The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-11-15
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER, SUNDAY, NOV. Is, 1896.

thing to eat" she said, land we can
give you some breakfast; but / want to
ask you something | am in good deal
Of perplexity; our two servants are out
at the front Of the her they posi-
lively refuse to come IL. "r nrc afraid
that your house may be- = again
and crush them all; but vual 90 rs me
is trying to find our we'll J eve been
outside and can see no signs of it,
where was your wen;" / gasped.
1T ought to be somewhere near ia,
back of your house" she said May
go through your hall and look outT
"Of course you may" / cried a,G
preceded her to my back door.
Now. it seems TO me-" she said rf'.
surveying the scene of desolatiOn ilu.tt
diately before, and looking from side O..
side towards objects which had remain
untouched, "rhat your house has passc
directly over our well, and must have
carried away the little shed and the
pump and everything above ground.
should not wonder a Bit she continued
slowly. "if it is under your porch"
I jumped to the ground, for the steps
were shattered and began TO search for
the well, and it was not long before
discovered it's round dark opening, which
was. as Miss Carson had imagined. I'M
der one end OF my porch.
What can we doE" she asked. we
can't have breakfast or get along ut all
without water" 1t was a terribly de-
pressing thing to me to think that /, or
rather my house had given these people
so much trouble but | speedily assured
Miss Carson that if she could find
bucket and rope. which / could lower
into the we'll / could provide her with
water.
She went into her house to see what
she could find, and tore away the broken
planks of the porch, so that l could get
to the well, and then, when she came with
tin pail and clothesline l went to
work with great ardor to haul up water
and to carry it to her back door.
81 don't want mother to find out what
has happened to the WE'LL she said, for
she has enough on her mind already"
Mrs. Carson was a woman with some
good points in her character After
time she called to me herself and told
me to come to breakfast. but during the
meal she talked very earnestly to me
about the amazing trespass / had com
mitted, and about the means which
should be- taken 20 repair the damages
my house had done to her property.
was as optomistc as I could be, and the
young lady spoke very cheerfully and
hopefully about the affair so that we
were beginning to get along somewhat
pleasantly. when suddenly Mrs Carson
prang to her feet. Heavens and EARTH
he cried, this house is moving
She was not mistaken. / had felt be
meath my feet sudden sharp shock
not severe. but unmistakable. / remem-
bered that both houses stood upon slight
ly sloping ground; my blood turned cold,
my heart stood still-eyen Miss Carson
was pale.
When we had rushed out of doors to
see what had happened, or what was
going to happen, l soon found that we
had been needlessly frightened, Some
OF the broken timbers on which my
house had been partially resting had
given way. and the front part Of the
building had slightly descended, Earring.
rs ii did So the other house against which
it rested | endeayored to prove to Mrs
Carson that the result was encouraging
rather than otherwise; for my house was
now more firmly settled than it had been;
but she did not value the opinion Of a
man who did not know enough to put his
house in a place where it would be likely
TO stay. and she eat no more breakfast,
and she was afraid to stay even under her
own roof until experienced mechanics
had been summoned To look into the state
OF affairs.
[ hurried away to the town. and iii
was not long before several carpenters
and masons were on the spot After a
thorough examination, they assured
Mrs. Carson that there was no danger;
that my house would do no further
damage to her premises; but, TO make
things certain they would bring some
heavy beams and brace the front OF
my house against her cellar wall When