The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-14

The jaFTfng and rafting ceased as sud
denly, but the house seemed silent and
empty. She moved to tbe door, which now
had swung open few inches, but to her
astonishEaent 1t was fixed in that position
and she could not pass. As yet she had
been free from any personal fear, and even
now It WAS with a half smile at her impris-
Onment in the majors study that she rang
tho bell and turned to the window A man
whom she recognized as one OF the ranch
laborers was standing hundred feet away
in the garden looking curiously at the
house. He saw her face as she tried to raise
the sash, uttered an exclamation and ran
forward.
But before she could understand what
he said the sash began to rattle in her
hand, the Earring recommended, the floor
shook beneath her feet, hideous sound Of
grinding seemed 70 come from the walls, a
thin seam Of dust like smoke broke from
the ceiling, and with the noise Of falling
plaster a dozen books followed each other
from the shelves in what in the frantic
hurry Of that moment seemed a grmly de-
liberate succession; a picture hanging
against the wall TO her daZed wonder
swung forward and appeared 20 stand at
right angles from it: she felt herself reel
ing against the furniture, a deathly nausea
overlook her, and as she glanced despair
ingly toward the window the outlying
fields beyond the garden seemed to be I'M
dulating like sea.
For the first time she raised her voice,
ST IN fear SCt IL : pathetic little cry Of
apology for her awkwardness in tumbling
about and not being able to grapple this
new experience, and then she found her
self near the door, which had once more
swung free. She grasped it eagerly and
darted out Of the study into the deserted
passage. Here some instinct made her
follow the line of the wall rather than the
shaking balusters Of the corridor and stair
case; but before she reached the bottom
she heard a shout, and the farm laborer
she had seen coming toward her seized her
by the arm, dragged her to the open door
way Of the drawing room and halted be-
meath its arch in the wall Another thrill
but lighter than before-passed through
the building, then all WIS still again.
Its over, | reckon; that's all just now"
said the man coolly. Its quite safe to
cut and run for the garden now through
this window" He half led, half lifted her
through the French window TO the YER
aDda and the ground, and locking her arm
in his ran quickly forward a hundred feet
from the house, stopping ut last beneath
large post oak where there was a rustic
seat, into which she sank. You're safe
now, reckon" be said grinlly.
She looked toward the house The sun
was shining brightly. A cool breeze seem
ed TO have sprung up as they ran. She
could see a quantity OF rubbish lying on
Ugs=rU al IN.
gutter were perilously hanging, the broken
shafts OF the further cluster of chimneys,
q pile Of bricks scattered upon the ground
and among the battered down beams of the
and Of the veranda; but that was all. She
lifted her now whtened face to the man,
and with the apologize smile still linger-
3ng on her lips asked:
'ewhat does it ali mean? What has hap
penedP
The man stared at her. Dye mean to
gay ye don't know"
How could ~ They must have all left
the house "a soon as it began / was talk
ing toto d. LHommadieu, and he sud
denly left.
The man brought his face angrily down
within an inch OF her own. Dye mean
60 say that them id French halfbreeds
stampeded and left yer there alone?"
She was still too much stUpe6ed by the
reaction 80 fully comprehend his meaning,
and repeated feebly, with her smile still
family lingering, But you don't tell me
what n was"
AN earthquake" said the man roughly;
land If it had lasted ten seconds longer it
would have shook down the whole shanty
md left you under it, Yer kin tell that to
them if they don't know it, but from the
way they made tracks TO tbs fields reckon
they did. They "a coming now"
Without another word he turned away
half surlily, half deflantly, passing scarce
fifty yards away Mrs. Randolph and her
daughter, who were hastening toward their
guest.
'Oh, here you arc, said Mrs Randolph,
with the Nearest approach TO effnsion that
Bose had yet seen In her manner ave
Vero wondering where you had run TO and
were getting quite concerned Emile was
looking for you everywhere"
The recollection of his blank and object
face, bus wayne cutlery and blind fight,
came hack 10 Rose With a shock that sent
n flush Of sympAth etic shame TO her face
The ingenious Adele noticed IL and duti-
fully pinched her mothers arm.
Emile" echoed Rose family, looking
for msY''
Mother and daughter exchanged glances.
Yes" said Mns. Randolph cbeerfully,
''hs says he started 70 run with you, but
You got ahead and slipped out Of the garden
door-or something Of that kind" she add
cd, with the air Of making light of Rose's
JyirliSh fears ''You know one scarcely
knows what one does at suoh times, and it
must have been all frightfully strange to
Sou-And he's been quite distracted-Iest
you should have wandered away. Adele,
run and tell him Miss Mallory has been
here under the oak all the time"
Rose started, and then fell hopeleSsly
back in her seat. Perhaps it was truel
Perhaps he had not rushed off With that
awful face and without a word Perhaps
she herself had been hall frightened ont of
her reason. In the simple weak kindness
OF her nature it seemed less dreadful TO
believe that the fault was partly her own
And you went back into the house TO
look for US when ali was over" said Mrs.
Randolph, fixing her black. heady, mag
netio eyes on Rose, ''sSd that stupid yokel
'bekc brought you OUT again. He needn't
have ciutchsd your arm so closely, my
dear must speak 20 the major shout his
excessive familiarity-but suppose l shall
be told that that is American freedom. l
call il 1iberty'"
lt struck Rose that she had not even
thanked the man in the same flash that
She remembered something dreadful that
he hsd said. She covered her face with
her hands and tried 10 recall herself
Mrs. Randolph gently tapped her shout
der with a mixture Of maternal philosophy
and discipline, and continued: "Of course
its an upset. and you're confused still.
rhat : nnLhinz They saN daar it,s ~