The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-10-04

oaih, tue ldrn nduu, udppeneu 10
pass the open window at that mo-
ment.
"Your rags, Mis- Huff. What rags'"
"Why, my carpet rags
"Didn't know you had any," replied
Sam, briefly, as he went unconcerned-
ly on his way.
Then began an active search for the
rags. Mr. Huff was called in, and 30
singular was the disappearance of such
bulky articles, that he Joined in the
search with considerable interest.
"It's the queerest thing!" said Mrs.
Huff, for the fifteenth time, as she look
ed into places in which the bags of rags
could not possibly be. "It's my
opinion" she said at last, ''that some.
body has stolen those rags. They
mnst have done It'll They never got
away alone; any one with common
sense knows that"
No trace of the thief could be found,
but one could easily come and 90
without the family knowing it, as the
doors and windows were seldom fast
ened. In fact, some of them had been
left wide open the night before to
admit the cool air at TIE close of hot
day.
After an hour of unraveling search
Mrs. Huff dropped YEARLY into chair,
and said, in checking voice, "Well,
they're gone, and gone for good, and
SOS my chance of getting the prize at
the fair next week. Somebody must
have stolen EN-. 1 reckon now that
Calisty Horn will get the premium
with her carpet"
"Well, well, what if she doesi said
Mr.. Huff, consolingly. "You've had it
three years hnnd runnin,' aud you'd
ought to give somebody else a chance,
anyhow,
"They all have just as good chance
as I've had, replied Mrs. Huff. Sand
the premium aint nothing at all comp.
ared to the loss of that carpet that l
had callated sure on putting down in
the settin'-room this fall"
The rags were not found in the days
that intprvened before the fair, and
Mrs. Calisty Horns carpet did get the
first premium.
"And such looking carpet as it was"
said Mrs. Huff, somewhat spitefully.
"The rags was half an inch wide, and
she'd got too much copperas in her
coloring, and the stripe was nothing to
compare to what mine would have
been.,,
Her loss and defeat weighed heavily
on Mrs. Huff, and she lay awake a
long time thinking the whole matter
over after she had gone to bed, when
she came home from the fair.
Sometime after midnight Mr.. Huff
awoke to find himself alone in bed, and
as he opened his eyes he fancied he
saw some one pass the door leading in
to the hall,
"Harriet," he called is that your"
There was no reply.
81 wonder - he said, ''if that wom-
an has got up in the deau of night to
begin on another carpet. She shaa't do
it! Harriet, what are you doing? You
sick?"
Still Harriet did not answer Mr..
Huff arose, wrapped quilt around
him, lighted candle and started out
to investigate. AS he stepped into the
hall he heard noise as of some one
moving around in an unused attic room
above him, room had not been enter
ed for weeks, which was now filed
with all the odds and ends of things
hot will anllCpt in n h4non ha 20
go on, and which great many people
save, under the impression, usually a
delusion, that they will sometime
"come handy
Among the useless rubbish slowed
away in Farmer Huffs attic was the
frame of an old carpet loom on which
Mrs. Huff had woven many carpet in
her younger days but years had pass
ed since the loom had been in use.
The moonlight streaming in through a
window showed Mr.. Huff that the attic
door was opened, but there was no
other light in the room.
"Harriet Huff he cried, "what in
creation air you doing up there at this
time onightf Hunting some more tor
mented old rags? Come right back to
bed | You'll get your death o cold
roamin' round at night!'
She took no notice of his querulous
remarks, but he heard no more SQUADS
in the attic. But he was too much
troubled to let the matter rest as it was,
and accordingly mounted the stairs
and entered the attic room. There he
saw something that caused him to open
both eyes and mouth with amazement.
At the old loom sat Mrs. Huff in
her night clothes. In one hand she
held an old wooden shuttle, while with
the other she fumbled around in a
grain bag full of carpet rag balls lean
ing against post of the loom. Draw
ing forth ball of the "hit-an miss
rags she slowly began winding it on
the shuttle, which she then passed to
and fro through an imaginary warp
The reed and batten bars we're gone,
but Mrs. Huff went slowly through the
motions of using them.
The amazed Mr. Huff at once noticed
that her eyes were closed, and his be-
belief that she had become a "stark,
staring, loonytlc, changed into the
more agreeable thought that she was
simply sound asleep. His eyes rested
on the missing carpet rags, and he
mentally calculated
brought 'em up here herself in
her sleep two weeks ago by Jinks
What's goin' to become of her if she
goes to maxim carpets both when she's
asleep and awake? Her intellekshel
reaaon will give way. That's what'll
happen o. her! No born woman
could stand it, and it'll be mighty rd
on all of us. She shan't make nary
mother carpet! I'll buy body bristles
for every room in the house, first!
Harriet Diany Huff, wake up and gu
to bed where you b'Iong!"
Mrs. Huff did not wake. and Mr.
Huff hesitated before speaking again
"They say" he said to himself
shat it amt safe to wake up sleep
walkers or somnambulances suddenly
Mebbe she'd have fit if | woke her