Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-03-04


the grasp of death-cold fingers that he
could not but start.
| ooh" said the captain, nervously.
Here they are. Catch 'em, Sam!
Halo! Where's the trap door?"
And it took the worthy captain fully
sixty seconds or more to realize that
the trap-doOr was closed and fastened
on the lower side. He rushed to the
window and threw it up only to see
Sam speeding up the hill.
"Hal-lo-o-am yelled Capt. Logan.
Come back, you scoundrel! You i'll
conditioned lout! You imp of evil"
Sam turned around and executed
that peculiar gyration of the fingers in
connection with the nasal organ which
is supposed to express the extremity
| of scOrn.
You'll find the ladder on the barn
floor, cap'n," hooted this young rebel,
San don't be afraid o. the ghost; it's
very harmless if you let it alone"
"But, Sam-Sam, come back! I'm
to be at Mr. Browns at 1880"
Don't worry" bawled Sam. Miss
Carrie won't wait long afore Mr..
| Fred'll be on hand"
The captain danced up and down on
the floor in an ecstasy of rage as Sam
disappeared over the crest of the hill.
He knew very well if he possessed the
lungs of Boreas he could make no one
hear.
He sat shivering down on the hay,
starting nervOusly at the sound of
horses feet below, and thinking how
disagreeably bar of moonlight, which
streamed down from a crack in the
roof, resembled tall, white figure
standing under the center beam. He
could almost fancy the rope round its
neck. Pshaw! And the captain jumped
up again, with starting dew on his
temples, even in the freezing atmos-
| phere of the barn chamber.
"What is to be dOne?" he asked HIM
self. And echo, if echo had had any
common sense, would have answered:
"Just nothing at ALL"
Sam had Outwitted him. And pretty
Carrie, and Fred Jones, with his red
cutter and great chestnut-colored
horse! The captain was wild at the
thought; surely he was vanquished.
Il won't wait another minute for
him." said Carrie Brown, coloring up,
with the tears in her blue eyes. go
on, girls, l shall spend the evening at
| home"
There's plenty OF room for you in
our sleigh, Carrie" coaxed her brother.
Bessie Andrews will be glad to have
you along"
NO, she won't, either" pOuted Car
RE. CAS- if | would spoil all her fun!
No; if | can't have an escort of my
| own, TIL TO Of bor,a anI p,npI
| ings; and | never, never will speak to
Capt. Logan again"
Charlie Brown was on the point of
arguing the matter with his sister,
when the door opened and in walked
| Fred Jones.
"Not gone yet, Carrie? Where is
the captainm
Il don't know" said Carrie, tartly,
"and l don't care. AmICapt. Logan's
keeper"
"WiIl you 90 with me?"
eyes, [ will" said Carrie, her eyes
lighting and shy smiles dimpling her
| face.
"Of course" said Fred, 81 can't ex-
pect to make myself as agreeable as
the city captain, but"
The captain, the captain cried
Carrie, little irritably. I'm sick of
the sound of his name. | never want
to see him again. What a nice new
cutter this is, and how easy the wolf
| robes are,"
Carrie" whispered Fred, as he
touched up the horse and felt her nest
ling close to him, lis it for always?"
yes, always" she answered.
"Jerusalem!" said Farmer Kendrick.
TWAS past IL o'clock atnight, and the
| old gentleman had come out a. usual
before retiring to rest, to see that the
| dumb members Of his family were all
safe aud comfortable. i do believe
that's old John Hendricks ghost come
to life again, poundin' like all pos
sessed on the barn chamber floor"
Its NEE! It's NEE" bawled the
captain. "Unfasten the trap door and
let me out!'
Slowly the farmer lifted the ladder
to its place. With rheumatic awk-
wardness he climbed the creaking
rounds and undid the hook from its
| hasp.
How in all creation came you here?"
he demanded. why, l thought you
was out a-sleighridin' with the gals. "
at was all the doing of that villain,
SAM gasped the Infatuated captain,
his teeth chattering with mingled rage
and cold. Il won't stand this sort of
thing. III leave the place tomorrow"
AS you please, said the farmer, to
whom the prospect of losing his guest
was not unpleasant. I'm dreadful
sorry this should have happened,
though, and III talk seriously to Sam"
so will l." CRASHED the captain.
| "I'll break every bone in his body
But Sam had taken particular care
to 90 over to his grandmother's, six
miles across the snowy fields, to spend
the night, and the only person the cap
tain saw was old Mrs. Kendrick sitting
by the kitchen fire.
you've lost your chance, captain, :"
said she, good-humoredly. @Dorcas
Smith has just gone by on her way
home from the sleighing party, and
she says Fred Jones brought Carrie
Brown in his new cutter, and they're
engaged"
The captain left next day, and Mrs.
Fred Jones has never seen him since.
And when the affair came off Sam got
piece of wedding cake big enough to
give him the dyspepsia for a week.
| Boston News.