Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-04-28
CON PERSEvERINGLY ON"


Miss Zenith sat at the piano playing
"All Quiet Along the Potomac To-
night" new war ballad. and her sis
ters were clustered about her. learning
to sing II. Captain Zenith reclined on
a sofa. listening and occasionally crit
icising one Of the vocalists or the play
er. for which he was invariably criti-
cised .by Mrs Zenith. There was
sharp ring at the door bell and mo-
ment later the ''undomesticated enemy
from Ballycrag" entered the room with
a telegram and approached Mrs. Ze-
NTH,
Please ma'am, here's a spatch an
the boy says If there is any answer,
ma a'am?"
who can be telegraphing to us?"
said Miss Zenith.
Something has happened at Aunt
Sues" said Miss Lettie.
I'm frightened to death. a telegram
always scares me half out Of my wits,
said little Miss May. She was so far
from being frightened to death that she
did not even pale, and instead Of los
ing her wits in any measure she evinc-
ed the keenest curiosity as to the pur-
port of the unexpected message and
added:
why don't you open II ma, and not
keep US in such a fright?"
What can it mean?" said Mrs. Ze-
NTH. holding the missiye between her
eyes and the window, as if trying to
read it unopened.
IF | wanted to know what letter
contained, and held the letter in my
hand, / would open and read it; If my
fn rnad II ~ the
Captain suggested.
Mrs Zenith ignored the sarcasm and
sent Miss May for a pair Of scissors
and when they were brought she care
| fully cut the flimsy envelope and read
the message:
Has Stella arrived?"
why, It is from Miss Letson, What
in the world can she mean" said Mrs.
Zenith.
"She means that Stell has quarreled
with her and left, and she does not
know where she went" Miss Zenith
suggested.
"That may be the case, but probably
1t is not; l am going right over to Nor
| toms to see IL Stell Is there or IL Bell
knows anything about It. There is
something wrong or Miss Letson would
HOL SuoptIL AildI IL olA
comes from you prosecuting the poor
! child" Miss Carrie reJoined, and with
out waiting for the recrimination or
discussion likely to follow II she tar
ried, she procured her hat and wraps
and went out.
The family waited for her return
without great anxiety, having little
doubt that, whatever had been amiss at
a.
Minersvale and had proceeded to the
Mortons and was with her friend.
Miss Carrie returned alone and
looked so anxious and depressed that
| Captain Zenith's inquiry was but a
hopeless form:
Did you find herr"
They have not heard from her. They
| did not even know that she was out
OF town. The adjutant waited there
for hours this afternoon, expecting
| Stell, as he said that he had an engage
ment to meet her there"
What is TO be done? What can be
done? Where can she be-" said Mrs.
| Zenith.
Il have telegraphed to Miss Letson
In your name" Miss Carrie answered,
"and / have told her that we have not
! heard from Stella since she left home
and that we do not understand her tel
| egram."
An hour of expectation, anxiety,
| hope, fear passed before the response
came from Miss Letson:
! stella left for home on foot after
three O'Clock. We could not induce her
| to remain here after she missed the
train. We start at once to look for
| her"
PA, get good pair OF horses and
strong buggy and go after her, quick!
I will go with you" said Miss Carrie.
"I will go with Pa" said Miss Ze-
NTH
Neither OF you Will go: I will go
myself" said Mrs. Zenith; but the
| Captain interposed:
Ma, the trip would be too fatiguing
| for you. Carrie can go; her head is al
ways clear and her wits are quicker
| than all OF yours together; a clear
| headed woman may be needed. Mollie
has no right to 90; for I'll be bound
| that she is at the bottom OF the child's
| trouble. II there IS any trouble, which
we will try to hope there Is not"
Mrs. Zenith took up the defense OF
her eldest child:
Now, Pa Don't make such ugly
| charges, at a time like this when we
| don't know what may have happened to
| Stella Mollie is not to blame for any
thing and does not deserve to be scold-
ed. The child went to Lessons OF her
own accord and Mollie told me in her
presence not to allow her to go. or
| course 1t was OF her own will that she
started to walk home at such an hour.
Very likely she stopped az some house
on the way when 1t began TO get dark;
! but hurry off and get your team for II
would be just like her to stick to her
resolution when she once started. and
try to walk all the way. day or night!
It Is terrible; | hope that nothing will
| happen to her!"
| II do not think that there Is house
on the way; the road is altogether
unused do not know how far we can
manage to get with n team; but we
will drive as far as possible and i
will then walk on unless we meet her
sooner" the Captain answered.
| While Captain Zenith procured
team Miss Carrie put up wine and 9TH
or refreshments and prepared herself
for the trip. She was ready when her
father drove to the gate and they set
out at once.
| They found the Old road little better
than an abandoned by-way. 1t was
| furrowed, scanned and gashed by the
floods Of many years; rough with
stones and rocks that lay bare upon
the track; obstructed here and there
by trees that had been wrenched from
their strong roots by the violent as
saults of raging winds. Travel there
In the day would have been difficult:
at night it was dangerous and progress
was uncertain and slow.
As they slowly ascended Il hill the
wheels OF one side of the buggy
dropped into deep washout and the
vehicle was upset. Both the occupants
were pitched out but neither was
harmed. The Captain righted the bug
gy which was uninjured and with little
delay they resumed their slow and toll.
some advance, until they reached the
crest Of the hill. II was then past mid
night and they were uncertain what
distance they had covered. At the top
| Of the hill the road was found worse
than usual and the Captain took out
l.. HN NM..