The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-01-03

twas spring tides, an past the flood.
was waitin' for EN- in the orchard, down
in the corner by the Adams pearmain.
We could see the white front o. the
house from there, and us in the dark
shadow and there was the gap handy,
that Amos could snip through at a
pinch-you fenced it up yourself the
very summer that father died in the
fall. That night Amos was late an the
dew heavy, and no doubt / lost my
temper waitin' out there in the long
grass. We had words, know, an I
reckon the tide ran far out while we
quarreled Anyway, he left me in
wrath, an l stood there under the ap-
pie tree, longin' for 'en to come back
an make friends again. But the time
went on, an l didn't hear his foot
steps-no, nor his oars pullin' away
though hearkenin' with all my ears.
can then l heard terrible sound"
Miss Marty paused and drew the back
of her hand across her dry lips before
proceeding. "a terrible sound-a sort
of low breathin', but fierce; an some
thing worse, a suck-suckin' of the mud
below, an ran down. Isuppose, in his
anger, he took no care how he walked
round the point (for he al'ays moored
his boat round the point out O. sight,
an went wide an was taken. There he
was, above his knees in it, and far out,
it seemed to me, in the light of the
young moon. For all his fightin', he
heard me, and whispered out O. the
dark:
sLitEle gIFi, It's got ne. Hushl
don't shout or they II 'cateh YOU
= Can't you! get out2' Il Whispered
back go s.aft
y eaSs he. I'm afFaid 7 can't mn
less you run UP to the linhag an fetch 3
rope.
at was no more | stayed to hear, but
ran up hot-foot to the linhay and back
inside the minute, with the wagon rope.
"Hold the end he painted, and
throw with all your strength And
/ threw, but the rope fell short. Twice
again l threw, but missed each time by
a yard or more. He wouldn't let me
near the mud.
'Then [ fell to runnin' to and fro
on the edge of the firm ground, an Sob
bin between my teeth because | could
devise nothin'. And all the while he
was fightin' hard.
n "I'll run an call fsatt1frer an lob.
saygI..,-.--
"'Hust zee nowl Be you crazed? Do
you want to let 'em know alp
"'But it'll kill you, dear, won't it?'
"'Lillely it will said he. Then, after
awhile of battlin', he whispers again:
Little girl, l don't want to die. Death
is a cold end. But l reckon you shall
save me an your name as well. Take
the rope, coil it as you run and hang it
back on the linhay, quick Then run
you to the henhouse an bring me all
the eggs you can find. Be quick and ak
no questions, for it's little longer can
hold up. It's above my waist, he says
81 didn't know what he meant, but
ran for my life to the linhay and hung
up the rope, an then to the henhouse
| could tell pretty well where to find
dozen eggs or more in the dark, an in
three minutes I'd CROPPED about an
gathered 'em in the lap O. my dress.
Then back | ran. | could just spy en-
u dark spot out there in the mud.
How many?' he axed, his voice like
a rocks.
:" "A dozen, or near
Toss EN- here. Don't come too nigh,
an shy careful, SOS | can catch
81 stepped down pretty nigh to the
brim O the mud an tossed 'em out to
him. Three fell short in my hurry, but
the rest he got hold of somehow
""Thats right he calls, hoarse and
low; they'll think egg-steaIin' material
10 low family like ou@a. Now back to
your room-updress-an' cry out. say
in there's man shoutin' for help down
pom the mud; and, dear, be quick!
When you wave your candle twice at
the window I'll shout like a Trojan
AN | did it, Job; for the cruelty in
fearful woman passes knowledge. An
you rescued zen, an he went to gaol
For he said twas the only way An
his mother took it as quite reasonable
that her husbands son should take to
the bad-'twas the way of all them
Trudgeons. Father to son, they was of
10 account. Egg-stealin' was just the
little hole-an'-corner wickedness that'd
come material to 'em."
81 rec'lect now" said Job Lear, very
slowly, shat the wain-rope was wet i
my hands when l unhitched ZEN that
night from the hook, an l wondered,
it beisl' the end of a weeks dryth. But
in the dark an the confusion O. savin'
the wastrel's life it slipped my thooights,
else"
"Else you'd ha' wetted it wi the blood
o. my lack, Job. But the ropes been
frayed to powder this many year. An
you needn't look at me like that. I'm
past 60, an I've done my share of re-
pentin'. He didn't say if he was mar
ried, did hebron ''The Detachable
Duchy."
SIMPLE RAT TRAP.