Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-03-06

cause there seemed nothing to do at
home. and partly because Uncle Absalom
had written that one of his nine nieces
would come very handy for a house
keeper at Swampy Corners, in the State
of Dakota, if she could be spared.
The latter sentence was intended on his
mart for a sarcasm, but the Elkton
family had received it in all good faith,
and held many deliberation before they
consented to let one of the nine young
birds Autter out of the home nest.
And more especially she had come be-
cause she had incidentally learned that
Andrew Markham was one of the en-
oineers in charge of the new line of rail-
way on the other slope of the mountain,
which under .aking involved the navy
camp and the great derricSs AMI steam
drills, ard the gangs of slit-eyed Chinese
and dark-browed Italians.
s.Not that that Signifies" Emily had
plausibly told herself; "but OF course it's
nleasant to be somewhere within hun
dred miles of an old acquaintance"
Andrew Markham had been to see her
tu,;co md both times she had made up
her mind that the Far West was the only
place to live in.
"He expects to settle herel" she
thought, with a soft pink color suffusing
her face. "He says he has already
bought a sunny slope of land, where he
means to build a house and bring a wife,
when he can afford it, He thinks that
life here means twice what it does in the
effete civilization of the East.
But tonight, with darkness the wrap
ping the little depot like a blanket, and
the wind bowling down the mountain
gorge, Miss Elkton would not at ali have
objected to some of that same "effeto
civilization ~
Alone in the house! During the whole
Of her soiourn at Swampy Corners, such
thing had never happened to her be-
fore.
Uncle Absalom had occasionally been
absent, 1t was true, but Miriam Nudge
was always there to bear her company
until his return.
Now that a sudden summons from her
father. hurt in an accident in the sawmlll
on Ragged River, six miles below, had
called Miriam away, poor Emily was all
in hutter.
True the one train a day which stopped
at the "daypot" was not due until seven
in the morning; the telegraph office was
closed, aud there was absolutely no care
for her to assume except to put another
loo of wood on the ar-tight stove and
20 quietly to bed. But the very sense
of solitude appalled, her. She shivered
at the very click of the snow-hakes
against the window, the creak of the
boards in the floor, the slow dri p OF the
water into the kitchen sink, where Uncle
Absalom had recently introduced tAe
modern improvement of water-faucet
connected by pipes with the spring IN
the spruce glen above.
"Why couldn't Miriam have stopped
al one of the neighbor's houses and sent
some to keep me company she repined.
"Andrew says there are some nice girls
at Almondsley, down the mountain, and
he said he'd like to introduce me to Ma
rietta Mix, who teaches Sunday-school
in the South Cleating and does type
writing for the company on week days.
I'm sorry Dow that l tossed my head aud
nut on airs, and said didn't care to
mingle in the society hereabouts. On,
dear. what hateful, insolent mink !
must have appeared! Good gracious
me. what was thatl'
1t was the clock striking nine, and
then Emily remembered that she hao
had no supper.
Nervousiy glanciug around her, she
tiptoed to the cupboard, poured out
glass Of milk and a little bread and
cheese.
As she replaced the coarse fint-glasi
tumbler on the shelf, she heard something
like cautious footstep on the hard frozen
path outside.
"Its my Imagination" she thought,
after listening for second. cit must
bel Rut | won't be frightened so. Ill
be bravew
She took the hatchct Boldly in her
hand, and saIlying forth, opened the
cellar door wide, thus exposing yawn'
ing pit Of darkness.
"If anyone comes, they'll sail do"r
there before they can get to the door,
said Emily.
And with one or tTo prodigion'
slashes Of the hatchet she cut away th'
board path which led across series
of ragged boulders to the railway plat
form.
"There," she cried. hurrying back tC
the inside warmth and brightness, as il
a whole brigade of puTsuers were at het