The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-08-27
ns pleasant June evening, desc

But a 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 a 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 Dans-Dan being the old sorrel her
Uncle Robert always drove.
Where was Topsy1 Her Uncle Rob
ert never drove Topsy. Besides, Dan was
gone. And he never lent her. What
had become of her2
Huldah was in tremble. Topsy-if
it had been anything but Topsyl Had
she been stolen1 Had she got loose and
run away2 The door had been locked,
but there was the big back door into the
barnyard. Something had happened
while she had been blubbering up stairs.
What would her uncle Robert say
do2
Huldah was pale and panic stricken.
| Oh, dearl What should she do2
Hardly knowing what she was doing,
she hurried out into the road, and
bending low, studied the hoof 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 endl 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-
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. She
went breathlessly tramping on up the
dusty road.
She thought she had been unhappy
before, but now she was miserable.
She was confused, TOO, in her misery.
She had gone quarter of a mile be-
fore it occurred to her that she had left
the house unlocked, as we'll 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, and she supposed
! she looked like one. Was she going to
cry again2 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 a
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 she2 Why, almost to
Benton's Corners-almost two miles.
And houses were 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.
Bat 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 a house far
ahead in a ghostly way, and an owl
hooted away off in the woods.
Oh, what was thatl 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 a 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 a minute,
and was Indignantly ashamed OF herself.
She sat up suddenly and rigidly and
stared. Yes, Joe was holding her, and
her Uncle Robert was kneeling beside
her, with his florid face whitened and a
lantern in his hand and the buggy stood
in the road.
"Huldah," Joe was gasping, "what is
it, dear-what is itl How did you come
herel Huldah-"
81 thought you'd gone to Wakely,
Joe," Huldah said, tremulouslY, at
which her Uncle Robert gave an excited
laugh.
81 swow she's all right" he ejacu-
lated. "Huldy, we've beel scairt out OF
our wits. Why, we thought you'd lost
your senses, wandering around like this.
We come mighty near not seeing you,
neither" 4"
"No, mol" cried Huldah, passing her
hand over her dazed eyes.
And then strupglinO to her feet she