Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-04
CAUGHT IN A STORM.


 behind the counter in New York all these ten days,n sighed Barbara Hale, .for all the out of-the-way adventures we've hadi"
 "Who wants out-of-the-way adventuresn said Dorcas Dunn scornfully.
 "Behind the counter, indeedr' chimed in Mary Vannecker. "Can you breathe in clo- yer scented air like this behind the counter? Can you get the mountain view like this from Sixth avenue? What more would the girl want, I should like to know~
 Barbara sighed once more and shook her head.
 'It is all so tame," she said. "It isn't what I expected at all.m The three girls-Barbara, Dorcas and Mary were sitting on a side hill under the shade of grand old cedar tree. Barbara, who had once taken a quarters lessons in drawing, had sketch board on her lap and was try ing-with but little success, it must be owned to reproduce the lovely ribbon like curves of the river that wound its way through the valley below.
 Mary had her needle work ;n her lap, and Dorcas, with her hands clasped under her head, had long given up all attempt to read the paper covered novel that she had brought with her.
 'sThe sky and the sunshine are so much bet ter," she said.
 1ney were bnTee SHOp SIlS-bLlSHU, tious, spirited young things, full of life and aspirations, even though they were kept down by the force of circumstances; and they clubbed together their slender resources in order to enjoy their vacation to better ad- vantage.
 Dorcas, the business member of the firm, had bought an excursion ticket first, and travelled out to Schepps valley to see what could be done. But it is needless to say that the hotel and boarding house prices were far beyond their simple means.
 "Is there no place." said she, "where we could obtain one room and the very simplest fare for less money?"
 "You might try Old Man Morris" said the portly dame who kept the Valley house. ''It's quiet place, and Mrs. Morris she aint no great of cook, but there's them as has boarded there, I'm told.n ''Where is itT' eagerly asked Dorcas. | And the landlady went to the door to point | out slender blue thread of smoke that was curling up heavenward from mass of woods on distant hill, pd once more Dorcas set forth on her pilgrimage, this time with un- | doubted success.
 | She engaged onef room. The board, to be sure, was plain, the bed a coarse husk mat tress, with blanket spread on the floor for Dorcas herself, the furniture home made and unpainted. But there was a grove of pine woods in the rear; the blackbirds piped their silver flutes all day long, and the bees darted in and out of the red lilies by the garden wall and our three heroines believed them | selves to be in paradise.
 But even as Barbara Hale thus bewailed herself, portentous shadow swept across the sun, and looking around, they saw that a mass of livid purple thunder clouds had piled themselves up along the western sky, while distant mutterings, and now and then sud | den flash, announced the coming of a storm. | Dorcas sprang to her feet, Barbara began hurriedly to fold up her sketching apparatus Mary put her thimble and scissors in her pocket.
 'We must get home quickly as possibler cried all three.
 But in availing themselves of s'short cut across a patch of woods they got hopelessly lost. The sun set behind the purple battle ment of clouds, the dusk fell rapidly in these dense woods, and the rain began to batter down in huge drops.
 Barbara, the aspirant after adventure, be gan to cry.
 ''We are lostl" she said | "Lost? Nonsensel" said brave Dorcas 'When can see the railway track shining down below. Who ever got lost close to { railway line? Let's make for the track" |
 'Not likely when there's only one train day, and that at noon," laughed Dorcas. ''I we walk along the railway line we must come out somewhere, don't you see9'
 ''And besides" added Mary, "there is q lit tie ruined cabin not far from here where th' railroad f1agman used to live before they changed the location of the station. l re member Mrs Morris showing it to me once
 'Oh! oh" shrieked Barbara. "I couldn' go therel The flagman was killed on tn track. There's g-g-ghost thereF'
 ''Would you rather stay here and b drenched through with rains" severely de mauded Mary.
 ssOr struck with lightningF added Dorcas
 And the upshot of it was that the three flu gitives took refuge in miserable old shant, close alongside of the railroad track, wher weeds were growing up through the crack of the floor, and a plentiful portion of tn rain came pattering through the leaks in tn roof, while the old stone chimney, all settlin. to one side, looked as if no stroke of light ming could harm it very much.
 But it's some shelter," said Mary cheer fully "Weu stay here until the shower i over, and then make the best of our wa. home"
 The shower, however, showed no indication of abating in its vigor. The rain still poure l through the rocky gorge where the cabin ha been built; the lighting still lit up everyt thin with sudden spurts of blue flame, like pante mine effects.
 ''Oh, dearl oh, dearl' said Barbara, wiring ing her hands; "it must be midnightl"
 ssIt can't be 9 o'clock yet" said Mary,
 "And I'm so hungryl Oh, how I wish hadn't eaten the last of those sandwiches Oh, oh! what is thatg futtered Barbara.
 An unusually vivid electrical flash had rt vealed something white and spectral at tn window. All three girls jumped at once.
 ''The ghostl" shrieked Barbara, stoppin her ears and shutting her eyes as tight as ws practicable.
 "A stray white cow," suggested Mary. }. ssA young man in a flannel tennis suit said Dorcas, the closest observer of all.
 "Don't let him come in," said Barbar, "We shall be robbed and murderedl' ''Not while we are three to one, said con posed Dorcas.
 And at the same moment 0 voice sounde hurriedly at the door:
 "Please, may come in2 know it seen intrusion, but it's raining deluge and II 7. wet through"
 "Come in by all means" said Mary.
 And the ghost entered, dripping like ] 4-s~1