Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-07-07

stalks, trifle easier IN his mind
Grandfatbsr Gordon still sat on the
porch, smodng, when she returned.
Betsey was stirring mush In a kettle.
Both were rather deaf, and Jacquelina
easily distracted few articles from tho
milk -room-a yellow pitcher OF butter
milk, the stub-end of loaf OF bread, and
some dyspcptic-looking odds and ends;
and il was easy to take a suit OF her old
grandfather's ginger-colored, homespuD
clothes from the press under the stairs
and creep silently away.
'Tt's good thing I'm going away to-
morrow morning." thought Jacquelina.
''But the very first money earn I'll pay
Grandfather Gordon for these things
yes, and with interest, tool"
She fed the poor, escaped wretch, and
gave him clothes to wear, and ended by
sharing with him her financial ALL One
bright silver dollar she kept; the other
she gave to him.
"And now" said she, ''mind you take
n new start in the world /"
.I'll do my best" said he, eagerly
drinking the cool buttcrmilk, and swal-
lowing the dry bread and leathery ginger
cookies in great gulps "And If every
body ID been as good to meas you have,
never d "a been where be now"
''Humph I" muttered old Betsey, sthe
gals wus'n a seven-years' famine Three
ginger snaps an half squash pie gone,
besides what she eat at suppertime ! We
should be ruined If she stayed here
long,
'1She's nice-lookin' gall" said old
Grandfather Gordon. eff wasn't so
ALFRED poor, should most like to keep
her.
In the middle of the night, Jacquelina,
who slept the sleep of youth and health,
quite undisturbed by any suspicion of
the ghost, was reused by an awful crash,
a binding blaze that seemed to scorch
her very eyes.
The old house was struck by lightning.
The chimney had settled into shapeless
mass of ruins. Here and there the time
dried side-shingling was ablaze, in spite
of the sheets of rain that descended with
rushing sound like the waves Of the
sea.
Old Betsey, with patchwork bed
quilt wrapped around her, was hobbling
away as fast as she could.
"Betsey Betseym screamed Jacquelina
from the window. Where's grand
father 2"
81 don't know" croaked the beldame.
''D'ye s'pose Pm goin' to stay and be
burned to death9"
And it was Jacquelina who CROPPED her
way to the old mans room, helped him
to dress, explaining the while what had
and led him down to the old
ice house, the nearest place of shelter,
until the storm was over.
Nor were they any too soon. They had
scarcely got clear of the old house before
the charred beams fell in, and only
framework of fire remained, luridly out
lined against the ink-black sky.
With morning light the terrible tenn
pest past; but there lay the smoking
heap of ruins where the hundred year-old
Gordon homestead had stood in the red
shine of sunset.
"We'll build it up ag'in, Jacquelina-
we'll build it up" said the old man,
feebly. "It's the place where was born,
and the place where l calculate to die
where should ha' died last night, JAG
quelina, if it hadn't been for you. Where
you been my girll Your shoes are soaked
with the wet grass, and you look as white
as death"
"Only to the barn." said Jacquelina,
"to see if all was right there. The pony
is safe, and the little calf and all. Now,
good by2 The stage goes at
six, you know, and"
swell, let it gol" said Grandfather
Gordon. "You amt goin' You stood
by me when Betsey Poole would "a left
the old man to die like roasted rat in a
trap. You saved my life. Dye think
I'm goin' to let you go now?"
ooh, grandfather, then-then you
want me after all 2" sobbed Jacquelina.
eyes, l do want you. An mean to
keep you always. I've got more money
in the bank than folks know anything
about, an guess we can build up the
old house nice and comfortable, and live
there an be happy, you an l."
''But grandfather, must tell you
first"
A full confession was trembling on
Jacquelina's lips, when one of the neigh
bors came running up the hill.
"Heard the news2" said he. "There's
been big landslide down over the rail-
road at Cooper's Bend, and the express
would "a been wrecked, sure as guns, if
Il hadn't been signaled with red silk
tied round lantern, and the
lanterns your old barn light, Squire
Gordonl An the teller that signaled it
IN saved all the lives in the train was
that runaway chap from Cazanova jail;
IN, as it happened, the warden hisself
was on the train, an he says it'll be a
queer thing if they don't get the gov
ernor to sign pardon for him. For he
might a took to his heels an run away;
put he got recaptured savin' the express
train. An he saved it, too-yes, he
1idp
"From Cazanova Jail ~ repeated Grand
father Gordon. "What runaway chap9"
And then Jacquelina took fresh cour-
lge and told him all the simple story.
'sMy girl,n said he, strokipg her red
brown hair, ''you done right. You're
good girl, Jacquelina. Amt there
in the Bible about him that
IS ready to perishr Yes, Jacquelina, l
want you more than ever now"
And so, in the storm of that May night,
/ new career was opened alike to lnno-
cent Jacquelina Gordon and the guilty
wretch who had been condemned to Cas-
lnova Jail for forgery.
Truly there was yet place in the
world for them. They were both ''want-
ID. US Saturday Night.
-------
POPULAR SCIENCE NOTES.