Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-06-29

denly, he saw Jake striding through
the garden. and judged 1t wise to go
home-for 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 n 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 smoldering cracker alone
was responsible, but creeping flames
were now curling along the edges OF
the clapboards and eating through to
Miss Abigails 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
Abigails 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 flame 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 hall
blind, she felt her way to the bed
sweeping the beloved dishes and hel
dear dolls on top of her burden.
Something dashed into the yard
That something was the astonishet
Lightning, urged by an energetic whip
White and wild-eyed, Miss Abigail pre-
cipitated herself from the wagon.
"Jake," she screamed, as the mar
ran past with dripping buckets
where's Primrose?"
'Blest if know" he gasped. "Tl
have this out in jiffy."
"Auntie, I've sot emil" piped 1
| SuIlll NOlSt lloill lhS NOOi' ah'
Primrose, with something bundled il
her gingham apron, ran coughing
laughing and crying to meet her, drop
ping family" dolls and dishes at he
feet.
But, strangely enough, Miss Abigail
tramped on the pictures as she seize
Primrose in her arms. "Oh, my littl
one! My dear!" was all she could sa
as she held her close.
Primrose venturedlto stroke her we
cheek: 81 'membered you said yo
= cared more for the pictures than fo
anything" she whispered.
!, "But care for one thing more" an
. Miss Abigail kissed the surprised fact
SAN there warn't a mite of danger,
Jake declared afterward. "Miss Abb
can't see enough of that child.
must hev been workin' in her a
along."-Marion Dickinson, in Farl
and Home.
a FUN ON THE FOURTH.