Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-21

-FOUR teen years old, and never drove You wrong
but this once!''
mo. and You couldn't murder me but once
II you tried! Could your"
"Oh, Lord! Aunt DrakeI'
"hold your tongue and back and turn the
| carry-alll'
| "But can't. Aunt Drake The road is mar
rover than this for miles farther back, and it's
/ mp hill, toor'
| WAS there ever such an aggravating jack
ASST Well, then, drive on. Its no use stopping
here all night with the snow falling. Go on, 1
| tell you! The road must lead to some place"
Tommy tonched up the mare again and we
| went on slowly and more slowly, the road mar
| rowing and narrowing until the branches of the
trees on either side scraped against the leather
| curtains.
Presently the carry-all stopped, the mare
reared and Cousin Tommy walled, really walled,
forth in his distress:
I'VE can, go foot farther Kitty's got her
head IN the treesn'
Aunt Sukey uttered an exclamation Of anger
and disgust and We both stopped forward to
look, while Kitty backed little and got her
head out OF the thicket 1t was dark as pitch.
We could scarcely see the difference between
the falling snow and the ieafess trees, yet We
perceived that we had driven into a sort of cul-
de-sac, with q close barrier Of interIaced
tree branches across the road stopping our
| way. The desperation of the case was that we
| could neither 60 forward nor turn back.
| Here's pretty kettle Of fish, Tommy
Sparks! l declare to man you are the biggest
fool ever saw in the whole course of my life!"
] exclaimed our distracted relative.
Deed, Aunt Drake, couldn't help it!
! didn't know the road was grown up in this
| way" pleaded the poor fellow.
| hold your tongue and get out and push on
| ahead: You can get through il the mare
| coulndt. And try If you can see any house or
barn where we may get under cover. 1t will
never do to stay out here to be showed up and
| frozen to DEATH"
| Yes, Aunt Drake meekiy replied the
youth, as he got off his seat. STOPPING near
the ground. pushing aside the branches of the
| tress. he slowly made his way along the choked
| road aud passed out of sight, while we sat
| shlvering with the cold and brushing off the
| snow that had sifted in between the curtains of
the carry-all and half covered our cloaks and
| bonnets
1t seemed a long time before our messenger
was heard craunching over the frozen snow
and breaking through the dry woods on his re-
| turn from his errand.
Aunt Drake" he said as he came up to the
side OF the carry-all, Il saw light way back
IN the thicket on the right side of the road, and
1t seemed to come from the window Of house,
| but there was no path"
Then why didn't you take bee line to it and
| find out what 1t wasp sharply demanded Mis-
| tress Drake, still angry and disposed to find
fault.
'I-I-r'- began Tommy, but she cut him
short
Help me outl Come along, Dolly Well
go to this house aud see If We can get shelter"
We got down in the snow scrambled on past
the mare and through the obstructing trees.
and made our way to a clearer part of the mar
row road, and struggled on through the dis
tracing and binding snow, looking out for the
light. little farther on we came IN sight of it
far of, family cleaning from the thicket on the
right.
Come alongt Well take a bee line straight
! for that beacon" said Aunt Sukey, valiautly.
But it might-it might began Tommy
Sparks, cautiously.
Might what, you simpleton?" demanded
Mrs. Drake.
might be Jim Fice's hut,' gasped Tommy.
"Fiddlesticks! Jim Fiee's hut indeed! Jim
tlce don't live in hut near any road. He
hides IN a hole under the hills in the deep of
the forest and he wouldn't be like to show a
hght. Come on" sternly ordered our aunt as
sue turned sharply around and pushed into the
thicket
Tommy followed, and I, in deadly doubt,
brought up the rear. This intrepid aunt of ours
was terror only less than Flee himself. If
any human being was likely to lead us to death
through defiance of danger it was Mistress
Susannah Drake.
After scrambling through the woods, tearing
our clothes. stubbing our toes and scratching
our ankles and hands, We came to rough log
cabin in the bush
The hut had low door and q little window
IN front, a steep roof and at one end great,
| clumsy chimney. The light which we had
seen came through the window.
Aunt Sukey Knocked at the door. Then we
waited, but no sound came from within. She
Knocked again more loudly. But it was not
until after repeated knockings tina. we heard a
sign OF life from within. At last came
sound OF grumbling voice and shutting of
feet and the door was opened.
There stood man holding a haring tallow
candle In u brass candle SUCK. l thought he
| was tue most forbiddIng looking being 1 had
| ever seen. He Was tall, gaunt, with a thin, red
| face, bald red head fringed around by
| ragged red hair at the nape OF his neck and a
| ragged red beard on his chin. He was clothed
III Coarse red flannel shirt and brown clotu
| trousers. He biinked at Us with bioodshot
eyes, cautiously holding the door but half open,
and asked
who be you? What do you want here?'
Eve are travellers from the city, We have
lost our way and have been caught in this storm
and We want a nights lodging. and We are
willing to pay well for the accommodation"
Aunt Sukey explained.
Pay well for il, Ell? Well, then, reckon
you'd better come Ill outen Tue storm" he said
opening the door and making way for Us to
pass, then closing 1t quickly, for the snow was
driving in.
We found ourselves in a large, low room.
The walls were OF thick logs with the bark on;
the floor was mother earth, beaten hard and
level; the ceiling was of rough plalks that had
shrunk apart, leaving open lines between them;
the fireplace was built OF the rudest stone and
"AtuOut uedrtn OF ISnOef or aQulrOQs. A dull,
smouldering ire of heavy chunks threw
murky red glow over the place. In the cor
ner to the right of the chimney stood large,
low-post bed covered with y dark quit uiid-r
which some one seemed to be sleeping. In the
opposite corner was row OF wooden shelves
furnished with crockery, tin aud stone ware,
and under the bottom shelf iron pots and ket-
ties, and 80 forth. At the other end of the
room, in one corner, stood q large spinning
wheel; IN the other corner a machine that
looked something like q bedstead, but more like
the picture OF guillotine once saw in an
Illustrated history of the French revolution.
1t was in reality an old-fashioned loom, Be-
tween these corners stool common ladder
leaning against the wall and leading to a trap
door that evidently opened into the loft above,
rickety old rocking chair in the chimney
corner, pine table against the wall under the
window, and q few three-legged stools COM
pleted the furniture.
We left our horse and carry-all out in the
road. We could not get them any farther"
Aunt Sukey explained as soon the old man
turned around from closing the door.
Couldn't, Ell! Well, 1 reckon not. Jis set
down and wait tell l wake up my ole oman to
tend to you, and then I'll 60 out with the
young youth there aud look arter your creetur "
said the old man a. he moved of toward the
bed.
Aunt Sukey deposited herself in the chair by
the chimney corner, and perched myself on a
three-legged stool, while Cousin Tommy stood
and leaned against the jambs OF the door, wait
1 - - L.. Il