Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-09-21
CAUGHT In A STORM.

eve might just as we'll have been
standing behind the counter in New
YORK all these ten days." sighed Barbara
Hale, for all the out of-the- way advent
ures we've had"
who wants out-of- the-way advent
uresp said Dorcas Dunn, scornfully.
'FBehind the counter, indeed? % chimed
In Mary Vannecker. "Can you breathe
in clover scented air like this behind the
counter? Can you get mountain view
like this from Sixth avenue? What more
would the girl want, 1 should like to
knowY'
Barbara sighed once more, and shook
her head.
cit is all so tame" said she. cit isn't
what | expected at all. "
The three gIrls-Barbara, Dorcas and
Mary-were sitting on side hill, under
the shade of a grand old cedar tree.
Barbara, who had once TAX en- quar- er's
lessons in drawing. had Switchboard in
her lap, and was trying-with but ill
success, it must be owned-to reproduce
the lovely, ribbon-liI<e curves of the river
that wound its way through the valley
below.
Mary had her needleworl in 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.
The sly and the sunshine are so much
better!" she said.
They were three shop girls-bright,
ambitious, spirited young things, full of
life and aspirations, even though they
were kept down by the force of circum-
stances; and they had dubbed together
their slender resources. in order to enjoy
their vacation to better advantage.
Dorcas, the business member of the
firm, had bought an excursion ticket
first and travelled out to Schepp's Valley
to see what could be done. But it is
needless to say that the hotel and board
ing house prices were far beyond their
simple means.
lis 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's,"
said the portIy dame who kept the Valley
House. 'It's quiet place, and Mrs.
Morris she amt no great of cook, but
there's them as has boarded there, Pm
told"
"Where is it," eagerly asked Dorcas.
And the landlady went to the door
to point out a slender blue thread of
smoke that was curling up heavenward
from mass of woods on distant hill,
and once more Eorcas set forth on her
pilgrimage, this time with undoubted
success.
She engaged one room. The board,
to- bes sure, was plain, the bed coarse
husk mattress, with blanket spread on
the floor for Dorcas herself, the furniture
homemade and implanted. But there
was a grove of pine woods in the rear;
the biackbirds 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 herOincs believed them
selves to be in Paradise.
But even as Barbara Hale thus be-
walled herself, a portentous shadow
crept across the sun, and looking around,
they saw that mass of livid purple
thunderclouds had piled themselves up
along the western sky, while distant
mutteringS, and now and then a sudden
flash, announced the coming of storm
DOrcas sprang to her feet. Barbara
began hurriedly to fold Up her sketching
apparatus. Mary put her thimble and
scissors in her pocket.
1--WE must get home as quickly as
possible!' cried all three.
But in availing themselves of 'tshort
cut across a patch of woods, they got
hopelessly lost. The sun set behind the
purple battlement of clouds, the dusk
fell rapidly in these dense woods, and
the rain began to patter down in huge
drops.
Barbara, the aspirant after adventure,
began to cry.
1--WE are lost" said she.
50! ost! Nonsense!" said brave Dorcas.
''When l can see the railway track shin
ing down below. Who ever got lost
close to railway line? Let's make for
the track"
-"And get run over" lamented Bar
bara.
Not likely, when there's only one
train day, and that at noon," laughed
Dorcas. ''If we walk along the railway
line, we must come out somewhere, don't
you see?'
And BESIDES" added Mary, "there
is a little ruined cabin not far from
here, where the railroad fagman used to
live before they changed the location of
the station. l remember Mrs Mo: ris
showing it to me once"
-, h ohn' shrieked Barbara, sI
couldn't go there! The fagman was
killed on the track. There's a gig ghost
&kcrer