The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-02-19

$3.50
another report sounded, 'ssome one is
shooting through the back wlndowl"
Vigorous strokes on the bedroom
door aroused the sleeping mother and
child.
what is it? Oh, what is it?" ex-
claimed the former, as Jennie fell, al
most fainting into the room.
'It's firing! listen-there!'' as still
another report sounded through the
house.
"Oh!" screamed Sadie, at is, it isl
Where is Mr.. Maxwell? Gail himl'
He is gone!'' walled poor Jennie,
wringIng her hands.
Gone? The scoundrel! and left us
here to be murdered!"
sit wasn't his fault. I sent him
away. OIL what shall we do? The
hall door is unfastened-There! 1
believe | hear some one coming up the
stairs. No, it is only Imagination.
Thank heaven, this door has adouble
lockl"
by this time Sadie had a window
open and was screaming murder at
the top of her voice.
"No one will hear you but our as
sassinsl" walled Jennie, her voice al
most drowned by the shrieks of the
baby, whose piping treble was piercing
IN the extreme.
"IIet us set fire to the housed" sug-
gested the frantic young mother.
Somebody may set the light and
come to our rescue"
ooh, Sadie, that would never do!
The dinner bell in the yard can be
heard over a mile. ! will go out and
ring it,"
The alarm rang out on the midnight
air and the vibrating tones seemed to
promise protection.
Tom Maxwell was walking moodily
up the road that led to his fathers
hoUae, when the distant music of a
farm hell sounded on the air.
"Strangel" thought he. "Is it some
ghostly banquet celebrated at mid.
night!' But, with a thrill of anxiety:
"Surely the sound comes from the Kerr
farm house. Something is wrong
there"
And turning instantly he traced his
steps in one-fourth the time he had
taken them, inmoody sorrow a few
minutes before.
The house was not onfire, as he had
feared, but the hall-door stood wide
open. Shouting loudly, he was an
swered in faint grateful tones; then al
most without knowing it, he had the
frightened, penitent girl in his arms, and
Sadie was explainingthe cause oftheir
alarm.
Reassuring them, he took q lamp
and started upon q tour of investiga-
ton.
The parlor, hall, and kitchen reveal
ed nothing, but in the pantry four in
nocent-looking tomato-cans stood up
on q shelf, their contents scattered
over the floor and adjacent furni-
| ture.
The mystery was explained. The
tomatoes which Jennie had thought
go snugly 'put up" had burst their
bonds with q loud report that sound
| ed, in the silence of midnight, to the
| overstrung 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 fill
ed with the neighboring farmers and
their families in every stage Of desha-
billie.
A general shout of laughter arose,
and in the confusion that followed
Tom drew Jennie INTERESTINGLY to the
parlor, which was unoccupisd. He
closed the door and then pointed 81
lently to the clock, the hands OF which
were almost meeting st IL.
"In three months, she said, simply.
That will do, was the grayeiy
| spoken answer
And Jennie's downcast eyes did not
see the rascally, triumphant smile
ouivering on the lips that pressed a
kiss of reconciliation upon her blush
ing face.
ut served you just rightl' said Mrs.
Kerr the next morning upon hearing
Jennie's confession. "And now for
your wedding-dress ."-Tid-Bits.