Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-11-29

--...ly between anu
nass in the morning and a oai
the afternoon and evening.
So, considering this, 1t seemed that
the young settler, Albrecht Hollub.
should be on pleasure bent, and the
signs indicated, too, that so he was, or
soon should be. Herein lay the sting
which changed for her the sunshine Of
that glorious June day to gloom.
For Albrecht was going riding" in
bis new buggy-going without her. and,
no doubt, with some other giri-when
Il was really her place on that seat be-
side him.
And had she not proudly occupied 1t
until that unlucky night not yet two
weeks ago, but seeming half lifetime,
as a girls short nftime goes?
Such a little thing, too. as is gener-
ally the case, to have caused all this
trouble. She was not sure how AL
brecht felt Perhaps he was glad to
get rid of her-here two great tears
iropped into the dishpan at the thought,
Just a dance at young friends we'd
din,--it being their custom for a bridal
party to go to a justice or county Judge
10 have the ceremony performed, and
then to return to the brides home for
q grand celebration, which usually last
ed all night. Then a foolish quarrel,
when Albrecht, heated by excitement
and beer, had insisted that she danced
too often with the brides elder brother.
She had refused to listen to him, of
course, with the result that he had
walked out into the darkness and had
never seen her since.
Perhaps she had sought covertly, and.
no doubt, awkwardly, to find an op-
portunity Of making amends, but he
had ignored or avoided her. though they
lived on adjacent claims; hence, fol-
her, at least. bitter days and nights
She felt vaguely, in her simple fashion
the harness Of the woman's code which
bids her wait and weep" in silence, q
rule that has broken many besides
country hearts like hers. And all this
time the cloud In the west was rising
It looked much like a pun Of BLACK
smoke now, and there were others, moi
so dark, climbing up beside 1t.
The dishes were finished and pur
away In the kitchen safe" OF cup
board, ana the girI sat down py hel
window-she was very fond of tina
window In those days-and gazed alb
sently out. The landscape was lef
desolate to her. for Albrecht had dis
appeared. probably to attire himself To-
his outing.
Her father nodded In the shady door
way over his long, curved pipe. In th'
inner room her mother discourset
volubly to her second daughter In he
native tongue, which is never forgot
Ten by the "old people," at least. Th'
shouts Of the numerous younger chill
dren came from without. where the!
romped among the farm wagons ant
machinery, and the horses and cattl
grazed contentedly on the fenced-il
prairie that formed the pasture. L
was all homely. but peaceful, and pres
emily the girls eyes, heavy with unac
customed vigils, closed. She did no
see the cloud rapidly swelling and tax
ing on the ominous shape dreaded b.
the prairie dwellers, the so-calle'
funnel form, which in this case was
much flattened one.
1t seemed but a few minutes late
when Vlasta reused abruptly In daze
bewilderment. A distant shout. on
of alarm and warning, seemed echoin
in her ear. How dark it had growI
And there were Albrecht and his Httl
old mother, who kept his house, stant
ing before their door. exclaiming an
gesticulating wildly. At the same mt
ment there came a rush Of furiou
wind, bringing the sound Of Low
menacing roar, while the mass of dusk
green cloud seemed to quit the horizo
and start swiftly on an earthwar
path.
vlasta guessed instantly the per
threatened, and sprans up with q tel
riAsd ca.