Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-11-08

| hem, I'm thinking" said the reSolute
yirl. "You can't convert bear with
ioft words and"
''Rachie, Rachie, what are you ss}-
ng2" broke in Aunt Jessamine.
| Accustomed to obey her mother, tbs
air girl subsidized and in little vniLs
,ad passed from the house, leaving the
oars IN and his host to continue the sub
iccG they were on.
Night seemed to come soon after that
real. The long, soft autumn shadows
Itoie over the farm house and Rachel
ighted the lamp and carried it to the
Citing room where the parsoD was dis.
,ussing the needs of his fock.
As for Rachel, she retired to her room
b the gable aud sat at the window.
Across the clearing in front OF the house
ny the shadows of night; but by and
bye the silvery disk of the moon ap-
peared over the horiz Das rim. 1t was a
beautiful sight and one which she had
sen n hundred times from that very
window, and now she watched it as it
;cemed to grow in beauty and the whole
,arth became bed OF silver in the light
,f the moon.
All at once there appeared on the
rouui toward the ravine som ething that
came forward, and Rachel watched il as
| i grew larger.
Now and then it stopped and for soms
time stood in outline Tor her inso &C ion,
and the more she watched il, the surer
, she became that it was an auima'.
Presently Rachel Palmer snrlng ur,
and leaning on the sill, gszad at the o.
iect with eyes that seemed to start from
aer head.
'It Is bear," she exclaimed. 'What
4 it is mothers thief" And as the thing
moved on, showing the hugh hulk of its
.ong body, the girl ran 10 a corner and
.ook from it a rifle, whieu she knew how
10 handle with deadly effect.
When she came back to the window
he bear was gone, aud for moment a
Ieeling of disappointment took poss ess ion
Of her, and she feared sac had missed
ier opportunity. Bat suddenly the
animal came into view again, and this
time in the vicinity OF the spring house,
where the larder was.
Rachel looked to tie priming o: the
gun and again the bear vanished. Sac
was now almost certain the prow.er in
tended a raid, and eager to encounter
him and bring his schemes to naught,
she slipped downstairs aud out into the
night.
AS she passed from the house she
could hear the voice of Parson Linton in
conversation in the little parlor, and
thought of Jack, who was paying his
nightly visit to town three miles away.
The backwoods beauty stopped near
the spring house and watched it with
anxious eyes. The door was reached by
1 descent of several steps, and it was
common to fasten it with chain, which
could be unloosed without much trouble.
"Why, the door is open" exclaimed
Rachel as she neared the spring-house
and ventured to look down the steps.
81 slipped the chain over the staple with
my own hands; but it is off now."
The next moment a noise startled
Rachel aud she fell back pace, for it
seemed to come from the spring house.
Posting herself, however, with de-
tcrmiued face, she waited for other proof
that the larder was teing attacked at
that moment, and 1t was not long de-
layed.
All at once the huge, dark figure OF
something came out of the spring house
and as it rose in front of the girl, she
felt an involuntary thrill, for it was a
bear and he was standing on his hinder
feet as if masquerading as man.
In all her llfe she had never seen a
bear of such PROPORTIONS. He looked
as tall as Jack, / as he tottered up the
steps aud the next moment stood in the
moonlight a splendid target for Rachel's
rife, he was seen to have a face ludic-
rously daubed with the sweets of the
spring-house.
Rachel summoned her nerve to her as
,istance and ieveled the rifle at the in
vader.
At that moment she heard door be-
hind her open, and her mothers voice
rang out:
"Rachie, Rachie. where are you"
The answer was the clear, ringing re-
port of the family rifle, and there tot
tered from the far girla animal, which
dropped upon ell fours, only to fall to
the ground and roll over in his agony.
Mrs. Palmer stood spell-bound in the
door, and behind her was visible the
white face of the parson.
,'The other gun! quick, mother! the
bear will get awayl" cried Rachel, rush
in.- toward the house.
"rt.5 bear. Dear! Heaven helm
US ALL" and Parson Linton discovered
that he was safer inside than az She door,
and he rushed back to be passed by
Rschel, who suatched Jacks rifle from
its pegs and turned again toward the
yard.
As she crossed the threshold she saw
the black form of the bear numbering of
toward the ravine. and taking delib crate
aim, she sent a bullet after him which
checked his career and stretched him on
the leaves dead.
"Therei guess you're satisfied now,
mother2" said Rachel, when the larder
had been examined aEd the remains OF
two pies had been found on the floor.
"You must recollect that bears as well
IS men can tell good baking when they
see it. think you ought to apologize
to Josh"
"But named no Names" persisted
Mrs. Palmer. az didn't say that Josh
ate the pies; but to tell the truth,
Rachie, I didn't know who else would
do it."
| Three days later when the tall, hand.
some figure Of Josh came oYel- the -cleak'