Connecticut western news., 1890-08-20

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 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 Robert never drove Topsy. Besides Dan was gone. And he never lent her. What had become of her2 Huldah was in a tremble. Topsy- if it had been anything but Topsy! Had she been stolen9 Had she got loose and run away2 The door had been locked, but there was the big back door into the barnyard Some thing had happened while she had been blubbering upstairs. What would her Uncle Robert say-do9 Huldah was pale and panicstricken. Oh, dear what should she do2
 Hardly knowing what she was doing she hurried out into the road, and bend ing low studied the hoof prints in the dust.
 All tending westward were half ob liberated; those turning east, or in the direction of Wakely, were fresh, and Huldah mechanically walked eastward.
 To what end9 If Topsy had broken her halter and frisked up the road Hull dah thought she might overtake her. If she had been stolen and ridden away at a foaming trot- But Huldah could not have sat still; she could not have waited Doing something was better than doing noth- ing 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 a quarter of 8 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 the butter dish compared with Topsy2 Oh, dearl
 She was glad it was getting dark; nobody would recognize her. But even so, people stared at the hurrying, bare headed girl and wondered.
 Once or twic she mustered courage to ask if Topsy had been seen, but no- body had seen her. She felt like a tramp, and she SUD- posed she looked like one Was she going to cry again? She would not But if any other calamity had befallen her than losing Topsy-anythingl 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 peaceful 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 a 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.
 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 gleamed from house far ahead in a ghostly way, and an owl hooted away off in the woods. Oh, what was that2 It was only friendly stray cat rubbing against her, but it was too much for Huldah in her strained state.
 1 She recoiled in fright and gasped, and then sitting down on smooth, flat stone near by tried to smile strove to rally her scattering 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 her self. She sat up suddenly and rigidly and stared. Yes, Joe was holding her, and her Uncle Robert was kneeling be- side her, with his fiorid 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 it2 How did you come here? Huldah"- 1 4@ YaJ Joe," Huldah said tremulously, at which her Uncle Robert gave an ex- cited laugh.
 'sI SNOW she's all rightp' he ejacu- lated. "Huldy, we've been 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"
 ''No, no!' cried Huldah, passing her hand over her dazed eyes. [ And then, struggling to her feet, she nerved herself for the worst.
 'I came clear up here trying to find Topsy," she faltered. ''She's lost, Uncle Robert! She's either got loose or been stolen, and it's my fault"
 ''Lost!" Joe cried. 'aThere she stands in the thills"
 'Is that Topsy9' Huldah gasped, and her Uncle Robert laughed again.
 ''I swan, you are all rightp he re- peated. ''That's Topsy, sure. Help her into the buggy here, Joe, and let's get this thing untangled 8 little. Tramped for two miles did you,
 Huldy2"