Connecticut western news., 1888-05-30

away from my face little. l was in a corner, as I told you, under brace, and this gave me a chance for my life-that and the crack which gave me breath of air in the hot, stifling place. Twas just as effectually emerscd 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 futtered at my feet and rose up aud cackled.
 ''It was tho white hen. ,.--
 II knew her and she knew me, but bless you, she didn't want anything of me nor my company. I could see that. But she couldn't get out7 Oh! but couldn't shc7 She cooked her head im- pudently to one side, stepped daintily to tiny aperture. about half as big as her head, and I saw at glance that sho meant business. Tho less sense the more instinct; I saw that the creature would get out somewhere.
 "Why not use her for carrier pigeon and thus establish communication with the outside world2 I couldn't dare to die here and be pitched out to the cat tie by forkfuls, or put through a threshing machine, although I might deserve such treatment, and I couldn't get out myself.
 'I tore 0 leaf from my n ote 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. Your relative,
 FRED INGERSOLL.
 sT tied the note to tho hen securely with q portion of the necktie, the rest futtered from the barn, and Biddy stepped forth, 'one foot up, tho other foot down. carefully, conscientiously, as hen does, and by and by faint rustliog spoke hopefully of her progress to my waiting heart. Meanwhile I was a prey to anxious thoughts.
 Suppose she should never reach the light, but perish in her perilous jour- ney, become hemmed in and unable to go any further; suppose she should lose the letter in her passage-but triumphant cackle assured mo that the white hen had reached the barn floor, and blessed sight, little later I saw her through the crack walking proudly away from the door with the letter plainly in view.
 ''Just then two young ladies drove into the yard. Pretty7 Well, I guess so.. You don't often see handsomer girls than Janet Hardings. One was dressed in seal brown, the other in navy blue.
 "'Do look at that henr cried Seal Brown. I do believe it's billet doux from your William. If it is, now, I'll clap my hands hard, just so, and I'll say, Billy; do send me one, too.'
 "'One, two; and will it take two to satisfy you2' said Navy Blue, laughing at her sisters saucy face. laughed, too, and fell in love with her then and there.
 "They lured the hen toward them with a handful of corn. Seal Brown swooped down and loosened the letter and road it..
 q saw all this through crack in tho barn and heard them make merry over the distress of their city cousin.
 "Well, to make long story short, the girls dug me out, for the men were in the meadow after more oats. It seems that they were in great hurry to get at the oats, and the hired man moved away. Probably the first fork full covered me and that was doubtless put on without looking. Nobody knew just how it came about. When I came to view I did the best and the only thing I could dol laughed aud the girls laughed. It was ludicrous introduce tion to the family but it served it's turn. I found the girls no less charming than pretty; Harry, fine lad home from college; Mrs. Harding, lady in every sense of the word, and MT. Harding, shrewd, corpulent and good -natured, and that is all"
 "AllI' they echoed. "There ought to De wedding"
 "There is to be wedding," said the other, coolly.
 (Which, Navy Bluo or Seal Brown2"
 "Navy Biue."
 "When are you to be marrieda"
 'tNever, perhaps"
 "Why, thought you said there was to be a weddingp
 "So did. Navy Blue is to marry her William"
 ''And you are in a Brown study still, '' said one slyly.
 Fred actually blushed.
 ''Yes, the most puzzling study of my life, and tho most interesting" and he walked away.
 ''Hard hit, isn't he?" The rest nodded. T Hartford Times