The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-05-24

away from my face o little. was in
corner, as told you, under brace, ant
this gave me chance for my life-tha
and the crack which gave me breatl
Of air in the hot sitting place. Iva
just as effectually emersed as were tn,
monks in olden times when thoy wer,
walled up in their living tombs, for ne
amount of strength served to lift the
burden a particle.
"By and by something fluttered a
my feet and rose up and cackled.
'It was tho white hen.
II knew her and she knew me, but
bless you, she didn't want anything oi
me nor my company. l could SEQ that.
But she couldn't get out2 Oh! but
couldn't shoa She cooked her head i'm
pudently to one side, stepped daintily
to tiny aperture about half as big as
her head, and saw at glance that she
meant business. The less sense the
more instinct; l saw that the creature
would get out somewhere.
"Why not use her for carrier pigeon
and thus establish communication with
the outside world2 l couldn't dare to
die here and be pitched out to the cat
tie by forkfuls, or put through a
threshing machine, although 1 might
deserve such treatment, and l couldn'.
get out myself.
II tore leaf from my note book and
wrote something like this:
Come to my rescue. I 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. l am moved in. Your relative,
FRED INGERsoLL.
II tied the note to the hen securely
with portion of the necktie, the rest
futtercd from the barn, and Biddy
stepped forth. 'one foot up, the other
foot down. carefully, conscientiously,
as hen does, and by and by faint
rustling spoke hopefully of her progress
to my waiting heart. Meanwhile 1 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 a
triumphant cackle assured me that the
white hen had reached the barn floor,
and blessed sightl n little later 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. Pretty2 Well, 1 guess
so. You don't often see handsomcr
girls than Janet Harding's. One was
dressed in seal brown, the other in navy
blue.
"Do look at that henp cried Seal
Brown. 4 do believe it's a 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
"'Onc, two; and will it take two to
satisfy youa' said Navy Blue, laughing
at her sisters saucy face. laughed,
too, and fell in love with her then and
there.
''They lured tho hen toward them
with handful of corn. Seal Brown
swooped down and loosened the letter
and read it.
'Isaw all this through crack in tho
barn and heard them make merry over
the distress of their city cousin.
swell, to mako long story short,
the girls dug me out, for the men were
in the meadow after moro oats. 1t
seems that they were in great hurry to
get at the oats, and tho hired man
moved away. Probably the first fork
ful covered me and that was doubtless
put on without looking. Nobody knew
just how it came about. When 1 came
20 view did the best and the only thing
[ could dol laughed and the girls
aughed. 1t was a ludicrous introduce
ion to the family but it served its turn.
found the girls no less charming than
pretty; Harry, fine lad home from
college; Mrs. Harding, a lady in every
Iense of the word, and Mr.. Harding,
'hrewd, corpulcnt and good -natured,
md that is ALL"
"Alll'' they echoed. 'Thcre ought to
De wedding"
''There is to be wedding" said the
,ther, coolly.
(Which, Navy Blue or Seal Brown2"
''Navy Blue"
"Whcn are you to be married."
''Ncver, perhaps"
"Why, thought you said there was
o be wcddingp
$50 did. Navy Blue is to marry
Ter William"
"And you are in a Brown study STILL"
aid one slyly.
Fred actually blushed.
"Yes, the most puzzling study of my
ife, and the most interesting" and he
walked away.
nJT.I I,