The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-15
The Faxon family had been astir

'"Sit iiidStcr That day.
We seen too much of hurrying and
worrying cattle i'll the heat OF the dav,"
ne sad overnight to his mother "Pll
drive en- III carly before the rush be-
GINS and then I'll come back for Gym
my Crdway and Susy."
Srsy was flying about, feeding her
chickcns, helping get breakfast, and
packing pail Of pie, cheese and dough-
nuts for dinner
"Or Babel $ roarin' awfully!" she
reported, on one of her returns to the
barn. 40 you s'posc he's lonesome
without the stccrs?'
shouldn't wonder" s;il her father;
cor mcbbc Che springs dryin' up.
NiSht I'd told Eben to look
go father, never knew that spring
to get dryI said Susy.
'No, nor you never knew six weeks
o drought in September aforc," he re-
tortcd.
They laughed ut the grim pleasantly,
and old Zerubbabel, the king of the
hill pasture, was forgotten.
House and barn were in perfect order
when the parents drove off TO the fair,
and left Susy alone in the house to
wait for the return of her brother
Ebcn.
She must draw her precious lily to
the road, in order that Ebcn need not
drive up to the house. He had set the
flower into Susy's little four-whccled
cart, and She had secured the green
tub and washed the leaves, and
watcrcd it we'll; and now it was al
most ten o'clock.
She locked the door, gave kitty IL
parting pat, then started slowly down
the hill toward the bridge. Four ways
met therc-thc lane leading to
Cynthy's, the road into the woods, the
FaXon driveway and the road to the
fair.
Susy looked up the road for Ebcn,
but for IL glaring half mile there was
no moving thing. The green ribbon
road through the woods to Can't.
Banks was deserted. too; so was the
Ordway lane.
But some one was moving up near
the lilacs Susy shaded her eyes
"Oh. it's Grandma Orllway!'
This was gentle old woman, deaf
and partly blind, and fond of wander
ing about in the sunshine.
Yes, that is her little red shawl;
how hot it looks to-day!' Susy was in
glow, even in her cool gingham
What if this heat should make the
lily droop! Better draw it little way
mp the lane into the shade of the
NAPLES. There! How welcome the
coolncss'
"Ilarll. Old Babel AGAIN. thought
Susy. How near it sounds He must
have broken into the lower pasture.
What Il dreadful angry roar-bcgin-
ming SO growly and ending so shrill."
She was glad stc had not to stay at
home alone and listen to it. How it
echoed against the old saphousc be-
hind hcrl
This was Il rude board shanty where
the men boiled the maple sap in
spring and kept their pals and kettle.
1t had II chimney, u square hole for a
window and Il door facing the bridge.
III Babel should get outfit it's
water he's after-hc'll come tearing
down here to the brook" thought
Susy. She shuddered and looked a:
the saphousc door. II was hooked on
the outside, but above her reach.
BETTER climb into the apple tree by
the wall" thought Snsy. but my
lily! Old Babel would be sure to see
that and tramplc it all to pieces, it is so
red"
Another roar. There was no doubt
now; old Xcrubbabcl was out-lc was
coming right down the hill behind the
barn! He made nothing OF the gate;
one blow of his great, square head,
one lift of his short, cruel horns-it
was tossed from its hinges and he was
in, l,a r,-l
Bnt alas there was nothing but mud
and green scuH in It. Ebcn had been
taking the cows to the brook for Il week
past. Babel did not stay long at the
trough, but started down the road
toward Susy.
II must get out of his way" she
thought. There's time to run up to
the Ordways-but not with my cart
and lily. L must put them in the sap
house"
She found Il stick and pushed at the
rusty hook of the saphouse door with
all her might.
Another below! Babel was coming!
The hook gave way, the door fell in.
Susy scrambled after with the cart.
She shut the door and piled bricks,
stones, blocks, all the loose rubbish sho
could lind against it, in frantic haste.
A terrible trampling, a sound of fly
ing pebbles, and roar that chilled her
blood, told her that Babel had reached
the brook, with only n few yards and
that frail door between them.
Her teeth were chattering with fear.
but she felt that she must look out.
The window was on the wrong side,
but there was crack in the door
Yes-thcre was Babel, llnec-deep in
the brook, drinking with fierce eager
ness, and rolling the stream with his
pawings.
But what would he do next. and why