The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1899-12-19


able effects of the open air life we led,
says writer in the London News
Father was farmer, and we lived nine
miles from the county town. Mother
was a systematic and careful house.
keeper and go engrosed in her kitchen
and dairy duties that she seldom made
calls on her neighbors and never went
to town unless she was obliged to.
| She was, therefore, little annoyed
when father said after breakfast one
morning that she must accompany him
to W that day Nevertheless. she
! got ready, after a little demur, and
| took her seat in the dog cart an hour
later with an air of resignation that
made US all smile. We had the beds to
make, the breakfast dishes to wash and
the whole house to put in order; so we
were as busy as bees until II O'Clock
and had no time to think of being lone
| ly. But we found the afternoon go
slowly and l was beginning to feel that
! it would be pleasant to see mothers
face again when a newspaper that l
had placed behind the clock on the
kitchen mantel caught my eye. This
turned my thoughts into a different
channel
Kate" 1 said, suppose we make
some of that complexion compound we
read about the other day? We shall
never get a better opportunity. Mother
may not be away again for weeks
Here it is:
" Ladies who are troubled with free
kles will be glad to learn that a few
applications of a mixture of glycerine
cascarilla powder tar, lemon juice and
olive oil will effectually remove them
and leave the skin soft, smooth and
tinted like an Infants
I'm willing to try" said Kate But
we haven't the ingredients"
Eyes, we have" 1 answered, for, I'M
known to her, l had one day during
the previous week, when father had
taken me to town, obtained them from
the druggist and the grocer.
We were soon at the kitchen stove
diligently mixing and stirring the de-
coction and it was sorry-looking mess
when at last we took it from the stove.
We had, however, faith in its efficacy,
| anu Will ElCdL 5dllSldtllOu We UOuTEU
it into a large bottle, which we hid
behind the wardrobe in our room to
await use at bedtime. While we were
getting supper we were startled by a
terrific appeal of thunder, the forerun-
ner of one of the most violent storms
that ever ragged in our district. For
two hours the rain poured in sheets,
flooding the yard from the house to
the stable and turning the little brook
by the barn into roaring river The
clock struck 8. Don't you think we
had better go to bed?" said Kate, fold
ing up her apron. Il do not think there
is any use in our sitting up" With
much laughter we got our big bottle of
complexion varnish,'' as Kate called
it. Taking piece of rag we gave to
our faces a thick coating which re-
sembled nothing else I had ever seen
before, or have seen since.
I'm too tired to sit up" said Kate.
why can't we make cloth masks
Where's that old pique cloth you were
cutting up yesterday"
The masks were soon made. They
were simply long pieces of white cloth
reaching from the tops of our fore
heads to the collars of our night
dresses, with small holes for the eyes
and nostrils. We attached strings to
them and tied them on. We soon fell
asleep. 1t must have been near mid
night when J. was awakened by a noise
in the dining room, which was directly
below the one we occupied. 1t sound
ed as If some one was moving about
stealthily-or something, rather, for |
decided at once that it was the dog
Kate" 1 said, I'VE must have shut
old Tige up in the dining room. Very
likely he hid in the cupboard when the
storm came on and fell asleep there
We must go down and let him out"
We did not stop to put on our shoes
or light candle, but stole down just
as we were entering the sitting room
which communicated with the dining
room by folding door. What was
our surprise and horror to see the back
of one man in the cupboard directly
opposite us and another busily engaged
by the light of a lantern in preparing
to take the silver and linen from the
dining table in what seemed to be 6
stout canvas bag. The sound made by
the opening of the door caused the mar
at the table to look up. For one in.
slant he gazed at us, with dropped jaw
and eyes almost starting from theil
sockets, then with yell which might
have been heard half mile off, he LEI
fall the silver he was holding and will
one bound was out of the opening win
dow. His companion, startled by hi!
cutlery, rushed out of the cupboard il
alarm. Pen could not describe his alb
ject terror as his eyes fell on us, anC
his yell as he sprang toward the win
dow was even louder than that which
, had been given Nv his companion. Fo,
a moment I was at a loss to accoun
for their strange terror. but a glanc,
at Kate made it clear In our Ions
white night dresses and white mask.
we certainly looked like veritabl,
J ghosts. We spent the rest of the nigh
in state of nervous terror, which