Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-04-19
NUMBER IL.

made her turn quickly III its direction.
A withered crone was standing at the
foot of the stile leaning heavily on a
single crutch.
Wat yo stealin my boys yittles
fur Ia gle to that ash cat; Amt yo'
learn no better'n TO steal, wild all yo'
schoolgoin? Whar yo' comman mints:"
Aunt Viney! What n fright you
gave me. ! don't care If you do tell
Strong Iwould do it right over again. "
Sassy as ever! WHO say Rwine to
tell on you:"
"You always used to. You never did
treat me as well as you did Strong. You
were always ready 10 old me for him. -
Strong is my boy Unused him in
desc ve'y arms sucked him long wild
my own Suzanne 'Cose | gwine stan
up fo' him, an look artcr his puryishuns
too. is dat. Ybcr, you git down of n
dat stile an 20 in dat house Don YOU
know de rains a-comm up: We gwino
have fusclass thun 'erstawm in leSs'n
q hour.
"a thunderstorm And my poor little
pony is tied 10 tree up yonder! oh,
Aunt Viney, my poor little Fancy"
up whar? amt 'spOnsible fur de
stawm. Whar yo' pony
AT the top Of the cliff. "
"Who is yo' po' leetle Fancyg"
my pony-my dear little pony that
Seth gave me. and my new embroidered
saddlecloth out for the first timer'
"Yo pony amt gwine TO melt Yo'
git inter that house. "
Liza stretched ont her hands, palms
upward. to feel for the threatened rain.
The clouds were mastering overhead,
but the downpOur might not come for
hours. Could anything be more horrible
than TO be- penned up with old Viney
in that cabin during a thunderstorm?
She would rather risk everything And
then Fancy; she must be Rescued. She
was anxiously drawing on her gloves
and securing her hat with long pins.
Aunt Viney. where are the steps
that Strong tells me are cut in the side
of the cliff!"
"W'at yo' want wild them steps
II want to 20 up them, of course. /
rm going home. You are entirely mis-
taken about the storm. II won't be
here for an hour yet. y
Viney drew away from this arrogant
young woman in offended dignity. Her
reliability ~ an oracle had been ques-
toned.
"Yo' was born sassy an yo' will die
sassy, Eliza Martin. Uv cose yo' Is
right and ole Niney il wrong. Thar ain
gwine be no stawm tall. Dar dc steps.
She pointed one haggish finger vague
" at the cliffs and turned toward the
house, mrmbliDg and hobbling in uni
son. Evidently Viney was resolved to
leave the high handed young woman
who lad cared entertain weather cpin-
ions Of her own TO the worst possible
fate that might befall.
Liza surveyed the face Of the cliff
anxiously. She could see no sign of
steps cut in its steep sides, but retreat
now was impossible. Nmey, at her Sc
renest. was forbidding. Niney in her
wrath was formidable She crossed the
stile and walked rapidly in the direc-
tion of that vague hint.
All of her childish terror Of Niney
had revived at sound of that never for
gotten harsh voice of hers. Once more
she and Seth and Charlie were three
q. all
the house in awful terror ot old Nney,
who had come up from the stock mind
er's cabin in the fats tonurse her foster
SOIL through scarlet fever. OF the time
when black Suzanne and Strong had
drawn their life nourishment from those
withered breasts, lmpartlally offered,
she knew only az matter Of family
history. Time had not improved Niney's
temper nor added to her beauty, hut
if she was good to Strong Liza was
quite res1ly to condone all personal
Sights.
All these revived reflections went with
her a. she began the steep and stepleSS
ascent Of the cliff, holding fast 10y every
her, trusting blindlY to stumble on the
steps Strong had told her uf But pres
emily there was nothing IN her mind
but that green, endless wall stretching
up, up before her Between the wind
tossed branches Of the trees she could
catch glimpses Of high piled cumulus
clouds that were pregnant with thunder
and rain. Viney was right, after all,
and she was a venturesome little sim
pleton.
A sharp reverberating report, follow
ing almost Immediately on d ZigZag
line of light that seemed fairly 10 cleave
the heavens in twain, completed her
dismay. Blinded, bewildercd, terrified,
she glanced wildly about her and recog-
nized the extremity Of her foolish dar-
ing. She was lost on the cliffs and knew
not which direction u give her next
steps.
Like veritable babe in the woods
she sat down on the nearest tree root,
lifted up her voice and wept.
A gentle, Intellectual protest against
fate's malicious treatment Of her was
that wall, mingling with the ominous
cracking Of dead limbs suddenly part
ing with the parent stem, pealing thun-
der and the impetuous rush Of couLIoss
rivulets dashing headlong down the
cliff to pay tribute to the black pond at
its base. But that human cry was most
Unexpectedly answered in human fash
ion. At her very feet, apparently,
question was asked III "a wondering,
sympathizing voice;
"Gord-a-mity! Wat you doin here:
Is you los, little mistis:"
"Oh, Abram, lost and frightened TO
DEATH
Then she recoiled in greater terror
than any that had gone before but
only fieeting distrust seized upon her
and il left her full of remorse.
"You ketch your def NV col settin on
dem wet roots. gwine git you out er
here, little mistis, in hurry, even ef
dey bags me fur it"
From a hollow in the trunk of an
immense tree, a leaf strewn and ca
pacious cave, the tattered shoulders
were first thrust, then the agile limbs,
and French Abe, already degree less
wolfish about the eyes, stood fully re-