Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-02-22

10 the window. a man whom she rec
nCnized as one of the ranch laborers was
hundred feet away in the gar
den looking curiously at the house. He
saw her face as she tried to raise the
sash, uttered an exclamation I'D ran
forward.
But before she could understand Shat
he said the sash began to rattle in her
hand, the jSrring recommended, the floor
shook beneath her feet, n hideous sound
Of grinding seemed to come from the
walls, a thin seam of dust like smoke
broke from the ceiling, and with the noise
of falling plaster dozen books followed
each other from the shelves in what in
the frantic hurry of that moment seemed
a grimly deliberate succession; picture
hanging against the wall to her dazed
wonder swung forward and appeared to
stand at right angles from it; she felt
herself reelinS against the furniture. a
deathly nausea overlook her, and rs she
glanced despairingly toward tine window
the outlying fields beyond the garden
seemed to be undulating like sea.
For the first time she raised her voice,
not in fear, but in Il pathetic little cry Of
apology for her awkwardness in tum-
bling about and not being able to grap-
pie this new experience, aud then she
found herself near the door, which had
once more swung free. She grasped it
eagerly and darted out of the study into
the deserted passage. Here some in
stinct made her follow the line of the
wall rather than the shaking balusters
of the corridor and staircase; but before
she reached tine bottom she heard a shout.
and the farm laborer she had seen COM
ing toward her seized her by the arm,
dragged her to the open doorway of the
drawing room and halted beneath its
arch in the wall. Another thrill-but
lighter than before-passed through the
building, then all was still again.
IT'S over, reckon; that's ali just
now," said the man coolly. "It's quite
safe to cut and run for the garden now
through this window" He half led,
half lifted her through the French Win
dow to the veranda and the ground,
and locking her arm in his ran quickly
forward a hundred feet from the house,
stopping at last beneath large post
oak where there was rustic seat, into
which she sank. You're safe now, 1
reckon" he said grimly.
She looked toward the house. The
sun was shining brightly. A cool breeze
seemed to have sprung up as they ran
She could see quantity of rubbish lying
on the roof, from which a dozen yards
of zinc gutter were perilously hanging,
the broken shafts Of the farther cluster
of chimneys, pile of bricks scattered
upon the ground and among the battered
down beams of the end of the veranda; but
that was all. She lifted her now whitened
face to the man, and with the apologetic
smile Ctill lingering on her lips asked:
"What does it all mean? What has
happened"
The man stared at her. "D'ye mean
to say ye don't know"
"How could |? They must have all
left the house as soon as it began. Twas
talking toto NJ. L'Hommadieu, and he
suddenly left"
The man brought his face angrily
down within an inch of her own. "D'ye
mean to say that them d-d French half.
breeds stampeded and left yer there
alone?"
She was still too much stupefied by
the reaction to fully comprehend hi!
meaning, and repeated feebly, with her
smile still flintly lingering, but yor
don't tell me what it was"
IAN earthquake, said the man rough
ly; "and if it had lasted ten seconds
longer it would have shook down tn,
whole shanty and left you under it. Yel
kin tell that to them if they don't know
it, but from the way they made track
to the fields reckon they did. They'r,
coming now"
Without another word he turned ava,
half surlily, half defiantly, passing scare,
fifty yards away Mrs. Randolph aad he
daughter, who were fastening towart
their guest.
"Oh, here you are," said Mrs. Ran
dolph, with the nearest approach TO eff
sion that Rose had yet seen in her man
ner. I'VE were wondering where yo,
had run to and were getting quite con
cernel. Emile was looking for yo,
everywhere"
The recollection of his blank and at
ject face, his vague outcry and blin'
flight, came back to Rose with shoe
that sent flush Of sympathetic sham
to her face. The ingenious Adel
noticed it and dutifully pinched he
mothers arm.
Emile" echoed Rose family, "look
ing for meY
Mother and daughter exchange
glances.
"Yes," said Mrs. Randolph cheerfully
"he says he started to run with you, br
you got ahead and slipped out Of tn
garden door-or something Of that kind,
she added, with the air of making ligt
of Roses girlish fears "You know on
scarcely knows what one does at sue
times, and it must have been all frigh
fully strange TO you-and he's been quit
distracted-lest you should have wal
dered away. Adele, run and tell hi
Miss Mallory has been here under Ii
oek all the time"
POSE started. and then fell shopelessl
back in her seat. Perhaps it was tru'
Perhaps he had not rushed Off with thi
awful face and without a word. Pc
haps she herself had been half frightene
out Of her reason. In the simple wea
kindness of her nature it seemed let
dreadful TO believe that the fault wa
partly her own.
"And you went back into the house
look for us wnen all was over" sal
Mrs. Randolph. fixing her black. bead,
magnetic eyes on Rose. 'and that stupi