The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-04-01

}r--g7T7E beau tifu l?"
hE ' and in the ex-
uberance of excitement Milly Patter-
son squeezed Johns arm tightly while
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 a few minutes he remarked:
And to think that them things with
stsch beautiful tails could do us any
harm!'
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.
NIilly and John were still standing
and gazing at the heavens. They had
not said Il word to each other; they
were happy in the consciousness of
their proximity.
~ don't believe word of lido
you?' asked Mllly 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. /
don't believe it do you?"
Josh remarked John, emphatca' =
". Il lhinli Marten is a slick fraud,
that's what he is" he added, holding
J arm tirh'ly round NIilly's waist,
Its awful" sall Nillv, conccrnedlY.
Hes been coming b"rc every day 70"
the last couple Of Hce.;s talking about
that comet. and he's dinned into papas
and mammals heads that the whole
world is comm to an end, and that we
are nigh the day Of Judgment"
"Rubbish.' commented John.
And he's been talking to me, too
the hypocritc, telling me to mend my
ways and not to be so giddy. As if l
am ever giddy, john she added, in an
injured tone.
John did not reply for a second or
two lie seemed to he thinking.
Pears to mc, " he said. after awhile,
o., our father ought to know by this
time what kind of customer he's got
to deal with. Has Marten paid him
back the fifty dollars he borrowed last
Ch"!stmas?"
NO, not he"
why don't you tell your father not
to take any stock in Marten?"
Its no use, John. He's wheedled
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. The old
folks haven't been hidin' things in the
ground and let Marten know of it,"
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."
The fox! He's oeen stealin' them"
exclaimed John.
Miliy sprang to her feet and ran int(
the garden, John following her. She
stopped near a slight mound of fresh
clay in which two sticks were firmly
stuck and which she began to probe
gently.
Thank goodness, it's not touchedr
she said with sigh Of relief, evidently
satisfied with her examination. You
nearly took my breath away with
fright, John. Mamma would go crazy
# she were so fooled"
II tell you what I'll do, Milly," he
said. "You keep sharp watch OF
this place, and if Marten turns up to
morrow keep him till | get through
work I'll come over here and wei
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 Stockborougl
was terribly excited over the event
Every body recollected that wars, pesti
Ience, famine and other calamities fol
lowed the previous appearance OF ;
comet ike this-with almost the iden
tical tail. Schoolmaster Marten talked
about such uncanny things rs the ''stel
larry system, the 'cosmic law" and 81
on. On the day on which Milly anC
John had conspired to rout him Mar
ten was at the Patterson farm holding
forth as usual He had brought
newspaper with him and read cut from
it impressively the announcement tha
on the coming Thursday, precisely a
5:84 p. M, there would be an entir
eclipse of the sun, and the inferenc
he left to be gathered from it was tina
the general breakup was to begin a
that very second.
The old people sat listening blinking
solemnly. Milly was somewhat awe
herself and she was mighty glad whel
John came into the room looking read,
Tor action.