Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-01-20

freshee; within, Widow Patty going
around in her usual suushiny fashion aud
| Mrs. Frost little more northeasterly in
her movements than ever and furiously
out of patience with the "freshet,"
George, the widow, herself and every
thing about her. The widow being
handy, and happening to look more pro-
vokingly pretty than usual, on her was
poured out the vials of her wrath.
':Dou't want to interrupt" with i'm
mense stateliness), "but if you've done
looking after the men, (withering en-
phasisl, ''Tll thank you for them eggs.
The prddin's waiting"
Widow Patty, who had stopped mo-
ment in the doorway to glance after the
retreating wagons, started TO cross the
kitchen, but half way was almost
knocked out of existence by the bound
girl, who rushed in. breathless and COM
| maless, as usual, exclaiming:
.'Ohi Miss Frost! hurry! hurry!
hurry! Be as quick as you can. Old
Dan-the creek-bags-m
men-why don't you RUM" all the time
dancing about the kitchen and snatch
ing down pots aud pans of all descrip-
tons, apparently with a vague intention
of making herself useful in some mex
plicable way.
Mrs. Frost turned up her nose and
went on with her pudding.
"She was always simple and the hustle
has set her crazy, and no WONDER" said
she. But Widow Patty thought differ
ent, and in the course Of half an hour
put the girls half-uttered sentences to-
getner, thus: "Tne mill, then, was in
danger, aud if they wanted to save any
thing out of it no time was to be lost"
1t was Mrs. Frost's turn now to ex-
claim:
.''The mill going. My goodness! and
ali them things stored in the loft there;
and them great, lazy men off to the
upper dam, like a parcel of fools, in
stead of staying to home and minding
their business!"
'FHere, you, Sally-but what's the use
of talking to her2 You turning to
Patty come along with me. Pm going
to save what can, if only to shame the
men,"
''But the freshet-the danger!' ex-
claimed Patty. "Tne-"
ooh, stay at home, if you Eker' in
terrupted Rachel, contemptuously. 81
want no towards or lazybones along
with me. If anything happens to me it
won't be of much account, anyhow.
Reuben can soon get new wife, and if
you're safe s'pose George would think
it all the better if I was out of the way"
Patty flushed deeply, but she was not
the woman to let Rachel Frost go
alone on such an Grand, and the muslin
cap had scarcely reached the first turn
ing when the obnoxious ringlets were
beside her. AS may be imagined, they
had little disposition to converse, but
even if they had the roar of the creek,
now a black, swollen torrent, and the
grinding, cracking and crashing of the
huge masses Of logs and ice rushing by
would have drowned anything softer
than speaking trumpet. A few mo-
ments of quick walking brought them
to the mill Zone of the red, shaky struc-
lures, perched on almost every respectable
brook in the State), and Patty's heart
beat fast as they entered it, partly at the
thought of danger and partly with the
conviction that the gauntlet had, at
length, been thrown down and was com.
menced between herself and Georges
mother.
The goods OF which Rachel had
spoken were in the upper loft and con
sisted of clothing and furniture-fol
which Rachel had no room in the home.
stead-hardly worth, Patty thought, all
this peril Of life and limb; but she made
no comment, obeying in silence the brief
directions of her mistress, who worked
with furious zeal, apparently careless o.
insensible of tie fact that the whole
building was quivering and trembling
from base to summit. Suddenly came a
rush and gurgle. Patty started.
"Gracious what is what? The stream
is rising"
"Stuff!'' painted Rachel, as with her
cap off, her hair down, her face covered
with dust, she tugged at the huge ches
in the corner. The stream won't raise
this half hour. Come here and help me.
| want to get out"
She was interrupted by a second ter
rife roar. Then came a gurgling anG
heavy thuds, as if logs striking agains
the building, and a shlger and tremble
and then curious swaying motion-al
the time the roaring, and grinding, and
gurglng growing louder. as though in
some inexplicable way they had CONE
closer to it. Patty left the trunk anc
ran to the windew.
s'What is it2' asked Rachel, still tug