The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-02-08

lin around the country since court week, /
as we'd better leave some one to hum to
keep house; and she didn't seem pa
tick'lery anxious TO come"
'Should hev' thou't she'd wanted to
get acquainted with the young folks,
said Mrs Tackaberry.
Mrs. Perkins smiled and smoothed
down the flounces of her dress. "She1l
get acquainted before long, guess" said
she, calmly.
"Not very young, Is'pose1" said Miss
Tacknberry.
"About sixteen" answered Mrs. Per.
kins, with suppressed triumph
'Well, ] never!" said Miss Tacka-
berry. "She must find it awful dull
/ here9n
"Not so very" returned Mrs. Perkins.
'Been here long?"
"a week"
'Me and sister Typhosa II call to.
morrow" said Miss Tackaberry. IL
was always one to believe in sociability."
But here Mrs. Parsons feebly an
nounced that 'supper was ready" and in
the blind rush that ensued, Mrs. Perkins
and Miss Tackaberry got separated
At the donation Party" everybody
ate as much as they possibly could, and
nearly everybody put something in his
or her pockets for the children at home.
Gallons of scalding tea and lukewarm
coffee vanished tons of indigestible cake
disappeared as If by magic; monster
dishes of sticky preserves were ever and
anon renewed; relays Of hot biscuits
arrived every five minutes from the
stove-ovens, and still the cry was ''morer ~
But the meal was, luckily for Mrs.
Parsons's equanimity, drawing to close,
when Joel Fullerton, a handsome,
swarthy- -browed young giant, popped
his head in at the door and looked
around
deacon Perkins's folks here" said
he.
"Thats me-" said Mr.. Perkins, with
his mouth full of biscuit and honey
sold horse amt got loose, has he2
tied him close to the"
"No, it amt the horse" said Joel.
'Jest step out here. want to speak to
you minute"
Mrs. Perkins uttered a shrill little
shrek.
81 knowed it," said she-'I knowed
it perfectly WELL Somethin's happened.
The new Alderney COW is lamed, or else
the house is took on fire, and the insur-
ance run out only yesterday"
"Something's happened" said Joel,
with an anxious look, "though l don't
rightly know how nor what. Mother
she Just came across lots to your house
to get the receipt for maxim soft soap, and
although she could see your niece asset
> tin by the fire. she couldn't make hel
hear. though she knocked fit to rattle
the side of the old house down. And
don't be scared-she, sort O. thinkin
Miss Chatty's in fit or hurt or su'thin'
so she sent me down here on Speckle- back,
while she stayed by the door to sort O.
keep guard"
Jerusalem ~ muttered Mr.. Perkins,
fumbling to unite the horse. ''Why
didn't you kick in the door, or smash
, the window -panes, or su'thin'p
"As for the door, tried my leve
, best" said Joel;" but them timber,
would stand an earthquake. And
mother she wouldn't let me break the
window, for fear the flyin' glass should
hurt your niece"
. "Git in, mother" said Perkins, hoarse
, ly. "Quick! There amt no time tt
r lose | dunno what on airth l shall say
to Brother Clayton, down in York, i
( anything has happened to the gal that
= all he's got in the world"
"I knowed it'll was sure on'tn
| shrilly walled poor Mrs Perkins, rocking
) herself back and forth "She's beer
murdered by Q slungshot by some o
them miserble creeters as got loose from
Q Dnktown Jail. We never oughter a
! left her there alonem
[ "Don't mother, don'tl" said Perkins
, family, ducking his head as if her words
were a shower of hailstones. "P'rap
things amt so very bad arter all. P'raps
-she's-asleep."
"Not very likely" said JOEL trottins
alongside of the wagon on Speckle- back
stout four-year-old colt. "Nobodl
. could ha' slept much with mother hol
. lerin' and rappin' on the glass like mad
9 and me a-kickin' at the door so that tn,
; very clock tumbled OF the shelf"
, "lf you ketch hold o. my arm tina
way, mother" said poor Perkins, de
E spairingly, II can't drive yard furder.
$ Even in that solitary and thinly peo
I pied neighborhood little group haC
( already collected around the windows o
| Deacon Perkins's house, peering through
9 the tangle of tall lilac bushes and dense
growing ClnuhlnOu IOs6S " get gun lls
t into the tiny -paned easements, and
line of curiously minded people had fol
0 lowed from the Catfield parsonage, unde
| the vague impression that "sOmethin;
7 was wrong at Asa Perkins's place"
t 'Just look for YOURSELF" said Joe
| Fullerton
81 can't !" muttered Perkins, passin,
I his hand across his forehead, as if ther
was some unwonted pressure there
/ sect me a screw driver, something
- outen the back shed. I'll get in here, o
I I'll know the reason whym
a "Fatherw squeaked his wife; ether
/ amt no need for no screw-driver. tn
| buttery windows wide open, wit
nothin' but a few meshes o. mosquit
= nettin' over it. You can scramble il
there as easy as not, and open the from
h door from inside"
/ The suggestion was instantly carrie,
K out, and in moment, as il were, III
( crowd was inside the door, staring in
/ terrified way at the figure wrapped il
; shawls, which had fallen to one side il
r the old rocking-chair, with its fac
, averted. No one had courage to stel
h forward and solve the mystery. Their
was a second of appalling suspense
: when suddenly ths back door was fun
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