The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1893-11-10

| OllO VI Nch VI tlN DOdlh III bllC iIOOl3
the slow drip of the water in the
kitchen sink, where Uncle.Absalom
had recently introduced the modern
improvements of a water-tap, con-
nected by pipes with the spring in
the spruce glen above.
Then Emily remembered that she
had had no sGpper. Nervously
glancing about her, she tiptoed to
the cupboard and took a glass of
milk and little bread and cheese.
AS she replaced the tumbler on the
shelf she heard footsteps upon the
frozen ground outside.
tits my imagination" she said,
after listening for a second. ''But
I won't be frightened So will be
brave"
She took hatchet, and sallying
forth opened the cellar door ''If
anyone comes he'll sail down there
before he can get to the door" said
she.
And with two prodigious slashes
of the hatchet she cut away the
board path which led across a series
of rugged powders to the railway
platform.
There" she cried, hurrying back
to the inside warmth and brightness
as if q whole brigade of pursuers
were at her heels. "That's done. l
feel safer now. But I must hang
the lantern out before Uncle Alb
salon comes back. I don't want
him to fall down and break his dear
old neck"
She had just seated herself with a
sigh of relief when something like a
big freely blazed on her vision for a
brief second only; then it was gone.
"a dark lantern" she said to her.
self. 81 am sure now that I hear
the sound of feet on the platform.
There are two or three people there
perhaps more. They have learned
that I am alone with all that
money"
She clasped her hands over her
eyes and shivered as she heard a
crash, a smothered exclamation, q
suppressed buzz of voices. "Some-
one has fallen down that cellar!
Oh, how fortunate it was I thought
of that"
And now low whisper came up
through the carelessly joined boards
of the floor She could distinguish
the words: "Hold onl Be careful!
The front door is fastened, for !
tried it. You can all Of you get
down cellar, and comeup that way"
!. Emily's heart gave an exultant
4 jump. The cellar door, a mass of
|. timber in which she had the fullest
confidence, was securely bolted. She
peered out into the stormy dark
ness. BY the occasionally displayed
CLEAN of the lantern she could sec a
huddled mass of figures creeping
i down the cellar steps.
| Last of all disappeared the Ian
, tern itself, one leisurely step at a
time; and then, consummating a
plan which she had long been con-
cocting in her mind. Emily made a
dash out into the night, closed the
two divisions of the cellar door with
a bang, barred them and fed pant
ing into the house.
BY this time there was brisk
knocking on the cellar door, a cry.
ing out of; "Open the doorl Let us
inl"
But to these calls Emily Elktor
' paid no heed, and it Yas only when
|, a hand was suddenly laid. on hel
9 shoulder from behind that she ut
) tered a piercing scream and lost al
= her presence Of mind.
: why, Emmyp exclaimed a ia
. miliar voice. "Why, child, whats
the matter2"
Q 20, Uncle Absalom, how yo,
l frightened mel 0, dear, the cellar
f is full of burglars and robbers
v Reach down your gunl Get the ho
f water kettlel"
: Burglars, eh?" said Uncle Alb
: SALON. "Robbersl Why, whar Oh
S yarth did they come fromP Sure y,
amt mistook, sissy Anyhow, II
be ready for EN-"
y He advanced toward the celia
t door with his loaded revolver in hi
G hand.
: To Emily's infinite alarm he un
bolted the cellar door and flung