Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1901-04-20
cHs,,y, Of The Old Gradss.
BY j. II. CONNOLLY.
b. ian r.er,ed1

By J. n. CONNOLLY.

fore her. Her warmly wadded fur.trim.
med cloak. chcrry-tinted knitted hood,
white wooden 'mufier," thick mittens
and fur-lined overshoes she rolled in
tight bundle and hid In Il dark corner
of the summer kitchen, near the back
door. All these preparations had been
made before Mrs. Mulveil even noticed
that her daughter was moving about the
house.
Then Hetty busted herself getting
breakfast. Soon the tempting odors of
hot coffee and frying ham tickled Dan
ny's nose. up in the loft, and for once
he came tumblng downstairs in hurry,
without having to he rolled out of bed or
even callcd-an almost unprecedented
thing. And so eager was he TO get off
with his gun squirrel hunting" he said,
but with sly wink at Hetty-that he
would hardly wait to snatch a hasty
breakfast.
The hired man came In. He was going
to take a load Of grain to the mill that
morning and could not get an early break
fast ut home, because his wife was sick.
1Ictty sat him down Mt the table and be.
gan dipping the buckwhcnt batter from
its crock to the smoking griddle for cakes.
by the time he was through eating. Mary
Elder and Mrs. Mulveil were up. The
latter felicitated herself upon seeing the
hired man before he started. She fan
cied that she had felt some prcmonitory
twingcs of rheumatism and wanted him
To he sure to get for her, from the miller,
u bottle of black-snake oil. He said he
would not forget and went away. Hetty
put upon the table tall pile Of golden
brown buckwheat cakes, and the three
women sat down.
The meal was little more thnn half
over, when the girls sharp ears caught
the sound of two gunshots, close together,
at Il distance, but clear. Neither of the
others noticed them.
There" she exclaimed. ~ have for
gotten again to set water on for the
Dishes" and, rising from the table which
was In the kitchen, took up the kettle to
place 1t upon the stove.
1t was empty--ns she had taken care Il
should be. She turned TO the water pail
1t. too, was empty. Taking 1t up. as IL
going to the well, she passed out of the
back door, which she closed behind her.
Her mother and Mary We're deep IN dis.
cussion Of the advisability OF turning
certain blue cashmere that had already
seen much service. But, after some min
utcs, the old woman exclaimed pctulant-
ly:
why don't that girl come and finish
her breakfast? Hetty! Hettyw
There was no response. At that pre-.
else moment Hetty was already two hun.
dred yards away from the house, with
her bundle In her arms, flying down the
lane rs if an angry bull had been be.
hind her.
After a time, Mrs. Mulveil broke forth
again:
Her coffee Is getting cold and them
buckwhcats will be like leather. Hetty!
Hcttyw
Getting no reply, she arose. went to the
back door, looked out ana repeated her
call. loudly, but In vain.
BY that time Hetty was In John Cam
cron's cutter, out of sight. beyond the
bend In the road, doing the best she could
with nervous fingers and her lovers rath.
err awkward help, to bundle herself IN
comfortably In the warm wraps she had
not dared to wait to put on until now.
Where are we going, John? she ask
cd anxiously.
"ro the turnpike, first. There our track
will be lost. Then. If they chase US, they
will not know whether we have struck
ont for Noblcstown, Cnnonsburg or
Washington, and, as they will hardly be
likely to think we have started of In this
way for Pittsburg, we will get an ever.
lasting start on them while they are puz-
cling"
When Mrs. Mulveil had repeated her
call two or three times, she noticed the
door of the simmer kitchen open, obsery.
cd the water pail dropped In the snow
near by. and suspicion flashed. with the
suddenness Of an explosion, into her
mind. Without word she wheeled, and
darted into letty's bedroom. From there,
howl Of angry dismay quickly proclaim.
cd that she had made discovery. Het.
tvs warm wraps, as well as the girl her.
self Were missing, aud the old woman
shrewdly guessed the truth.
"lietty has run away with that John
Cameron" she shrieked, rushing back tc
the kitchen.
Mary Elder, leisurely enjoying her
buckwheat cakes and honey, was almost
pnralyzed by amazement, and could only
weakly gasp:
"Oh, no, Mrs. Mulveil! You don't
think so!"
Don't !? Well, l do! And, what's
more. l know she has. I'd lay my life
on it!'
"Why, she never even limited to me
that she had thought Of such thing. I
should think she would have told me-"
"Oh, no. Not she! OF course not She