Passaic City record., 1893-01-14

The sleighs drove off one by one with
tired but happy children, and the WAL
drons were the last to leave. They were
| Just getting into their sleigh.
sI'm sorry it's over" said Ella, look
ing wistfully toward the shoulder of the
bill. could keep it up all night long. "
"Ellal the ideal" exclaimed Mrs.
| Waldron.
ssTll tell you'll" cried viii. "Why
not go home on that toboggan? We
finish just behind your house you know.
I'll take you down and walk back. l
don't mind, for am not tired Bit.
Ella Jumped at the idea and NJ. and
Mrs. Waldron finally drove off, leaving
their daughter behind.
Somehow when Ella and Will again
stood at the top of the moonlit hill for
their last essay, they did not appear to
be in any hurry to move, and so when
Mr.. and Mrs. Waldron arrived at their
house, there was no daughter to meet
them at the door, though Mrs. Waldron
| Immediately exclaimed at the fact that
every window seemed to have light
behind the shades.
When they had let themselves IN with
the latch key, there was the hall light
ablaze and noisy with the over pressure.
.Ella!n called Mrs. Waldron.
No answer.
ssBridget"
No sound came back.
"What can this meant" exclaimed
Mrs. Waldron, making start for the
kitchen stairs, below which the servant
should have been waiting up.
Mr.. Waldron, with an anxious look
on his face, followed more slowly.
When he reached the head of the stairs
he heard Mrs. Waldron below utter
piercing scream, and he sbrang down
into the kitchen three steps at time.
When the distant sleighbells and
shouts had finally dlea away the solemn
stiffness warned Ella that it was too late
to daily longer on the hilltop.
She seated herself on the toboggan,
tucked in everything securely, and then
Will behind gave the necessary push,
great snowy spray rising up in their
wake and sparkling in the moonlight
like shower of tiny brilliants.
There is no motion just like that OF
the toboggan with its electric speed, its
direful roar, and the sense of plunging
forward into space, which is part of 1t.
There is just enough of that sinking
sensation of fear in the progress to give
the sport most fascinating excitement.
They were almost down, almost be-
hind the Waldron house when their
hearts suddenly stood still with thrill,
of genuine fear.
A figure, black against the snow, was
speeding across their path toward the
woods.
A cry sprang from Willis throat, the
figure stopped, looked, sprang away, and
forward into the air few the two tobog-
gans as if shot from cannon.
Will found himself face downward,
with his arms plunged deep into the
snow. He scrambled out quickly and
ran to where Ella was wildly ioundering
on her back not far away.
He quickly assisted her to rise.
ssAre you nurta" he asked breath
lessly.
"No, think not. I'm trembling so,
though, can hardly stand. What hap
peneda"
'I don't know; it was so sudden I
couldn't see."
SIT seemed to me as if some great
black rock rose up before us-look
there! What is thata"
Will turned and looked up the hill,
and saw a shadowy mass lying close
to the spot where they had been upset.
s.It doesn't look like the man." he
said. ssHe seems to have been scared
off. Let US see what it is"
First recovering their toboggan,
which was smashed along one side, they
climbed the few PAGES necessary to reach
what seemed to be the object with which
they had collided.
stIt's bag" said Will, after a brief
examination; .sa potato sack"
ssThat man, whoever he was, must
have dropped it, and we bumped against
it."
Sand where's be gone to, I'd like to
know2"
ssPerhaps he thought we were killed,
and was afraid he'd be hanged for our
MURDER"
swell, he ought to have had the sense
to find out before he ran away. think
I'll give shout to let him know we're
all right as to our lungs any way. Then
perhaps he'll come bak for his bag. |
wonder what's in it. It's pretty heavy
and all full of knobs-a lot of soft
| things like clothes, too"
Will had been feeling over the outside
of the bag, but now he rose, and turn
ing towards the woods, he gave ring
ing halloo.
There was no answer, but, while they
were waiting the sound of clicking
gate made them turn, and what did they
see but Mr.. Waldron running towards
them from his back yard.
"Eila, go right into the house aud
| help your mother; and Will, if you can,
| 7 wish you'd run over to DIR. SomefbV's