The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-02-14

|
her name.
| One afternoon, when brisk wind was
blowing otf-shore. the Colonel had gone
out in his boat with Ben Pivef, taking
his gun rs usual, and promising himself
a shot at some stray sea gull II he could
una no better game. Some of the visit.
ors were bathing on the beach, Others
were sitting on the steamboat wharf,
and some were promcnading in front of
the hotel; while group of children at
the Indian tent, not far away, were buy.
ing bead moccasions and birch bark
baskets. The veranda was crowded and
Mrs. Tredloe was sitting there with little
Birdie, when benevolent DR.. Haygood
happened along, and asked the widow if
he might take the child down to the
tent to buy something for her. Mrs.
Tredloe consented, and the old gentle
man aud his little companion descended
the steps together. Before they had
reached the tent, and as they were walk.
ing along the high ground close above
the water, they met an Italian peddler
who had a couple of dozen toy balloons
for sale, all fastened by long strings to a
stick, and bobbng merrily in the air
above his head.
"oh, beautiful big apples" exclaimed
Birdie, repturously, her sparkling eyes
fixed on the large elastic crimson globes,
which she seemed to mistake Tor fruit
"Give Birdie onel'
DR.. Haygood began to bargain with
the italian, ard took the stick from him
to select d balloon from the bunch. His
small friend was delighted, imagining
that she was to have the entire bunch.
"All-all for mel" she cried, and clap
ping her hands, she stretched them out
| toward the coveted treasure of the dane
ing air globes.
This so amused the kind hearted doc
tor that he resolved to humor her, for a
moment at any rate. So gathering the
long strings together. he tied them
around Brides waist, then let go, and
the balloons all tloated up around aud
above her head and shoulders, making o
gay spectacle of her. The doctor and
the Italian 10th stood by, smiling at her
satisfaction, when suddenly, to their
amazement, a strong gust of wind caused
all the balloons to sway to one side,
sweeping Birdie off her feet and grace
fully up into the air.
1t happened so Unexpectedly that, be-
fore they could do anything to prevent,
the light little creature was borne away
by the cluster fantastic looking crimson
balls, up and off over the water. And
as the wind was o.f-shore, 1t seemed
inev table that she would be carried by
it across the moath Of the inlet straight
out to sea.
i "Gseat heavens" shouted the doctor,
in helpless horror.
! The Italian, sm;ttcn with despair at
the loss of his balloons, began frenzied
dance, at the same time eXclaiming to
the unhappy old gentleman: "You payee
me'a for ALA thos,a. you payee
ail.an'
The bathers in the water observed the
extraord nary sight of a little girl cheer
fully sailing through the air with her
| improvlsed flying machine, and stood
gaping upward in amazonent. Every
one on shore became aware of the catas-
trophe in an instant, and began running
to and fro in the hubbub. Mrs. Tredloe,
on the ve7auda, tainted, and DR.. Hay
good was called up to restore her, while
the Italian valnly tried to keep one eve
on him for security of payment, and to
follow with his other eye the flight of
the balloons in the opposite direction.
dozen men harricd 10 the waters
edge, launching row-boats and sail
boats, with which they tried to chase
the shadow of Birdie and the balloons,
SO as to be on hand at the right spot
whenever she should drop into the
water. But it was hopeless pursuit.
'She don't show any signs of drop
ping" shouted Mr.. Mdd'eby, who was
steering the foremost DO t. "She
moves through the air faster than we
can get over the water; and unless those
airbags explode or fall of she will be
swept SO far from land that we never
will get her."
All at once help cane from an unfore,
seen quarter, and one at least of the bal
looms explode. 1t happened in this
way: Colonel Welsted's big ca.-boat was
seen rounding the point, with the wind
on her beam, pcpa ny to tack into the
harbor. Ben liver at the helm uttered
a startled cry.
"That's the ,,uecrest game bird that l
ever sce,' he declared pointing up in the
air with big yellow thumb. "lts got
shoes and shirt aud about twenty-five
heai Is, | should Judge, but no W ngs."
The Colonel was on The alert, but the
strange OBJ, Get 10 the air was some dis
lance away, and so unlike any flying
thing they had ever seen before that it
took both men two or three minutes to
comprehend what it was. Even then
they could not account for it, They Gid
not fully understan what had happened
But Colonel Jack made up his mind that,
whoever the girl was or however she had
got in that situation, she was not in the
right place for Il child Of her age. And
there was only one way TO get her out
of it. lie Ia.sei his rifle and let fly.
But the motion of his catboat and the
progress CT the balloons Though the air
made it difficult for him to axe sure
aim. The first shot had 10 effect. Ben
Piver gave short, disguised laugh.
Then the Colonel grew mad" He
perceived how thar the harbor was full
of boats coming down toward him, and
that there was big crowd on the shore
watching the proceed ng.
III l don't hit this time, SAID he to
Ben, as he put f esh cartridge into the
breech. my regulations gone, and ]
leave Refers Point to night
Crack went the second shot. The
Colonel and Ben heard its mournful
"whoo'' as it sped through the bright
air; and almost in family one of the bal
looms COLLAPSED and shriveled up. An
audible cheer came blowing out from
the people on shore and in the boats
and Colonel Jack loaded again.
But just imagine how Mrs. Tredloe
felt when she saw that puff of gan smoke
from the catboat, and realized that some
one was firing at Birdie! She had barely
recovered from her fainting fit when
this happened. "Better to let her drown
or blow away beyond recovery than dc
that" she gasped, in anguish. "Why,
it. is murder Can't any one stop thai
man from shootingl"
DIR. Haygood and her friends tried t.
explain the matter to her, but shs
tainted again before they could do so
!, And it was lucky for her that she be
!, came unconscious, because the gallan
I Il IL IL L