Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-11
MOVED IN.


club were relating their adventures of tho
past season, and the one last addressed, q
tall, handsome athlete. laughed slightly
as he knocked the ashes from his cigar
before replying
"A droler adventure than mine. boys.
never happened There's the pathetic.
the ludicrous, the sentimental, all COM
bined In this story of mine, and it's true,
every word of it. It happened. let me
see, Just six weeks ago today.
Invent with Clark and Anderson, you
know. up to Bethlehem, from there to the
White mountains, then to Lancaster.
"Now. Just before starting mother said
to me coaxingly:
"'N you 90 as far as Lancaster, dom
forget that Janet Harding. the only cousin
| have In the world, lives in the next
town
"'An right. I replied Janet Harding
lives in the next town to Lancaster. I'll
remember
"Janet Harding unmarried would have
been bad enough. but with husband, two
| giddy girls and an overgrown boy Of IT,,
could stand it? Mother thought could,
and mother rules our house.
when we started on our bicycle trip
to Dixville Notch l planned to see the
Hardings, bowl leisurely up to the door.
introduce myself to Mrs. T.. joke with
the girls, and then proceed; but man pro-
poses, etc.
"As luck would have 1t my bicycle
broke down, and had to leave it at ths
Fails. little village Ave 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 say? Well, shan't
take 1t back, although I found the door
locked and not living thing In sight ex-
cept an old white hen Mark the excep-
ton. for that hen plays an important part
in my adventure.
II 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.. Harding.
II decided to 20 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
ensconced myself under a brace in the
corner where the afternoon sun glinted
through long crack, making slanting
dustbeems across my breast.
Il made few verses as / lay on the
fragrant hay. but didn't poetic long.
fell asleep. and dreamed. and my dreama
grew thicker and blacker and heavier. un
til at last dreamed that Janet Harding
and her whole family were seated on my
stomach. and Oh, the pressurel 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 II What was the matter
I couldn't think. the horrible pressure
was so maddening. All about, around
above. was packed piles Of oats. no,
shelled oats. you know, but oats before
they are threshed, on the stock or what
ever you call it. While / was asleep
had 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 beer thrown on top Of me. trod
down and clinched, SO to speak.
well. tumbled around bit and got
my hands free and poked the grain away
from my face little was in corner,
as told you. under a brace, and this
gave me chance for my life. that and
the crack, which gave me breath Of all
In the hot. sitting place. | was just as
effectually irnmured as were the monks In
olden times when they were walled up in
their living to1nbs. for 10 amount OF
strength served to lift the burden q
particle.
"By and by something futtered at my
feet and rose up and cackled-
1T was the white hen.
Il knew her and she knew me: but
bless you. she didn't want anything o,
me nor my company | could see that
But she couldn't get out. Oh, but
couldn't she2 She cooked her head impu
IDENTIFY tc one side. stepped daintily to q
tiny aperture about half as big as hen
head. and | cav at q glance that shs
meant business The less sense the more
instinct | saw that the creature would
get out somewhere.
"Why not use her for q carrier pigeon
and thus establish communication with
the outside world7 / shouldn't care to die
here and be pitched out to the cattle BY
fork fuls. or put through threshing ma
chine. although l might deserve such
treatment. and couldn't get ont myself.
II tore leaf from my note book and
wrote something like this:
Come to my rescXe. / en- buried
fathoTs 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 IL
Your relative.
FRED INeERsoLL.
IL tied the note to the hen securely with
portion Of the necktie, the rest futtered
from the barn, and Biddy stepped forth,
'one foot up. the other foot down. care
fully. conscientiously, as hen does, and
by and BY fam. rustiing spoke hopefully
Of her progress to my waiting heart. Mean
! while was prey 10 anxious thoughts
Suppose she should never reach the
light, but perish In her perilous journey,
become hemmed in and unable to 60 any
fsrtherf Suppose she should lose the let
| ter In her passage, but trlunphsn:
/ cackle assured ne thst the white hen bad
reached the barn doo-. and. blessed sight
| little later saw her through the crack
walking proud away from the door~!th
the letter plainly IN view:
! Just then two young ladies drove into
TIE yard Pretty? Wen. guess so. You
don't often sec har6soTner girls than Jsnet