Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-27

envelope she wrote request that any
one going to town would deliver IL into
his hand. She then fastened the letter
to a stick, one end Of VIII oh she sharp
ened with a butcher knife. and telling
Johnny she was going into the yard
and would be back in a few moments,
ran down to the big road and stuck the
stick. with the letter attached, into the
ground where any one passing would be
a most certain Of see ng it. This done
she re urnetl to the house as quickly as
the one-point OF the road which was
pass team or horseman, as an assur-
ance that tho message had found car
rler. One team she saw going in the
opposite dir ction. but if the driver of
1t saw the letter ne made no effort to
forward it to its dest nation, fancy 'ng,
perhaps. that some one going to town
would soon pass and take it.
As the afternoon came on. q new
cause for alarm to the watcher by the
cot OF the sick boy appeared. The
clouds were gathering in q way that
b"token, long-continued and heavy
rainfall. What if John should be de-
tanned until late by the business on
which he had gone; would he be able
to return At night in the midst of tho
storm which was approachingp If not,
how should she get through the night
all alone with the sick childp Or, what
If John should attemptto come through
the DARK ness and rain and should meet
W tn an ACCIDENT She felt certain that
he would make the attempt to reach
home that n ght, no matter what the
weather might be; but would he be able
70 get through? Would not the ravines
Fl with water and make the road dan
gerous, If not absolutely impossible?
S could not tell, she could only wait
and hope for the best; but every mo-
ment seemed an hour. for hours before
she had any reason to expect her hus-
band return. even if he was not de-
layed by the storm.
1t was but little after three o clock
when it began to rain; but SO
thick were the clouds that it
seemed Us if night were already
at hand. Johnny had dropped off to
a light sleep, and she sat by the win low
that commanded view OF the garden,
the level ground with the ravine below.
and the hills stretching away towards
Phippsburg and the river. The rain
came down in torrents. and she noticed
ow quickly little rills formed and ran
down between the rows and veget bles
in t! Q garden, and lost themselves in the
stubble l.eld beyond. The turkeys and
chickens. deceived by the unusual dark
ness. had all sought their roosts, ex-
cept here and there one who had been
late about getting in and now stood
W tn dropping tai feathers and gen
l.
thick leaves of some shrub or vine.
Then it occurred to her to save for
washing purposes some of the water
that was falling, soft wafer being lux-
ury during half the year on the mount
ain; and she threw an old shawl about
her head and shoulders and went out
and set the wash tub and boiler under
the cave spout, and saw them filled al
most before she could turn back into
the kitchen.
And now Johnny had wakened and
was calling her. She went to him and
felt her heart G We great throb as she
noticed that his fever was higher than
ever, and that his eyes had a strangr
look about them. She preserved her
calm appearance, minis cred to h S
wants, and when he asked for h S
father, told him that he had not re-
turned, and t at they must not look for
/ i'm yet awhile, but that he would come
by and by.
During partial lull in the storm she
| ran out to the sled and MIXED the
cows. which ad come up of their own
accord, and were contentedly chewing
| their cuds beneath the shelter. Tho
horse left at home stood in his stall, and
X pit turning his ears back and side
WAYS, as if TO catch the sound of his
returning mate. and she set her milk
pail on the ground and threw him BIZ
of hay.
Returning to the house she lighted
! both of the lamps and took them into
the sitting room where Johnny lay, in
Order to make it seem as cheerful as
possible. She had kept the wood-box
full of dry wood all day, and now she
prepared everything for the start ng o.
a fire in the cook tove, and lit e lat
er, started it, and put the tea-kettle on
Although it was quite dark now, she
d d not much expect her h .sband lust
yet. ut wished to have everything
ready to get h m cup of hot tea thu
moment he did come. She also brough
out suit of dry clothes and hung then
by the fire ready for him to put on.
She could still see a little distance
through the deepening gloom, and she
observed that the water had cut bits o.
gulleys between the potato rows, ane
that the stubble field below had the APP
pearance of having become lake. Th'
rain, too, instead of decreasing as tn
night set In, was. if possible, falling
fas: er than ever; and she could hear
FAINT roar coming up from the ravine
and knew that soon the water would b.
rush ng through it in great volume, AM
with force that would overwhelm an,
liv ng thing caught in its path; AM
half dozen such ravines crossed III
in coming from ihippsburg.
She shuddered as she listened, an,