The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-20
MOVED In.

tiup N'it itiAAiIlS bh'AT adventures o4 Tue
past season. and the one last addressed. a
tall, handsome al lctc. laughed slightly
as he Knocked the ashes from his cigar
before replying
"A drollor adventure than mine. boys.
never happened There's the pathetic
the ludicrous. rhe sentimental, all com
bined in this story Of mine. and it's true.
every word Of il Il happened. let me
see, just SIX weeks ago today
II went with Clark aud Anderson. you
know. up to Bethlehem, from there TO the
White mountains. then TO Lancaster.
Now, just before starting mother said
10 me CoaXingly;
III you 60 as far as Lancaster, don't
forget that Janet Harding, the only cousin
] have in tho world, lives In the next
town
"'hll right, replied. Janet Harding
lives in the next town 30 Lancaster. III
remember
Janet Harding unmarried would have
been badNcnough, but with husband, two
giddy girls and an ovorgrown boy of H.
could stand iti Mother thought could.
and mother rules our house
when we started on our bicycle trip
to Dixville Notch | planned TO see the
Hardings, bowl leisugoly up to the door.
introduce myself to Mrs H.. joke with
the girls, and then proceed; but man pro
poses, etc.
AS luck would have it my bicycle
broke down. and had to leave it at the
Falls, little village five miles from Ian
caster, for repairs. Clark and Anderson
went on without me 10 North StratiOrd
where was to meet them by train. and
I 10 -. L.. II,,gty.,
some two miles from the Falls.
The farm. a smooth interval dotted
with fields Of ripening grain and the
large verandaed house and great roomy
barns clustering about il, bat not too
near. all bespoke plenty comfort and
hospitality.
Hospitality. did say2 Wen, ! shant
take il back. although ! found the door
locked and not a living thing in sght ex
cept an old white hen. Marx the cXccp
ton for that ben plays an important part
in ing adventure.
Il noticed her, and in particular
marked the proud. complacent step, the
c0nccitcd car car she uttered, as she
looked az me knowingly from the corner
Of her eye Little did / think-but no
matter You win see 10y and 10y the
golden thread that binds all the points
together
"Wen. here we were. the white hen
and l. but Janet Harding was not, nor
the girls nor the boy. nor Mr. Harding
n decided 20 60 10 the barn and lie .
down on the hay, the new mown hay, and .
await their coming.
For me TO think is 10 act. A few min P
u,es iaicr had climbed TO tho NOW and .
cuscoucrd myself under brace in the .
conner where the afternoon sun gllntcd .
through long crack. making slauting
iustbeams across my breast.
i made a few verses as ! lay on the
fragrant hay. but ! didn't poetic long. |
fen asleep. and dreamed, and nay dreams
grew thicker and blackor and heavier, un-
I'll at last dreamed that janet Harding
ana her whole family were seated On my
stomach and oh the prcssurei ! gr0aned
ana walked myself up. bat / wasn't much
better oi then, for Egyptian darkness
Iciguct about me- except for the crack
where She irht stil sifted through
Where was Il What was the matter?
couldn't think. the horrible pressure
vas SO maddening. All about. around.
above was packed piles Of oats, not
shellej oats YOU know, bat oats before
ever you call it, While |. was asleep
had been moved in. and that's all there
vas to ii. except that couldn't move
hand OF 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 hands free and poked the grain away
irom ny face little was in q corner,
1 I'll i,raaa gnH this D.
gave me chance for my life, that and
the crack. which gave me breath Of air
IN the hot. sitting place. | was just as
eiiectually immugcd as were the monks IN
oldcn times when they were walled up in
their living tombs. for no amount of
strength served TO lift the burden
particle
BY and by something Auttered at my
feet and rose up aud cacNled.
II; was the white hen
"l knew her and she knew me; but,
bless you she didn't want anything OF
me nor my company. | could see that.
But ihe couldn't get out Oh. but
couldn't sheI She cooked her head impu-
IDENTIFY TO one side. stepped daintily to
tiny aperture about half as big as her
head. and | saw at glance that she
meant business. Inc ltSS stilSc INC AuNAc
instinct saw that the creature would
g.; out somewhere
Why not use her for a carrier pigeon,
ami thus establish communication with
the outside wordY | shouldp': care TO die
here and be pitched out to the cattle by
forkiuls, or put through threshing ma
chine. although | might deserve such
treatment and couldn't get out myself.
Il tore leaf fyom my note book and
wrote something like this;
Come 20 my rescue. | am buried
hthoms deep in oats. northwest corner of
tho barn. just opposite the house. My
blue necktie is thrust through the crack.
Perhaps you can see it, | am moved In.
Your relative,
FRED INGERsoGL.
Il tied the note TO the hen securely with
portion Of the necktie. the rest tluttered
from the barn. and BIddy stepped forth.
one foot up. the other foot down, care
fully. conscieniiously. as hen does, and
by and by a faint rustliug spoke hopefully