Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-04-18

and with them-oh, blessed relief
two policemen.
They saw me, and then they and tho
three boys, and sundry others who had
collected, disappeared in our area.
Then a long time passed, parleying
with Biddy, suppose, trying to make
her let them in.
was in agony. Ten minutes, which
seemed like IN hour, passed, and,
then, with a Joy | never could have
believed such a vision could inspire, l
saw the head of a policeman above the
garnet roof.
But let me go back a little and tell
how things went on in the house.
About two hours after l had gone-as
every one supposed-Biddy went upin
room To dress. She was startled by
mysterious sounding knocks, and
voices, as she thought. She knew no
one was in the house except my father
downstairs. She was superstitious;
she ran down with a wild face, and
met my mother in the hall. She de-
clared that there were spirits" up.
stairs, whispering, and knocking and
~groaning.
My mother laughed AZ her, and
went up 10 the third story. She too
heard mutled knocks, and what sound
ed like voices. which she could not &C.
count for nor locate. She went into
all the rooms; she looked in every
closet; she saw the spring door closed,
and she lever thought Of any ones
being up there.
She was a little startled herself,
though she did not think it was spirits,
and she got father up there. He went
to please her, though he poOhed and
said it was nonsense, etc. When he
got there the noises had stopped; prob
ably that was when ! was coaxing the
street boys. So he said Nonsense
more emphatically than ever, and
came down.
When the two policemen with their
clubs pounded on the door and de-
handed admittance, and Biddy went
to the door, she was scared again; and
they walked right in.
What do you wantl' asked my
father, meeting them in the hall.
I'VE want the madwoman on your
roof" they said.
Good ~Ieavens." cried my mother,
"a madwoman! That's what we heard!
how could she have got there!'
When the door opened, and the head
appeared above tiny relief, after the
strain i had been under was so great
that for the first time inmy life faint
ed away.
The policeman dragged me down
some way, my head still tied up in the
apron, and the old carpet trailing after
me. They were about to carry me
down the next fight. preparatory to
carrying me off to the station, l sup
pose, when mother happened to catch
sight of my face.
She shrieked: why, it's my daugh-
teri"
OF course she took me in charge,
and the policeman turned upon the
crowd who lad followed in from the
street, drove them out and we were
left alone.
When / came out of the faint, my
nerves were all unstrung; l ,Juldn't
control myself; l laughed, l cried, l
could hardly tell my story. The whole
thing seemed SO absurd and ridiculous,
to be a prisoner Oh ones own roof for
hours. And yet it had somehow been
SO tragical to me.
More tragical indeed than / dream
ed; for that very evening the blow
fell. Mother dispatched father at once
to Aunt Durgin's to explain; but the
answer he brought back was crushing.
Aunt had talked her plan over with
my mother, made her promise secrecy,
And invited me to tea, TO talk it over
and make her offer. 1t was-oh, it
waste have a years study abroad!
The m thing / wanted!
When ] did not come, she thought
it vas because | did not want to be
bothered to take tea with an old wo-
man-shc was always SO suspicious so
she selit for Cousin Jane, who lived
very near her, and made her the offer
to go abroad. That was the news that
father brought.
Jane didn't want to study, so she
had a year of travel, and Aunt Dur.
gin died before the end of it. So you
see, my dear, if l hadn't been SO care
less that once. my life would have
been very different, and l shouldn't
have been a common music teacher all
my days.-Olive Thornc Miller in In