Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-08-29

MIN.
Was he angry with her, Huldah won
dered2 And was her Uncle Robert dis
pleased because she had neglected his
support If they were she deserved it.
She was a poor, lachrymose, disagree
able thing-she, Huldah Spencer, who
had had reputation for brightness and
prettiness.
She went and sat down on the back
porch. She did not want any supper.
How could she eat with that lump in
her throat2 She sat looking out into
the pleasant June evening, desc
lately.
But spark of interest came into her
eyes, suddenly. The square hole in the
side of the barn which marked the posi-
tion of Topsy's stall, and from which
her trim little head was usually poking
itself-it was empty.
Waiting for time in the expectation
of seeing the head, Huldah went into the
kitchen and to the nail where hung the
barn-key, and then out to the barn.
Yes, Topsy's stall was empty, and SO
was Dan's-Dan being the old sorrel her
Uncle Robert always drove.
Where was Topsy2 Her Uncle Rob-
ert never drove Topsy. Besides, Dan was
gone. And he never lent her. What
had become of here
Huldah was in a tremble. Topsy-if
it had been anything but Topsy! Had
she been stolen2 Had she,got loose and
run awaya The door had been locked,
but there was the big back door into the
barnyard Something had happened
while she had been blubbering upstairs.
What would her uncle. Robert say
do2 3E
Hnldah was pale and panic stricken.
Oh, dear! What should she doa
Hardly knowing whattshe was doing,
she hurried out into the road, aud
bending low, studied theshoof prints in
dust.
All tending westward were half oblit-
Grated; those turning east, or in the di-
rection of Wakely, were fresh, and HUI
dan mechanically walked eastward.
To what cnda If Topsy had broken
her halter and frisked up the road, HUI
dah thought she might overtake her.
If she had been stolen and> ridden away
at foaming trot- tf
But Huldah could not have sat still;
she could not have waited. Doing some
thing was better than doing nothing.
She might find some trace.of her.
Her anxiety left her no choice. Sic
went breathlessly tramping on up the
dusty road.
She thought she had nbeen unhappy
before, but now she was miserable.
She was confused, too, insher misery.
She had gone quarter of mile be-
fore it occurred to her that's she had left
the house unlocked, as well as the
barn.
But what were the spoons or butter
dish compared with Topsy. Oh, dearl
She was glad it was getting dark. no.
body would recognize her. But even
so, people stared at the hurrying, bare
headed girl and wondered.
Once or twice she mustered courage
to ask if Topsy had been seen; but no.
body had seen her.
She felt like tramp, ,andlshe supposed
she looked like one. Was she going to
cry againa She would not. But if any
other calamity had befallen her than los
ing Topsy-anything. And it was her
fault, her negligence.
Once she thought she saw her crop
ping the grass by the roadside, and her
heart bounded; but it was only peace
full red COW.
At the next half-mile stone she was
sure she saw Topsy ahead of her, with
the thief on her back; but it was Hiram
White, on his old rackabones, with
bag of grist.
She was getting tired at last. She
had raced along in such o frightened
heat, that she had not thought of dis
tance.
But where was she7 Why, almost to
Benton's Corners-almost two miles.
And houses we're scarce here.
Huldah glanced around her fearfully.
How dark it was getting.
Still she pressed on. The thought
that it was Topsy she was searching for
spurred her.
But she was growing weak. Her
anxiety and her long tramp and her
nervous fears here on this lonely road
were more than she had bargained for.
She found herself trembling.
Poor Huldahl her faithful, grieved
little heart swelled with despair.
She peered ahead. Nothing and no.
body to be seen; no Topsy.
A light cleaned from house far
ahead in ghostly way, and an owl
hooted away off in the woods.
Oh, what was thatg 1t was only a
friendly stray cat rubbing against her,
but it was too much for Huldah in her
strained state.
She recoiled in fright and gasped, and
then sitting down on smooth, fiat stone
near by, tried to smile-strove to rally
her gathering senses, and quietly tainted
away.
She was not on the stone when she
came to herself. Joe Brockway was on
the stone, and she was in Joe's arms.
She remembered it all in minute,
and was Indignantly ashamed of herself.
She sat up suddenly and rigidly and
etarad Voc Too woa holdipU bar and