Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-29


the garden. and judged it wise to go
kome-for a season.
The south porch grew warm. so
Primrose gathered up her treasures
and carried them into Miss Abigairs
room. When two naughty boys crept
cautiously round the house, an hour
later, there was no small figure on
the steps. They looked at each other
with disappointed eyes. when soft
singing from the north room betrayed
their victim In twinkling they dis
appeared round the corner.
Suddenly the hush was broken by a
harsh explosion. To Primrose's hor-
rified ears. the diabolical turmoil
seemed to have no end. Covering
close to the bed she buried her head
in the clothes. What would come
next?
Nothing came. The familiar sounds
were taken up again. She could hear
Jake moving in the lower meadow.
Sparrows wrangled outside the win
dow. She buried her head and waited
and. SO waiting, fell asleep.
The kitchen clock striking II woke
her. For a moment she was confused,
then something unusual aroused her.
There was an acrid odor in the air.
her eyeballs stung. the room looked
hazy. Why, it was smoke!
AS she started up. every sense alert,
she heard an ominous cracking. Out
through the kitchen and round the cor
ner. of the house she flew. Pushing
through tangle of lilac bushes she
reached the place of the explosion. How
it happened nobody could ever explain.
Perhaps a smoldering cracker alone
was responsible, but creeping flames
were now curling along the edges of
the clapboards and eating through to
Miss Abigail's chamber.
Primrose turned and ran wildly to
the barnyard, whence she could see the
lower meadow. "Jake," she screamed.
The moving machine paused and the
man looked up. Fire! Fire!" she
danced up and down, waving her arms
frantically, then, feeling that she must
do something more. ran to- the well.
But, tug as she might, her small arms
could not stir the windlass.
A sudden thought stopped her. Miss
AbigaiTs treasures were in danger!
Wreaths of smoke were coming
through the kitchen door. For min
ute she hesitated, then, drawing a
long breath, darted across the kitchen
and into the bedroom.
A line of fame was blinking be-
meath the window-she must be quick,
The heavy mahogany drawer stuck,
then yielded. With hot haste she
grouped for the family" bundling
them in her skirt. Coughing and half
cba fol ~
sweeping the beloved dishes and her
dear dolls on top of her burden.
Something dashed into the yard.
That something was the astonished
Lightning, urged by an energetic whip.
White and wild-eyed, Miss Abigail pre-
cipitated herself from the wagon.
"Jake." she screamed, as the man
ran past with dripping buckets,
where's Primrose?"
''Blest if I know" he gasped It'll
have this out in jiffy."
"Auntie, I've got 'em!" piped a
shrill voice from the kitchen door, and
Primrose, with something bundled in
her Bingham apron, ran coughing,
laughing and crying to meet her, drop
ping family" dolls. and dishes at her
feet.
But, strangely enough, Miss Abigail
tramped on the pictures as she seized
Primrose in her arms. ooh, my little
one! My dear!" was all she could say
as she held her close.
Primrose venturedl TO stroke her wet
cheek: 81 'membered you said you
cared more for the pictures than for
anything" she whispered.
"But I care for one thing MORE" and
Miss Abigail kissed the surprised face.
"An' there warn't mite of DANGER"
Jake declared afterward. 'Miss Abby
can't see enough of that child. 1t
must hev been workin' in her all
along.-Marion Dickinson, in Farm
and Home.
FUN ON THE FOURTH.