St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-05-07

we'll ueCA0kes bSsO Mt6 Ol0dge.
us it possible. now. thss they hiin't
told your"
''They have told me nc ching" SID L
swell It's likely they didnt wait to
scare you Or make your nervous, "$said
Mira Gludge. ''But all the sazee, l
think you ou9hter to know"
Mrs Gludge." cried I. seixinei her
arm. what is it? Do tell mev'
"It's . private home" said MIA.
Gludge, lowering her voice TO whisper.
~ though the raipdrops and the rust
ling Or boughs could overhear.
"A what?" gasped.
For people of feeble mind" ex.
planned the woman, '.and lunies,s tap
ping her forehead rs she spoke.
stared at her.
Then" cried /. 'that's that Peter
meant when he said that-that-'@
Zone of the poor creatures has some-
how given EN- the slip" said4 Mira
Gludge; IAN English gentleman $from
Montreal as has only been there few
days Nobody knows just how hap
pened, but happen it did Ny mans
gone over with . lantern to he'll hunt
for him; SO has Peter"
He might have told me" I Grid in
dignantly.
Anyway. don't think he ought to
Rave left you here alone" SAID Mira
Gludge, severely.
But you've come to stay win me,
Mrs. Gludge?"
I'm on my way 10 carry . letter 10 Mr..
Romney's up the road very 1mpor-
tant letter. with in haste writ *n it.
(For In addition to her duties Is . farm
ers wife and mother Of . largS fami-
~ Of little children. Mrs tlud9e
helped her husband in the care If the
obscure little country post ofiicct mile
down the road). "And-by the way.
I'D nearly forgot tive q letter for
you. too That's what brought me
here"
''For me. Mrs. Gludge?'
Iustinctively put out my HIND to
grasp the treasure. while the ysoman
fumbled first in ono and theniin tho
other of her pocket&
Its very strange" she saA 81
made sure had it did have e when
started away from home; but now !
| remember. Just At the foot of Gibbs
Cliff took ont my handkerchief to tie
around my neck-the wind ceme 50
keen around tho rocks-and must
applied it out with that. and every
thing too pitch dark around mcf TO see.
Oh. Miss Ruth. I'm SO sorry! Please
don't report me, that's q g0Ode young
lady, or shall lose my place"
swallowed down . big lumr. of dis
comfture in my throat and fried to
laugh.
Report you. Mrs Gludge!" said I.
''Of course not It wasn't youk fault
II you hadn't kindly though. Of me
and started to bring it on your Tvay to
Romney's you would never hive lost
it"
"And quite true" said Mrs s;ludge,
ruefully; ''but all the same wish ]
hadn't been SO thoughlesA I'll send
the boys out to look for it just as soon
as
.Oh. never mind the lettef." in.
terrupted. Il dare say it's oply from
Jack. Tomorrow morning will do
very well for. that But Mira :Gludge.
you'll come back and stay with me till
Peter comes back' Jean is away. you
know, and
Eyes my dear. I'll do that" bssented
the woman, evidently relievedtto be let
of SO easily on the score Of tho letter.
land it won't be long first rs only .
short half mile to RomneyS. Il the
wind didn't blow SO like al possessed"
With . good-humored nod sic disap-
peared into the rain and darkpess, and
I ran back to pile fresh los$s on the
waning FIRE. Bank burgls.s,: extradi-
ted wanderers. lunatic q large
with all these possibilities wsirling in
my brain it is not strange that light
ed second lamp in order ejfectually
to Danish all lurking shaddfss from
the angles Of the room aIS started
nervously when . sudden blast Of
wind shook the window shutters Is If
with some impcrious hand.
IN 60 up TO the garnet md bring
down some butternuts." thought ].
and then I'll get some cidert from the
cellar. 1t will be fun to cracE the but
ternuts and watch the SHELF blaze in
the fire. and Mira Gludge wcald like .
drink OF cider when she Gomez back all
wet and chill"
Cheered BY this happy thought i
caught mp lamp and Jew tc the gar
rot Of the roomy old house. where my
father had bestowed all tho nutty
treasures Of the autumn WOODS Some
how Priscilla. the cat, had dot locked
into the garrett and I had % release
her from durance vile and fireplace .
box or two which she had kTocked on
from the window-sill before came
down, driving her catship before me,
with the lamp in one hand and IN
aprouful of butternuts in the other.
Through the open keSping-room
door streamed . ray of ruddX light into
the Cimmeriau darkness Of the hall.
I stopped abruptly. Surely ! had
closed that door when CAM out, re-
membering . certain trick it had of
slamming to and fro in windW weather
like thiA Aud 1t the sane time .
curious consciousness Of so.ne human
presence near BY crept overtime like IN
unseen magnetic current
Nor was it false p-emo;tition. As
I stretched my neck to peeHcautiously
into the room. saw seated before tho
fire . youngish gentleman, sale, black
haired. and. rs I thought, FATHER un-
settled Of aspect And dA idedly wet
and mud bespsttcred gentle;aan. whose
raiment steamed in the glorious blaze
aud crackle of the pine logs - he sat
there holding out his hsnds:to the gem
isl warmth.
How had he gained an entrance3
Had carelessly neglected 10 bolt the
big door after Mrs. Glut3ye's depar-
ture? Yes, must have done so-aud