The morning times., 1896-10-21
UNDER THE KITCHEN FLOOR.

The house maids, however, had octa-
sion to go to the store room at short inter
walls, and after several months OF conceal
nent she was taken from there 10y the
cook and put under the kitchen floor. This
was done by lifting board and letting
her down between the big logs that he
floor rested on.
''t,v this time | had regular conmuni-
cation with my grandmother and friends,
ana the thought ol i.er suffering ana the
danger 10 my children was agoniZIng. But
my benefactress told me my aunt would
take care OF the children in the jail, and
they would all have to he given enough TO
eat at least, and their health would De-
projected because that was what made
them valuable as servants"
She stayed many days under the kitchen
foOr. where she could hear the cook walking
above her and where she could hear her
talking. The cook would talk she vert
about her work. SO that she might hear
what was going on.
Finally DR.. Flint got word tina she was
In New York and borrowed $500 Of her
benefaCtress to go after her When he
came back he was more than convinced
that she had gotten TO the free States and
relaxed his vigilance in looking ia ner.
About that time lie was hard pressed
| for money and he sold number OF hi-
slaves. Among them he included her two
| children and brother. He got $1,000 for
| the three. II turned out that the purchaser
| was Mr.. Sands. who had been watching ali
| that time to buy his OWE children. Hcthcn
| sent them to live with their grandmother.
| This made them all very happy.
The cook told the mother OF these things
| while she was secrcted under The kitchen
| floor. she first heard Of the sale. and Gi,r't
know who had been the purchaser. She
| only hoped it was the children's father
Il bit my lips she said. ''to keep
| from crying out when the cock first told
me. Were my children 10 he with my grand
mother, or would The Spectator who mace
| the purchase carry them away where |
| should never see them again, and they
would be driven to death on some planta-
| ton.
THE suspense was dreadful But R"tty,
| the cook, finally came to tell me, and
/ her face was one bread smile as could
| Sc" through thc crack IN the floor. She
| said. 'Brudder an cisillern all bought by
| de daddy. Use laughn' tink'n about ole
| sias>., ant. tow ir.au he'll ic.' lad my
| season of JOY and thanksgiving. Ny suf-
| ferings had not been in vain
| Itsls turn eXasperdted the doctor, and
| he had her uncle arrested as having aided
| her fight. He was IA seaman. Mr.. Sands
| got him out of prison. Soon after that
| Linda was taken to her gTan,mUtbcr's
very secretly. They had prepared Il little
| room, where she could crouch down and
| crawl about. but could never stand up
| She could have no light.
| 1t was an old addition to the house and
! pent roof. They dared not add any
| thing to it for fear her presence there
| might be suspected. The highest place
| in the roof was only feet. The garret
was feet wide and feet long. There
she lived year after year in hearing and
| almost in toucf, Of her children, but without
| daring to speak 10 them; for il WAS feared
| at the outset that they would say some
| thing in their prattle that would let out
the secret. She could talk often with her
| grandmother and one or two others.
Four, five. six years passed in this living
| death. She became so bent and crampcd
| with her constant stopping position that
| she was striken with paralysis She
| then had to he taken out part OF every
| day, hut with great care, TO keep the chill
dren from knowing.
| She recovered. and after seven years had
| passed in the darkness and suffering of
this retreat. she made her escape Oh ship
| board to New York. There she found en-
| ployment, her children Were brought 10
her. friend purchased her freedom, ard
she was at last able to live in peace.
| She learned after her children had been
| brought North that tie boy had. soon after
| she WaS takeh W hei crhluibother :. JUS
| covered her presence there. and. though
| then under ten years old, had guarded the
secret as carefully as any of them, and had
| never even told any of the others what he
had discovered.
He had found out by hearing his mother
cough in her little garret under the caves
Looking up, he caught glimpse of n part
of her face, which he recognized. When
the children wanted to play on that side OF
the house after that he always found some
| excuse to call them elsewhere.
SPORTS A BRAND NEW MOUTH.