Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-02-27

other siepl I'm clear out Of breath.
DO let's rcst!'
Re.t! Asif lot of gay young
frolickers could even known what the
word meant
Sam played II variation on his vic.
lin, and Duke Beverly accompanied
him OF the jewsharp. drew, in red
chalk on the wall, IA silhouette of Aunt
Pamela, in fine frenzy of house
eleau;ng C'Wc'rc going to whitcwash
It tomorrow" said |, rccklcssly),
while Darling treated us to an excel
lent imitation of tho same old lady in
hurry to 90 to church, looking for
The spcctaclos hat were astridc of her
nose.
And then we began to set the table
for supper, just as the old clock in
the kitchen chimcd midnight, while
the four Young men went down eel
lar to draw some cider out of barrel
in the southeast corner, which Aunt
Pamela had pronounced superior to
any cider in the ncighb rhood.
All of a sudden we heard a shrill
voice at tho foot of the stairs:
Darling! Ariel! Where be We,
girls?'
Nlll Beverly dropped the loaf of
gingerbread on the floor | stood,
paralyzed with a delicious crcam-cus-
lard in my hand. Darling's dimpled
face grew pale.
dts Aunt Pame,a," size whispered
'lIush! Hide away the things. What
in all creation can have brought her
back at tnis time of night?'
"Glrls! girls!o screcched the old
lady, "conc down stairs and get me a
cup o tea. I'm most beat out. Old
Mrs. Hurley is better, and she's more
pecoOliar than ever, and says she won't
have a soul come near her but her own
darter, Mary Ann. So I'm back. But
never meant, girla, you should set
up all night a-clcanin house. You're
good, smart workers, but there amt
no scch hurry as all that. And you've
been sort O keerless, LAWN the cellal
door unfas,encd on Tie outside. Eve
just padlocbcd it and made all safe
.And bolt d all fom of the boys
loua, cellar" Whispered Darling.
"What ncxt?'
We beckoncd to the Beverly girls to
keep quiet. and crept rather shcepishl,
Il ~ya stairs.
re stood Aunt Pamela, bundled
in shawls, ana ruddy with the touch
Of the night frosis
"Wor~in' in the upstairs rooms, be
YEP" said Aunt Pamela. "Wcl, !
calculate it's time to leave off now,
and 90 to bed. And can take hold
and help yc tomorrow mornin'. I'sa
real comfort to hev two stirrin' girls
about the place like YOU"
Darling a.d looked GUILTY. al
each other. If ever Aunt Pamela had
been capable of sarca,m we might
have suspected it now; but she wa,
the most ma'tor-of- fact of old danes,
nd UP % this time her yea had meant
yea and her nay nay.
She sat composcdly down TO her tea
and toast, while the Beverly girls
irembled in the room above (the
winding wooden staircase came di-
-ccily down into the om where we
aD, and while mysterious sounds
ever and anon came up from below
Would she never be through?
81 Do b'lievc, she said, at last,
'qhat I've padIocked the dog down
cellar sort o hear a strange rust
lin down there. P'rhaps Id better
90 and see
"N-no, Aunt Pamela" historically
interectcd Darling, "Tll go! You
know how steep those stone steps are,
and Give me the key; Pm no
afraid TO go!"
Presently she came back, bright
faced and brcathless.
ats all right" said she. "Thc dog
wasn't there"
"Oh, well, " said Aunt Pamela. amy
hearin amt as good as it was. may
have been mis.ook. And now"-wilh
prodigious yawn--'I guess I'll go
TO bed"
Never did the old lady's prepara-
lions for a nights slumbcr spin them
selves ont into such insufferabe
ledium!
But at last she disappeared into her
little room, which opened out of the
kitchen, with a farewell exhortation
to Darling and me to be up betimes in
the morning to further the great work
of fall house-cIeaning which we had
begun so b,avcly.
No sooner had the door closed on
her stout figure than we made haste to
lihcsale tbs captiyos aagoye. staiEs>...
"Make haste, girls-makc haste :"
whispered Darling. "Sam and Duke
md Harry are waiting for You at the
end of the lane. Merciful fates, wha
an escape we have had Goodnight
girls-good-night!"
And as they scndded breathlessly
out, a faint voice, like an echo, came
from Aunt Pamela's bedroom: