The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-06-30

denly, he saw Jake striding through
the garden. and judged it wise to &
Eome-for a season. =
The south porch grew warn, sc
Primrose gathered up her treasures
and carried them into Miss Abigail'a
room. When two naughty boys crept
cautiously round the house, an houl
later, there was no small figure OF
the steps. They looked at each othe,
with disappointed eyes, when a soft
singing from the north room betrayed
their victim. An atwinkling they dis
appeared round the corner.
Suddenly the hush was broken by q
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? ~ u t:uII. .,gt
Nothing came. The familiar sounds
wereetaken up again. She could hear
Jake moving in the lower meadow
S%parrows wrangled outside the win
dow. She buried her head and waited
and. SO whiting. fell. asleep.
The kitchen clock striking II woke
7 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 ems alert
she heard an ominous cracking. Out
through the kitchen and round the cor.
ner of the house she flew. Pushing
through a 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 rating through to
Miss Abigairs chamber.
Primrose turned. and ran wildly to
the barnyard, whence she could see the
lower meadow. "Jake." she Screamed.
The moving machine paused andt
man looked' up. "Fire!S Ffrel" she
danced up and down, waving her arms
frantieahs. then. feeling that she must
DO something more, a to the well.
But, tug as. she. might, her small arms
could not stir the windlass.
\ sudden thought stopped her. Miss
Abigair's treasures were in danger!
Wreaths of smoke were coming
through the Kitchen door. For a min
ute she hesitated, then, drawing a
I,,r Ir,o{l J,r+oI ,,,o-- a. 1.,,lo,
and into the bedroom.
4 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
blind. she felt her way to the bed,
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 P~rimrose?"
"Blest if I know" he gasped. "TIl
have this out in a 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. "Oh, my little
one! My dear" was all she could say
as she held her close.
Primrose venturedIto stroke her wet
cheek 81 'membered you said you
cared more for the pictures than for
anything" she whispered.
but l cart for one thing more" and
Miss Abigail kissed the surprised face.
"An' there warn't a 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.