Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-04-18
I'll be CAREFUL" ! said to myself,
ssand it'll he all right. Fathers fussy."


Thus thoughtlessly l settled my own
fate, for heedlessness vas my fault.
Was, l say, for that night taught me
something. But to go on.
l opened the door lit stood straight
up, went out. and after a good look
AT the world from that elevated point
l collected a little basketful Of stones,
and rejecting that ii was cooler than
| thought, and | should have to wear
"A wrap to Aunt Durgin's, ] Went back
TO the trap door.
| don't know how il happened; l
suppose | had not opened the spring
door quite wide, and my jarring the
roof started it-but suddenly it fell
with a bang, pushing down the step
ladder by which ! reached the roof. l
could have jumped down into the at
tic; but / could not get back: and |
thought il safer TO lie on the roof
where l could attract somebody's at
tention.
My first thought was: Dear me! If
! should be late to Aunt Durgin's!'
but the second was more serious: How
vas / going to arouse anybodyi The
only persons in the house were my IA
ther, giving a music lesson in the back
parlor, and our one maid busy with
her work in the kitchen. Every one
knew l was going out to tea, and no
n would be surprised at my absence.
There was an old chair on the roof,
for we sometimes went up there in
warm evenings, and l sat down on it
TO think the matter over.
Then l began to find that it was very
cool, and every little cold l took had a
most annoying trick of settling in one
tooth, u~lcerating and putting up my
face like a pumpkin. took off my
white apron and tied il over my head.
Then l went to work to rouse the
household. In the attic, nearly under
the trapdoor, vas a shelf, on which
were packed away many things. laid
down on the roof, leaned over and
found l could reach it. First l pulled
out a curtain stick. and then | thought
| was safe; | could surely make noise
enough with that. ! got up and pound
ed on the roof, and even on the sky
light, hoping TO attract somebody;
though l knew Biddy wouldn't come
up for hours, and my father was soab-
sent minded that | hadn't much hopes
he would notice it.
When / grew tired of that amuse.
ment | went 10 my storehouse again,
and this time pulled out an old fire es-
cape. 1t was a long piece of webbing
that would reach to to the ground,
with a piece of iron in one end. Now
! thought | could surely make some
body see. l dragged it to the edge of
the roof at the back. flung the end
over, hoping that father would see it
dangle before the parlor window.
This had an effect, but it was on a
row of tenement houses on the street
behind us. Women began to be in
terested in my proceedings. First one
woman appeared at her window,
hands resting on the sill. sleeves roll
ed up, and frowsy head stuck out,
staring wonderingly at me. Then an
other window blossomed out with a
frowsy head. and SO it went on till /
had a many as half dozen staring at
me in dumb amazement-at least /
supposed it was dumb, l couldn't hear
anything. Then l began to wave my
arms and beckOn TO them. They only
stared the harder, and now and then
one would look back in the room and
then another head or two would ap.
pear beside her; but the idea that /
was trying TO communicate with them
never seemed TO occur to them.
Then a new thought struck me, and
| began to walk back and forth and
saw my fire escape across the house. /
thought II father saw something NOV.
ing before his windows he must notice
It. But not a word did / hear from
that.
Then l tried the front, though /
dreaded exposing my plight to the
street. might have spared myself the
anxiety, for no one noticed except
some little boys playing in the street.
| called, but / could not make them
hear; / made motions to them, and
now and then one would see me and
point up, and two or three would stare
a minute and then return to their play.
| couldn't make them understand that
| wanted anything.
Up to this time | had been too ex-
cited to get cold; but now l began to
suffer. Once more ] returned to my
attic, and pulled out a piece Of carpet.
1t was dusty and not over nice for a
covering, but l could do no better, SO
l wrapped it around my shivering
shoulders, and l must have looked
more like a crazy creature than before.
Time was passing, too; it was al
ready late; l was getting desperate.
Should / have to stay here till Biddy
came up to bedl l pounded more Wig
orously than ever. i shouted down
the attic till / was hoarse, and at in
tervals walked back and forth and
sawed my fire escape, till at last l
flung it over, thinking Biddy must see
it then.
All this time / had been rejecting;
was nov much too late for Aunt
Durgin's, and my mothers manner
had impressed me with the Importance
of il. Whatever might be the conse-
quences, j had no one to blame but
myself; that was the hardest To bear.
1t was growing dark; | began TO be
frightened. Suppose | should not be
able 10 make them hear at ALI Sup
pose | had 10 stay there all night. The
thought was a terror. The house was