The Republican journal., 1899-01-19
WHERE MR.. BRlskETT MISSED DIT.

one brewing'' Mrs. Briskett told her hus-
band, Ebenezer, at noon, when he came
home from the shoe shop. ''It's going to
be an awful one, toor'
AS MI Briskett considered himself their
only authority on the weather, he prompt
ly took the opposite side.
"a leetle March furry, mebbe; can t
last long, though, the back o winter S
broker
Despite the oracle winter proved to
have stiff back before nightfall, and
when Mr.. Briskett had to wade from the
house to the barn he thought his was
'tbroken' The ''tlurry'' increased with
the darkness, until it was more like a
blizzard than the orthodox New England
storm. The wind flung snow and sleet
against the windows, and howled like
tiends around the North room where Lois
went for her patch work. She told Eben
she shouldn't sleep that night, the wind
screeched so. AS if to add to her nervous
ness, Mr.. Briskett observed, as they re-
tired: 'Terrible night for a fire. Sure
you haven't lit any match and throwed it
down, or left paper near the stOve.'
81 was very careful" said Mrs. Bris-
kett, with little sigh. She did wish Eben
would not start such questions after the
lamp was out; they started doubts that
could only be quoted by rising from her
warm couch and again going the rounds
Of the house,
As Usual, when she returned, Eben was
sleepi ~ the sleep of one who unloaded all
care. About midnight Lois awoke him.
$50 netting S the matter, Eben; there s
bp
towards the railroad track
Eben always became conscious with a
convuIsive start.
''Eh? What? Train on the track?"
''Otf the track, more likelyr' returned
Lois, impatient from her long vigil Il
b'lieve you'd sleep through anything.
Don you hear it?'
Eben listened profoundly and long-so
long that he was lapsing into his former
state, but Lois reused him.
''Eh? What? Oh, that's only Tige and
the wind
es, Tige's been bowling all night,
and the winds screeched so | conldn't
close my eyes; but that $ an engine; car t
you hear it? It's been a-going right in
that one spot They've broke down, or
got stuck in the snow
''Stuck in the snow repeated Eben,
sleepily. 'Nhy, | heard spring bird
yesterday. l tell you winters back
And Eben's argumentative spirit had
drifted away.
81 guess winter is backn' murmured
Lois with gentle sarcasm. ''Anybody'd
call this an awful storm, something more
than a March furry
Finally, she too followed her spouse
TO the magical land of dreams
There, the engine, the melancholy
sounds from Tige and the elements be-
came the grand clash of some weld or
chestra. This changed, at daybreak, to
one voice, shouting so near that it seemed
to be directly through their chamber win
dow.
Mrs. Briskett instantly awoke, but so
confused that her only thought was rob
bers. Trembling with fright, Lois arous-
ed her husband by what had long been
agreed upon as the most quiet and sure
method in case of attack-a gentle tweak
at his nose.
To her dismay, Mr.. Briskett failed to
take in the significance of this, but stirred
with the usual loud, -
Ell? What?"
'Hu-s-hH came softly from Lois lips
while Lois hand repeated the sign more
Thoroughly. But even now her obtuse
lord did not recognize the danger signal.
What be you adding of ?" he roared.
sis that the way to wake a tired man?''
Mrs. Briskett was obliged to whisper
directly into his ea1;
Somebody 5 breaking in the window,
Eben"
Just then loud, clear ''Hello' rang
through the room, bringing Mr.. Briskett
bolt upright in bed, bis hair rising with
his form. Lois clutched his arm.
That s the second timer'
''Anybody alive here?'' went on the
clear voice.
Hes sassy buggler, any way"' com
mented Mrs. Brskett
Mr. Bliskett was sensible enough to
know that "bugglers'' did not tgus loud
iy proclaim their presence, so he sprang
from his couch. Mrs. Brislett admired
his yalor, but begged him not to 90 near
the window without his gun, an ancient
affair IN leather sling over the bed.
Grasping this, Mr.. B1iskett attempted TO
open the Window difficult matter, for
the snow had driven against it. He was
obliged to use both hands, steadying the
gun, meanw lille, between his knees AS
this brought the muZzle in close proxm-
ity to his nose, Mrs. Briskett was in ter
ror lest the weapon should get jar, and
blow his head off
The sash being raised, Mr. Briskett
cautiously Investigated. The air was full
of snow, the yard a mass of white, drift
ed beneath him almost to the second
story. Upon this white mountain was
man, so covered with flakes that he might
have stood for old Boreas himself AS
his eyes were just below the sash it gave
Eben such start that he dropped the
gun with crash. Sure it had exploded,
Lois plunged under the bedclothes with a
cry of horror.
''Well," said Mr.. Briskett, summoning
all his courage, ''what do you want here,
at this time o day?'
Don't you know your own brother
Orrin?' asked the voice
"Why, it's Orrin," calculated Mr.
Briskett, GLOW you get here?'
Orrin, who was brakeman on the
Road, - explained that he had borrowed
a pair of snow shoes.
''Our trains over here, stuck fast in
the snow; been there pretty much all
night
Lois head appeared ''Then it was
you | heard a tooting?' she asked.
Not me, but cur engineer returned
Orrin. Cant you give fellow some
breakfast? I'm most starved, haven't
had anything since yesterday noon''
''N nv how VOu tai ~ eiacuIated Mrs