The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-11-12


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behind you, and you can steady ttwhile
I saw my rope back and forth on it."
The tense rope hurt poor Ellen'a
wrists a. she worked it back and forth
but she bore the pain bravely, and in q
few minutes she was free. Al the last
strands were cracking, Louise spoke
up suddenly: '..2
20, Ellen! / have q thought now.
Frisk is good carrier, if he ise COW.
ard. We must send the medicine home
by him. He can get it there before two
| o'clock, and that was the time Jack was
the sickest before"
"Louise, you're jewel! That's just
what we will do! But poor mother-it
will! brighten her SO. If could only
send q note-have you q pencil? !
haven't" as she felt in her own pocket.
20, forgot, I'll have to feel for you.
"You can't find one?" said Louise,
"then it must 60 without note. What
arc you doing?" for Ellen had suddenly
darted in the direction from which she
had brought the spade.
I'm going for a lantern that Pstruck
my head against when I was feeling
for the spade. I'm going to use the
black from the wick"
In a few minutes these words were
scratched with q stick upon the paper
in which the bottle had been wrapped:
1--WE are safe, but detained--will come
by seven, and explain" Ellen read
them aloud, then folded the paper, and
tying both it and the bottle into her
handkerchief, fastened them securely
around Frisk's neck. "Now," she said,
lifting him out of the window, *'go
home, sir, quick!" and away he sped.
IF these windows were not cut 90 small.
how quickly we'd follow him!" she ex-
claimed, as she turned to Louise. ''And
now you poor dear, Ill unite you-you'!l
he more comfortable, even if we have to
spend the rest of the night here"
IF" said Louise; you're the queerest
girl. What else can we do? And YOU
yourself SAID seven o'clock, but don't
think it will be as late Us that"
"Nor I, but said seven, because L
could not tell what time Mr.. Flanders
would come to the barn, and didn't
want mother to begin to look for us
too soon--there-you're loose from the
ring now-if my knot had been as tight
as yours, I'd have been fast yet. Now
move q little, SO THAT can catch the
light on your NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. are
wheels crossing the bridge! that is the
doctor. o, I DOM dare to think OF home.
We mustn't" Her tone was brave, but
Louise felt more than one tear on her
hand, before the knot was united. Then
the two girls threw their arms about
each other, and in spite of Ellen's wise
resolve, cried together.
"There!" said Ellen recovering her.
self, perhaps it had to come out, but
we must control ourselves now. The
first thing we must do is to get the hay
window open; We'll have some light 10
think by, then. remember justwhe
it is, if I can only get to it. We must
feel around the WALL" and she began to
do so as she spoke, drawing Louise with
her, until we come to the loft ladder
here it is-now you stay here, while /
go up"
"But Ellen, it's terrible dangerous for
you to grope around up there in the
dark; you'll 60 through some trap
door," 81"
mo, won't. I'm moving at the rate
of an inch IN hour" But the hours
were short, or the inches were long, for
it seemed but q minute before Louise
heard the rattle of the hasp, as it fell
from the staple, and the window swung
open.
"Now, if we only had ladder" ex-
claimed Ellen, as Louise's head peered
above the opening that led to the loft.
"We'll look up here first, and then we'll
feel around downstairs; but I'm afraid
there isn't one inside"
And SO it proved. There was none ex-
cept the one built into the wall. Sud
denly Ellen threw her arms around her
sister. II have it! I have It'll" she cried;
"we'll be home in another hour-well
just throw the hay out, until we get
enough to Jump on!"
"But, Ellen, it's 20 feet, at least. We
can't possibly"
eyes, we can; we don't have to jump,
exactly. We can let ourselves down by
our hands and droeyou'u see-just
come and 60 to work with me-"
And work they did, pushing the hay
before them in great masses, until
enough had fallen out to make pile
six feet through, below the window.
'Now," said Ellen, "I'll drop first, and
when you see that it don't hurt me you
won't be afraid to follow"
The moon was setting and the early
summer dawn was red in the east IA
the girls came in sight of the little cot
tage. The fears which they had tried
to hold in allegiance while they were
planning their escape returned with re-
doubled force as soon as they were set
free and gained strength with every
step which brought them nearer home.
Louise was the first to notice the doc
tors buggy still standing before tho