Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-07
NOW ED In.

Fred
Four members of the Bicycle Tourists 5
club were relating their adventures of the
past season and the one last addressed, a
tall, handsome athlete. laughed slightly
as b, knocked the ashes from his cigar
before replying
"A droller adventure tfan mine. bows,
never happened There's the pathetic,
the lulicrous. the sentimental, all com
b.ned IN this story of mine. and it s true.
every word OF IL 1t happened. let me
see, just SIX weeks ago today.
IL went with Clark and Anderson, you
know. ,lp 10 Bethlehem. from there TO the
White mountains. then to Lancaster.
NOV just before starting mother said
to me coaxingly
If you go as far as Lancaster, don't
forgst that Janet Harding. the only cousin
have IN the world. lives in the next
town
IAN right, replied Janet Harding
lives in the next town to Lancaster. I'll
remember.
been bad enough. but with husband. two
giddy girls and an overgrown boy of II.
could stand It'll Mother thought could.
anu OuE house.
when we started on our bicycle trip
to Dixville Notch | planned to see the
Hardings. bowl leisurely 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, a little village FIVE miles from Ian
caster. for repairs. Clark and Anderson
went on without me to North Stratford.
where ! was TO meet them by train, and
proceeded ON foot to the Harding farm.
some two miles from the Falls
''Ihe farm, smooth interval dotted
with fields Of ripening grain. and the
large verandaed house and great roomy
barns clustering about it. but not too
near. all bespoke plenty. comfort and
hospitality
hospitality. did sayf Well, shant
take it back. although l found the door
locked and not living thing in sight ex
cept an old white hen. Mark the excep-
tion. for that hen plays an important part
in my adventure
Il noticed her. and in particular
marked the proud. oomplacent 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 |. but Janet Harding was not, mol
the girls, nor the boy. nor MIR. Harding
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 min
utes later had climbed to the NOW and
ensconeed myself under brace in the
corner where the afternoon sun glinted
through long crack. making slanting
iustbeams across my breast.
Il made few verses as | lay on the
fragrant hay, but didn't poetize long.
fell asleep. and dreamed. and my dreams
grew thicker and biacker and heavier. un
til at last dreamed that Janet Harding
and her whole family were seated on my
stomach. and oh, the pressurei 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 Il What was the matter
| couldn't think. the horrible pressure
was SO maddening. ALI about. around.
above was packed piles of oats, not
shelled oats. you know, but oats before
they are threshed. on the stock. or what
ever you call it While was asleep
bad been moved in, and that's all there
was to it. 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.
We'll. tumbled around bit and got
my hands free and poked the grain away
from my face little was in a corner.
as | tcld you. under q brace, and this
gave me a chance for my life. that and
the crack. which gave me breath of air
in the hot. sitting place. was just as
inquired as were the monks in
olden 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 fluttered at my
feet and rose up, and cackled-
1T was the white hen.
81 knew her and she knew me, but,
bless you. she didn't want anything of
me nor my company | could see that
But she couldn't get ont. Oh. but
couldn't sher She cooked her head impu
IDENTIFY TO one side. stepped daintily to a
tiny aperture about half as big as her
head. and ! saw at glance that she
meant business The less sense the more
instinct saw that the creature would
get out somewhere.
"Why not use her for a carrier pigeon
and thus establish communication with
the outside worldY | shouldn't care to die
nd ha r,is .had 20, sha 10 hv
forkfuls, or put through a threshing ma
treatment. and couldn't get out myself
Il tore leaf from my note book and
wrote something like this:
Come to my rescue. am buried
fathoms deep In oats. northwest corner Of
the barn. just opposite the house. My
blue necktie is thrust through the crack
Perhaps you can see it. | am moved in
Ycur relative,
FRED INGERsoLL.
Il tied the note to the hen securely with
a portion Of the uecktie, the rest futtered
from the barn, and Biddy stepped forth.
one foot up the other foot down. care
fully. conscientiously. as hen does. and
ty and bya faint rustling spoke hopefully
Of her progress to my waiting heart. Mean
while was a prey TO anxious thoughts.
Suppose she should never reach tho
light, but perish in her perilous journey.
become hemmed in and unable to go any
fartherr Suppose she should lose the let
ter in her passage. but triumphant
cackle assured me that the white hen had
reached the barn door. and. blessed sighti
a little later saw her through the crack
walking proudly away from the doorwith
the letter plainly in view.
Just then two young ladies drove into
the yard Prettyf Well. guess SO. You
don't often see handsomer girls than Janet
Harding's One was dressed In seal brown,
the other in navy blue.
DO look at that henr cried Seal Brown.