Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-06-22

Il He had done the housework .v-
them under her direction, and ncv ~.
would have to s'hire help, which - ~,
something she never wished to do
The late autumn was wet and cold ~;
it was very damp on the river boftom
30 that Miss Electa's rheumatism 81.
her q good many twinges before v;nta,
set in. One night in early Noyemhe,
she found herself helpless in bed LII
both lower limbs SO swollen with infiam
matory rheumatism that she could no,
move them without great pain.
It had been raining very hard all dav
and as night set in terrible storm y
wind and rain came on. The waite,
dashed in great sheets against the win.
dows of the little house, which rocked
and swayed in the wind.
The storm continued for nearly three
hours: then it became little less furious
but the rain still fell heavily. Mis-
Electa had never felt so lonely and afraid
before. She had allowed johanna to
stay up late for company. It was about
ten o'clock when she said to the little
girl, Johanna, dear, could you &c
down cellar and get me glass of milk
before you 60 to bed2 I feel faint and
fev'rish."
"Of course I can," replied Johanna,
quickly. She took the little hand lamu
from the table and went into the kitchen.
where there was trap-door leading into
the cellar. Lifting this door she put
one foot on the cellar steps, and quickly
drew it back again with her shoe full OF
water. Holding the lamp down and
shading her eyes with her hand, she cried
| out:
"Oh, aunty, aunty, the cellars full OF
water to the very foor!"
,, "Whats" screamed Miss Peak, and
tried to rise, but fell back with q groan
of pain. ''The cellar full of water e.
she said. "Why, I never knew more'n
an inch or two OF water in that cellar
before"
cts full now" said Johanna; ssand
it's coming through the cracks in the
floor"
'tLook out and see if the outside door
is open," said Miss Electa.
Johanna opened the kitchen door, and
again screamed, "Why, aunty, aunty,
the whole yards full of water. It's
almost to the very door" She ran to
the front door. "My goodness me,
there's water everywhere
''It's the river!'' gasped Miss Electa,
turning pale. cit riz just so once, nine
year ago. This house stood in six feet
of water. If it does so again I'll be
drowned, for I can't move 4 peg to save
me, and it it only comes high as the
bed, and get all wet with this .heuma.
tiz ON me, it'll kill me-! o dear, dear, I
wish I was safe in the old home with
Gideon, and that colt was in Halifax 7"
At the name of Gideon, Johanna took
her little straw hat and shawl from a
peg in the wall.
"I'm going for UNCLE" she said.
"You can't" said Miss Electa. ssYou re
the skeerdest child in the dark that ever
lived, you know you air 7"
"But I'm going now, aunty."
"You'n be drowned in this rain, or
get lost, or ketch your death of cold in
the wet"
81 don't take cold from being in the
rain. I've heard you say so lots of
times, and I know I can find the way
with the lantern. Good-by, aunty."
She had lighted the old tin lantern,
kissed her aunt, and hurried out before
Miss Electa could object further.
The water was over her shoe tops in
the door-yard, and rising fast. It was
raining very hard still, and the wind
was moaning dismally among the wet
tree-tops overhead. Johanna was skeered
of the dark, but tried not to feel so now
as she hurried along, her head bowed to
the storm, and the lantern held before
her. The river ragged and reared out
side its narrow banks. She lost shoe
in the mud, and once she fell headlong
in the wet and tangled meadow grass.
Her courage left her dozen times, and
she felt like shrieking with terror.
'tBut if I don't get Uncle Gideon,
aunty, I'll be drowned. must get
him !" she said again and again.
Uncle Gideon was lying in sheetless
and otherwise uncomfortable bed, but
he was not asleep, although he had been
in bed two hours.
''I'm feared 'Lecty's house IL leak to-
night" he was saying. It needs a new
roof, an I'd 60 and put it on for her if
it Want fer-fer-fer that blamed old
colt, drat it If 'Lecty comes down
with the rheumatic, I'll be bound if I
don't go and fetch her home, and tell
her she can have the colt. I'd done it
before, only old Satan won't let me be
the first to give in. But if she-what's
that?"
He jerked himself to sitting position
in the bed and listened eagerly. Was it
a branch of the leafess old cherry tree
beating against the house or had he
heard the thump, thump of the old brass
door knocker down stairs? There was
lull in the storm.
''Uncle Gideon, o Uncle Gid-e-on!"
He heard it distinctly, and his head
was out of the window over the front
door in an instant.
"It amt you, Johanna Peak, is it,"
eyes, yes, uncle-do come quick9"
Aunty's droundin'!" cried Johanna, be-
tween her broken sobs.
The next moment Uncle Gideon, ar
rayed in a red and green double nine