The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-09-26

Onon, was certainly not very interGat-
ing II was much In need OF O boyish
Imagination to llven it up. II was too
low to allow Of Mr.. MOrlOrd's walking
upright In It; and the floor was Uttered
with ancient rubbish, and with the do.
cayad remains OF q pufueozuiC cart, At
ter creeping inwardS for ten or twelve
PAGES. they turned q corner, and Nellie
showed sigma Of reluctance. The little
wax taper, burning In it's socket in the
silver matchbox, showed what looked
like queer, irregular pillars and rattersi
thOy were really struggling roots Of the
big bntternut tree overhead, At the
end Of the passage, they found some
half rotten plNnks fixed upright like u
rude door, Moriord pulled at one Of
them, and It came away, revealing a
further, narrow cavity beyond, Ncitts
Shrank back,
WHATS there in there2" asked Nor.
ford,
~ don't know 1t isn't pIcoi let's go
back"
"A potato cellar, perhaps. Yes. we'll
20 back, The sunshine ia pl0Nsanter,
isn't IN DO you suppose Tom ever ex :
plored that place when he played rob-
ber?"
"lIs must have been brave II he did,
like to be where it's all alive and
bright" She sghsd with rGilet when
they stood ouCO mors in the broad Octo'
Der daylight They strolled round the
corner oi tho house and looked up at
tho mighty, oVer.spreadlng boughs OF
bultOrnut.
ait reminds mo OF whom used to b.
Il boy" remarked the young man. ~
was very fond OF nuts in those days.
That old tTeO seems 10 DO full OF them.
Wouldn't It DO tun to got up thors and
pick AomoH Have you ever becn up"
Nellie shook hOr had. There's no
ropcj besides, don't climb ropes; Pm
girl"
But here's good ladder" rOjoinOl
her companion, pointing to one that
lay under tho end OF the house hard By.
why, so thOre isl never saw 1t
bOfore"
The fairies must have brought 1t o..
peciNlly for us. Let's see ii it will do"
lilo lifted. aud sat it against the great
bole OF tho tree. It just reached tho
fork Of tho lower branches. ut couldn't
be bett0r!" exclaimed the young man,
enthuSiasticatty. "Now. MisS Nellie,
will Won walk upstairsP"
Nellie hesitated; but there is great
deal more OF the bird aud the squirrel
in little girl than OF tho mole; they
move heavOnWard more readily than
tho other Wav. Under Moriord's guild.
auce and protection, his hands holding
tho sides Of the ladder on each side OF
her, she clNmbered up step by step,
until at last they found themselves
standing in sort OF hollow, cup
shaped place, thirty feet above the
ground, with tho branches stretching
out and up in all directions, each rs big
az an ordinary tro0. They overlooked
the tlAtloncd roof OF the old house, and
had tiue view all about the surround.
ing country. Tho breeze blew sweet
aud fresh, the sunshine twinkled down
between the leaves, aud the nuts bobbCd
against their heads. TWAS tne. Nellie
had never been IN in tree; but now
she thought it would be wise 10 spend
most Of her time here. It was more OK
hilerOting than any other habitatton
she knew Of.
"This IL Just like a little room" she
said, With delightful smile at her COM
panion, who smiled back. And see
hero ia another almost as big on the
other side Of :ho great branch. I'm go.
ing to climb over into IL.
"NIiud you don't fall, thoni lot mo
hold your hand"
She scrambled across. and Moriord
lct1hOr carefully down into the broau
crotch. After a moment she uttered
shout.
"Oh, seet Here's great big enormous
hole right down into tho tree! It's like
looking down n chimney; It's all hollow
Aud here's something sticking in
crack in the aldo Of it. It's an old piece
of paper, folded up, with writing on il"
Look out you don't tumble down the
holo," said MorlorA, looking over at
her. Take tho paper out and hand 1t
up to me; It may be something i'm
portant How do YOU suppose It got
there2 Perhaps the iRirieS put II there,
or a squirrel, or maybe, or something"
She gave him tho paper, which borO
the signs Of age, though, considering its
position, 1t was in remarkably good
preservation. lIS openod II, glanced 1t
over, and then said:
"YeI, Nellie. tits important. Think
II will interest Miss jilIop very much
and Mr.. Cotviu too. Wo will show II
to them. Lot us get down before hc
goes away"
"Must wo 90 down 80 Soon?" said
Nellie, regrotfulIw
"Nevcr YOU mind" replied Moriord
choertuty; "wo'ti come back as often
as wO like"
TO uE COSriSurDl