Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18

which she did not examine, and, sure
enough, little black key on a green ribbon.
Letitla had not a doubt that it was the key
OF the little green door. She trembled all
over, she painted for breath, she was so
frightened but she did not hesitate. She
took the key and ran back to the cheese
room. She did not stop to shut the SATIN
wood box or the bureau drawer. She was
so cold, and her hands shook SO that she
lad some difficulty in fitting the key into
the lock of the little green door; but at last
she succeeded, and turned it quite easily.
Then, for a second, she heSitated; she was
almost afraid TO open the door; she put her
hand on the latch and drew it back. 1t
seemed to her, too, that she heard strange,
alarming sounds on the other side. Finally,
with great effort Of her WILL she unlatch-
ed the little green door and flung 1t open
end ran out.
Then she gave a scream of. surprise and
terror, and stood still, staring. She did not
stir or breathe. She was not in the open
fields which had always been behind the
house. She was in the midst of gloomy
forest Of trees SO tall that she could just see
the wintry sky through their tops She was
hemmed in, too, by a wide. heaping under
growth of bushes ard brambles, all stin
with snow. There was something dreadful
and CHASTITY about the forest, which had the
GREATNESS oder of cellar. And suddenly
Letitfa heard again those strange sounds
she had heard before coming out, and she
knew that they were the savage whoops of
Indians. just as she had read about them in
her history book, and she also saw dark
terms skulking about behind the trees, as
she had read.
Then Letit!a, wild with fright. turned to
run back into the house through the little
green door, but there was no little green
door, and. more than that, there was no
house. Nothing was to be seen but the
forest and bride path leading through it,
Letitia gasped. She could not believe her
eyes. She plunged out into the path and
down it little way, but there was no house
The dreadful yells sounded nearer. She
locked wildly at the underground beside the
Path, wondering If she could hide under
that, when suddenly she heard a gunshot
and the tramp of horses feet. She spranS
aside just a great horse, with woman
and two little girls on his back. came plung-
ing down the bride path and past her. Then
there was another gunshot. and man. with
wide cape flying back like black wings.
came rushing down the path Letitia gave
little cry, and he heard her.
Who are you?' he cried, brea thlessly
Then: without waiting for an answer; he
caught her up and bore her along with him.
Don't speak,. he painted in her ear. The
Indians are upon us, but we're almost
homer
Then all at once a log house appeared he
side the path and some one was holding the
door ajar. and white face was peering out.
The door was flung open wide as they came
up. the man rushed in. set Letitia down.
shut the door with a crash. and shot some
heavy bolts at the top and bottom.
Letitia was SO daze1 that she scarcely
knew what happened for the next few min
utes- She saw there were a pale-faced wo-
man and three girls, one about her own
age two little younger. She saw, to her
great amaZement, the horse tied in the cor
FER. She saw that the door was of mighty
thickness, and. moreover hasped with iron
and studded with great iron nails so that
some rafting blows that rained upon it pres
emily had no effect. She saw three guns
set in loophOles in the wall, and the man.
woman and the girl of her own age firing
them, with great reports. which made the
house quake. while the younger girls raced
from one to the other with powder and bull
let's Still, she was not sure she saw right
it was all SO strange. She stood back in a
corner, out of the way, and waited, trem-