Middletown transcript., 1891-09-24

! w0uidn go over 10 Ifmetny
Tonight, if were you,o said Mrs
Green. "Jenny's dreadful nervous
and il would use her all up; sh
thought so much of Hannah Maria. |"
Mrs. Green's voice broke with =
sob.
"No, I'm not going there" return
ed Mr.. Greeu.
+" 1t isn't any use. It's good fv'
miles off.
Mr.. Greeu got into his buggy anc
drove away. Mrs. Green went home
and Aunt Susy and the other aunt
with her. Nobody slept 10 the LIANT
or the Green house that night, except
Grandmother Lamb she dozed in her
chair, although they could not induce
her to go to bed. But first she start
ed the kitchen FIRE, and made another
bowl OF thoronghworttea for Mehitable,
"She'll be sick, just as sure as the
world, if she doesn't drink it," said
she. And Mehitable lifted her swol-
len, teary face from the pillow and
drank it. "She don't know any more
where that Green girl has gone to
than I do" said Grandmother Lamb,
when she went down with the bowl.
There isn't any use pesterin' the
child so."
Mrs. Lamb watched for Mr.. Green
to return from Mr.. Pitkin's, and ran
out to the road. He had with him
Mr.. Pitkin's hired man and eldest boy.
"Pitkin's harnessed up, and gone
the other way, over to the village, and
we're goin' to look round the place,
an'-look in the well," he said in a
husky voice.
: "If she would only tell,'. groaned
Mrs. Lamb. "I've done all can. 1
can't make her speak"
Mr.. Green groaned in response, and
drove on Mrs. Lamb went in, and
stood at her sitting room window and
watched the lights over at the Green
house They fitted from one room to
another all night. At dawn Aunt
Snsy ran over with her shawl oyer her
head. She was wan and hollow.eyed.
"They haven't found sign of her"
said she. They've looked everywhere.
The Pitkin boys been down the well.
Mr.. Pitkin has just come over from
the village, and lot of men are going
out to hunt for her, as soon as it's
light. If Mehitable only would tell !"
81 can't make her." said Mrs. Lamb,
despairingly.
81 know what think you'd ought
to do" said Aunt Susy in desperate
voice.
"What?"
"Whip her,"
"Oh, Susy, l can't! 1 never whip.
ped her in my life."
"Well l don't care. / should"
Aunt Susy had the tragic and resolute
of an inquisitor. She
might have been proposing the rack.
81 think it is your duty" she added.
Mrs. Lamb sank into the rocking
chair and wept, but, within an hours
time, Mehitable stood shivering and
sobbing in her nightgown, and held
out her pretty little hands, while her
mother switched them with a small
stick, Aunt Susy was crying in the
sitting room. "Did she tell ?" she
inquired when her sister, quite pale
and trembling, came in with the stick.
"No," replied Mrs. Lamb. II
never will whip that dear child again,
come whatwill." And she broke the
stick in two, and threw it ont Of the the
window.
1t was about nine o'clock, and Mrs.
Lamb and the aunts had just carried
the hot breakfast over to the Green's,
and were arranging it on the table,
when another team drove into the yard.
1t was a white horse and covered
wagon. On the front seat sat Han
nah Maria's aunt, Jenny DUNN, and
a young lady, one Of Hannah Maria's
Mrs. Green ran to the door.
"Oh, Jenny, have you heard r she
gasped. Then she screamed, for Han.
nah Maria was peeping out of the rear
of the covered wagon. She was 10
there with another young lady cousin
and a great basket of yellow apples.
Hannah Maria Green, where have
you been?" cried her mother.
"Why, what do you think That
child walked way over to our house
last night" Aunt Jenny said volubly !;
'and Timothy was gone with the horse,
and there wasn't anything to do but
to keep her. I knew you wouldn't be
worried about her, for she said the
little Lamb girl knew where she'd gone,
and"
Mrs. Green jerked the wagon-door
open, and pulled Hannah Maria out.
$50 right into the house !" she said
in stern voice. "Here she wouldn't
tell where you'd gone, and the whole
hunting! Go in"
Hannah Maria's face changed from
and deprecating smiles to the
certainty fgrief. "Oh, I made her
promise not to tell; but | s'posed she
would" she sobbed. II didn't know't
was going to be SO far. Oh, mother,
I'm sorry !"
$50 right in" said her mother.
And Hannah Maria went in. Aunt
Susy and Mrs. Lamb pushed past her
as she entered They were flying
home to make amends 10 Mehitable,
with kind words and kisses, and to
take away the taste of the thorough
wort tea with sponge cake and some
of the best strawberry jam.
Later in the forenoon, Mehitable,
with the row of smooth water curls
round her head, dressed in her clean
pink calico, sat on the door step with
her doll. Her face was as shining as
the china one. Hannah Maria came
slowly into the yard. She carried
basket of early apples. Her eyes were
red. "Here are some apples for you"