Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-13

could not leave their horses. So Anna car
ried the spirits out upon the highway.
In little VIII Bowman heard the rattle
or their horses feet on the hard-beateu
read. and looking out We saw the cart rum
Ding away into the frost-bitten air Of night
through kind of cloud which was the
steam Of the horses
The weavers dispersed quickly mostly TO
sbeak away to the change house at the
hamlets Of New Minis and Moreham, some
of the younger to court their joes in hyres
and barn ends, one or two merely to go
back again to sleep.
So We three were left alone in the great
Min house with the newly arrived packing
case. 1t stood in the corner across the
angle of the weaving shed with its plain
broadslde to the blinking fire. VIII Bow
man replenished the dogs with new load
OF wood and We went with our game
But somehow the spirit seemed gone out Of
the hide-and-seek. For as We ran and hid,
lodging shadow, to our imaginations
seemed to run beside us. overlapping the
looms and evading the eye, as it Were by
a bare inch when We looked over our Shout
ders. Once Anna, to deceive us. hid in the
little dusky triangle behind the packing
case.
We two were going about to find her,
for 1 had already captured VIII Bowman,
when all of a sudden she gave a wild
scream and came running to US, crying That
the case was alive.
Nonsense, little one" cried out Will,
greatly amused. Some yarn is alive
enought when it comes here-both with
high jumpers and .slowbellie.' But this
is the finest Spanish wool, white as milk,
fine as wisp of silk and very expensive
But Anna only cutched my arm and
painted: Philip, 1 heard something move
| within. / heard it,
"Tush" said WIN Bowman: Let us go
to supper. Forget it, Anna. You had been
running too fast and you heard your own
heart beating. So have I many a time
Nay, / heard that, too! l was not mis-
taken she made answer earnestly And
To har oct into rr1 nd
walking hand in hand. with little Anna in
the midst We approached the packing case,
which, being set on end, lowered above my
head, though tall Will Bowman could see
onto the top of it.
We examined the thing infinitely, back
and side and front. 1t was evidently Of
some light wood and well packed, for when
tilted and let down violently on the floor
the contents made no noise. Will Bowman
tapped it all about with a hammer and
found it all of wood every side, with
many bored air holes and in front square
OF common ye.loWish gauze, wtde-meshed
and coarse, covered a larger hole. That was
done, VIII said, for ventilation, and was
common in all their foreign consignments.
After all was carefully gone over VIII
bade us ho'd our breath and listen. We did
so, but save for the STRINGS within
and the cracking of the logs the hearth
all was silent, inanimate, dead.
We'll, are you content, little woman?"
said WILL patting Anna on the head. But
she went out with her face turned over her
shoulder. looking back at the thing which
had affrighted her.
In the house pace of the private dwell
ing there was a sense of comfort and safe
~ which even 1 felt strongly. 1t was good
to be rid OF the case in the dusky corner
of the weaving room, yet l could not get
little Annals Shrek out of my mind. 1t was
SO sudden and unlike her.
L thought 1 heard my father whisper"
she explained more than once in an awed
voice. $50 l cried out!''
And. IN spite of the foolishness Of 1t, the
saying stuck to me. We had supper, beef
cold, cut thin, on wooden platters wheaton
That is. Umphray only allowed US one mug
apiece when he was at home, and to that
We now confined ourselves. Only Will and
treated ourselves to somewhat larger
size in tankardS.
So in a little the home-brewed gave
me courage. and it came into my head that
l was in good case to go alone into the
weaving room, where the box stood-to
show Anna that 1 cared nothing about the
matter. and that | was as brave as any
VIII Bowman could be, though he had
marched with Umphray Spurways militia.
So betook me alone into the great shed,
and my spirit revived when / thought what
Anna would think of me. The case stood
in the corner, still and plain sheeted. like
many another that had come to the mills of
Umphray Spurway.
l threw some logs the fire and stirred
the others with my toe, so that a bright
flame spring up. More and more I threw
bear the heat. Then l looked about for
something to shield my face, but saw moth
ing on the mantel board, save some talow
dips and little cracked handglass, before
which the mill laSseS We're wont to order
their snoods and part their hair at the hour
of noon.
This. without thought. I took in hand
and held between me and the fire. The
pine branches burnt clear and high, and all
the great shadowy place of beams and
cross threads, carders and spindles glinted
light. The flames danced on the floor and
glittered upon the walls, losing themselves
among the evasive shadows between the
cross beams and the dusky roof.
felt curiously at ease and it was with
a kind Of exaltation that bethought me of
VIII. in the lighted parlor, talking TO Anna
Mark. ] was no more than a boy, as VIII
often said. Yet L was not afraid to sit
there in the dusk, with that great ghostly
case staring at my back out of the dusk
Involuntarily I happened to look at the
reflection of it in the hand mirror. My
heart fiuttered like a bird which has
dreamed itself free brought suddenly up
against the wires of cage.
l saw in the strong freight the leaning
flames CLEAN red on a pair of eyes that
watched me steadily through the thick.
yellow gauze on the front of the packing
case.
fTo be continually