The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-29


she leaned against him and looked
eagerly into the Sky.
Old man Patterson, who stood near
the young people, also had his face
turned upward; but there was no indi-
cation of glee in his voice, when after
gazing for Il few minutes he remarked:
'And TO think that them things with
such beautiful tails could do us any
.harmr'
There was no response to this re-
mark, save loud sigh from Mrs. Pat
terson, who turned round abruptly
and walked into the house, where Mr..
Patterson soon followed her.
Milly and John were still standing
and gazing at the heavens. They had
not said word to each other; they
were happy in the consciousness of
their proximity.
~ don't believe q word of lido
your" asked Milly some minutes after
ward
"What?"
"Oh, what Schoolmaster Marten says
about this-er-comet-th going to
break up the earth and kill all the peo-
pie ON it and annihilate everything. 1
don't believe it do you?"
"Bosh!" remarked John, emphatical-
~. 81 think Marten is slick fraud,
that's what he isr' he added, holding
his arm tightly round Milly's waist.
Its awful! said Milly, concernedly
He's been coming here every day for
the last couple of weeks talking about
that comet, and he's dinned into papa's
and mammals heads that the whole
world is comm to All end, and that we
are nighNlhe day Of judgment!'
"Rubbishl' commented John.
And he's been talking to me- too,
the hypocrite, telling me to mend my
ways and not to be so giddy. AS if /
am ever giddy, John" she added, in an
injured tone.
John did not reply for second or
two. He seemed to be thinking.
"'Pears to me, he said. after awhile,
'tyour father ought to know by this
time what kind of n customer he's rot
to deal with. Has Marten paid him
back tine fifty dollars he borrowed last
C,3ristmas?"
mo, not he"
"Why don't yon tell your father not
to take any stock in Martcn?"
Its no use, John. He's whecdled
them round completely to his side. It's
perfectly awful how he's talked them
into things about this comet. They've
been glum and mopin', and pacllin'
away things; and mothers been bury
in lot of silver in the garden"
What" interrupted John. 1.-The old
folks haven't been hidin' things in the
ground and let Martcn know of it2'
Yes. He's shown them the very
place where he says the comet won't
strike, and mothers put lot of silver
spoons in it."
1.-THE fox! He's been stealin' them!"
exclaimed John.
Milly sprang to her feet and ran into
the garden, John following her. She
stopped near slight mound of fresh
clay in which two sticks were firmly
stuck and which she began to probe
gently.
'Thanlr goodness, it's not touched!'
she said with sigh of relief, evidently
satisfied with her examination. You
nearly took my breath away with
fright, John. Mamma would go crazy
If she were so fooled"
II tell you what I'll do Milly," he
said. You keep sharp watch on
this place, and if Marten turns up to-
morrow keep him till get through
work. I'll come over here and Wen
see whether we can't fix him some
how"
In truth it was horrible, as Milly ex
pressed it, if half the things were going
to happen which Marten predicted.
The whole village of Scarborough
was terribly excited over the event
Everybody rccollectcd that wars, pesti-
lence, famine and other calamities fol-
lowed the previous appearance of Il
comet like this-with almost the idcn-
tical tail. Schoolmaster Marten talked
about such uncanny things as the ''stel-
larry system" the "cosmic law" and so
on. On the day on which Milly and
John had conspired to rout him Mar
ten was at the Patterson farm holding
forth as usual. He had brought a
newspaper with him and read out from
it impressively the announcement that
on the coming Thursday, precisely at
5:34 p. M, there would be an entire
eclipse OF the sun. and the inference
he left to be gathered from it was that
the general breakup was to begin at
that very second
The old people sat listening blinking
solemnly. NIilly was somewhat awed
herseif and She was mighty glad when
John came into the room loolxinr readv
for action.
John contcntcd himself at first bv
simply denying the arguments But
Martens superior loduaciousncss was
rapidly getting the best OF him and he
was gradually drawn into the meshcs
of reason. That was all the school.
master wanted. lie could reason n
bull into frog any day if the animal
only followed the process of logical
deductions; SO by and by John found
himself listening with his hands