held
securely.
"Now," said she, 81 have managed IA
mously. When the sail goes up l shall
be sitting in q swing, with my head
up; then when it goes down | shall
descend In the same way, head up. I
have only to hold Fast by the ropes of
my swing, and mind not to touch the
splines. Whatever will Joe Miller say
when he sees that my opinion is better
than hisP After that, he'll never dare to
call me vulgar names. Little Tu'penny,
indeedr'
IL Miss Triptolema had discovered this
plan unassisted, she would have shown
remarkable ingenuity. But she had not
been unprompted. The preceding year
she had attended fair with her mother,
where she had seen whirligig in which
those who paid q penny were given a
revolution in seats that were swung on
pivots to the arms of vast wheel planted
vertically. Consequently, Trip was sim
ply applying to the mill sails principle
she had seen in operation at the fair.
Nevertheless, it is not every one who
can apply principle. She must not be
denied some credit for what she did.
Having completed her preparations,
Trip sat patiently in her swing waiting
till the miller and his man returned from
their dinner, nothing doubling that they
would set the mill agoing without observ-
ing her.
1t was as she expected. The man came
drst, Joe remaining at the house to give
his mother some change to pay bill to
the carrier for some crates.
The man started the mill without cast
ing a look at the sails. The wind caught,
strained the canvas; the woodwork
cracked, heaved; and the wings began to
move. Trip thought that the grass, the
hedges were running away under her feet.
Her first sensation was one of alarm, and
she uttered slight exclamation; but this
sensation passed rapidly, and was fol-
lowed by great elation of spirits as the
strong beam carried her up. Her weight
was of no more account than that of q fly
on carriage wheel She did not feel the
breeze, because she sat inside screened by
the canvas, but a cold rush of air came
down on her head, caused by the rapid
upward sweep and displacement
1t would have been pleasanter if posi-
BILE, to have sat outside. She would have
seen more of the world: the great bulk of
the mill would not have interviewed be-
tween her and the prospect. But that
was not possible. AS babe crows when
swung into the air by the stout arms of
father or mother SO did Trip exclaim with
exultation as he was carried aloft. She
had no fear of the beam giving away-of
her swing swapping. She saw the swal-
lows dashing about her, careless of the
sails, twittering and screaming, and quite
Indifferent to her presence. She saw away
'over the bean field, over the park trees
she saw the roof, the chimneys OF the hall
she saw what she had never seen be-
fore, the well in the roof into which
water was pumped to supply the house.
She saw over the house--away, away
away-to the blue cleaning river, with
specks on 1t.
She saw nearer field and a man in it
Working-no-it was not man, it was a
scarecrow. There were pieces Of tin tied
to string, clickering and Pickering in
the air and sun. She could not hear the
click--she could not see the flash.
Yonder was the house of the old woman
who took in the washing for the hall
What tluttering of white there was on
the lines, and OH one blazing red petit
coat, like tulip.
The beans labored, groaned; the canvas
Tapped; Trip had reached the highest
point of all, she looked over the roof of
the mill.
Now, down, down, she began to GO;
and as she sank sensation of sinking
made itself felt in her heart. Now only
did she fear lest her rope should give
way, lest the knots should relax. She
came down faster than she went up; the
river, the house, the trees the bean field
went together like pack of cards.
There was swimming in her head.
When she reached the ground she would
have leaped down had she dared, but she
knew such leap would lead to broken
bones and, perhaps, death.
Up-up-up again. The panorama,
fan-like, unfolded once more before her.
Again that horrible scarecrow, with the
straw sticking out of the crown of a bat
tered hat, again the blinking of the tin
sherds. Her hands chung to the ropes
quivering. Her heart fluttered fear be-
gan to take possession of her, rising like
tide. Tears rushed into her eyes. She
could see nothing more, except the black
cloud that hung over the metropolis.
She cried, but her cries were drowned by
the creakiug Of the sails, or lost among
the screams Of the swallows. She felt no
part Of her but her hands, as though she
were all hand, nothing but hand clutch
ing at the rope. Every other sensation
went away like dissolvinS view, and
nothing caffie in its place, An over
towering dread Of falling took possession
of her, and with TIE dread feeling that
IA "a