The Delta independent., 1888-08-07
Moved In.
"capital. Al. Now for your stor,

CLUB were relating their adventurers
OF tho past season. and the one last ad-
dressed. a TALL handsome athlete,
laughed slightly as he knocked tho
ashes from his cigar before replying.
"a droller adventure than mine
boys, never happened. There's the
pathetic, the ludcrous. the tragic. the
sentimental. all combined in this story
OF mine. and It's true. every word of it.
1t happened. let me see. just six weeks
ago to-day.
Il went with Clark and Anderson,
you know. up to Bethlehem. from there
TO the White Mountains, then te Lam
caster.
Now just before starting mother
said to me coaxingly:
"'1f you go as far as Lancaster,
don't forget that Janet Harding. the
only cousin have in the world, lives
in the next town.
80 All right replied. Janet Hard
Ing lives in the next town to Lancaster.
I'll remember
Janet Harding unmarried would
have been bad enough, but with hus-
band. two giddy girls and an over
grown boy of seventeen. could stand
ite Mother thought ! could, and
mother rules our house.
when we started on our bicycle
trip to Dixuille Notch planned to see
the Hardings, bowl leisurely up to the
door. introduce myself to Mrs. A., joke
with the girls. and then proceed; but
man proposes. etc.
"As luck would have it my bicycle
broke down. and had to leave it at
the falls. little village five miles from
Lancaster, for repairs. Clark and An
derson went on without me to North
Stratford, where l was to meet them
by Train. and l proceeded on foot to
the Harding farm, some two miles from
the falls.
The farm. a smooth interval dotted
with fields of ripening grain. and the
large verandahed house and great
roomy barns clustering about it, but
not too near, all bespoke plenty, COM
fort and hospitality.
Hospitality. did l sayp Well
shan't take it back. although l found
the door locked and not u living thing
IN sight except an old white hem
Mark the exception, for that hen plays
an important part in my adventure.
Il noticed her. and in particular
marked the proud. complacent step.
the conceited car-car' she uttered, as
she looked at me knowingly from the
corner of her eye. Little did / think
but no matter. You will see by and
by the golden thread that binds all the
points together.
well here we were. the white hen
and l. but Janet Harding was not, nor
The girls. nor the boy, nor Mr.. Hard
ing.
Il decided to go to the barn and lie
down on the hay. the new-mown hay,
and await their coming.
For me to think is to act. A few
minutes later had cllmed to the NOW
and ensconced myself under brace
In the corner where the afternoon sun
Rlinted through long crack, making
slanting dustbeams across my breast.
II made few verses rs lay on the.
fragrant hay. but didn't poetize long.
l fell asleep. and dreamed, and NV
dreams grew thicker and blacker, and
heavier, until at last dreamed that
Janet Harding and her whole family
Were seated on my stomach, and oh,
the pressure! groaned and walked
myself up. but wasn't much better
of then, for Egyptian darkness reigned
about me- except for the crack where
the light still sifted through.
"Where was IP What was the mat.
tere couldn't think. the horrible
pressure was SO maddening. All
about around, above, was packed
piles OF oats. not shelled oats, YOU
know. but oats before they are threshed,
on the stock. or whatever YOU call il.
While was asleep had been moved
in. and that's all there was to it, ex-
cept that couldn't move hand or foot.
Two or three loads must have been
thrown on top of me. trod down, and
clinched. SO to speak.
.'Well. tumbled around a bit and
got my lands free and poked the grain
away from my face Little was in
q corner. as told you, under a brace,
and this gave me chance for my life.
that and the crack, which gave me a
breath Of air in the hot sitting place.
was just as effectually immured as
were the monks in olden times when
they we're walled up in their living
tomba for no amount of strength
served 10 lift the burden particle.
"By and by something fluttered at
by feet and rose up and cackled.
''It was the white hen.
Il knew her and she knew me, but
bless on. she didn't want anything of
me nor my company. could see that.
But she couldn't get outP Oh! but
couldn't she? She cooked her head
impudently to one side. stepped dain-
tily to tiny aperture about half as
big as her head. and saw at glance
that she meant business. The less
sense the. more instinct; 1 saw that
the creature would get out somewhere.
"Why not use her for carrier