The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-08-29

HILLS well aI1Ofueu the IreQuenCorS OF
Topeka hall a subject for much sur
mise and discussion, and one evening
when this topic was uppermost old
Peleg himself entered the store.
"We was just a-talkin about the
WELL" said Elnathan Burwell. "How
are you gettin' on anyway"
ooh, the men are gettin' along WELL"
81 guess it will be a long WELL" re-
marked the questioner significantly.
'It's your natur' to try to be smart"
retorted Williams, ''but you know no.
body supposed it would be short one.
One can't expect to get through ledge
in day"
"That's so, but what if you never
reach water? l think it begins to look
ruther doubtful. They say you're down
thirty foot already and that it's as dry
as ever"
"Its too dry a subject to suit Peleg,"
said listener.
"By the way" said another, 'the
schoolmaster will have the best of you
if you have to give the well up, OF,
rather, down, as bad job"
81 hear he's courtin' your darter on
the sly" remarked one who had hith-
erto been silent. "Now, if he should be
right about the well, mebbe you'd ac-
cept him for a son-in-law after all"
"He amt right. He's an edecated
fool!' almost shouted Williams.
"But suppose the water amt ever
reached Will you let him have her"
asked Burwell.
"Yis; I'll consent then"
The conversation in Topeka hall was
repeated to the schoolteacher, and he
| and Mildred, now deeply in love with
each other, fervently hoped that the
well would prove a failure. The vii
layers soon heard of old Peleg's angry
promise, and sympathy for the lovers
| became prevalent.
AS for Peleg, he told his daughter
that she could keep company with
| Hollenbeck until the well experiment
was at an end. If the water was
to do with the young man, but If the
well proved to be failure she could
have her way, for all he cared.
At a depth of forty feet the well
showed no signs of water. Old Will
liams was desperate. He had spent a
lot of money.
Its no use, boys, 1 guess" he said
to the laborers. "But We'll try one
more all fired great blast, and if that
don't do the business we'll stop and ae-
knowledge ourselves FOOLS"
The result was tremendous. The
earth shook. small fragments of stone
came out in a shower, and big piece
of rock sailed into the air and alighted
on the roof of Topeka hall, crashing
through it and coming to a standstill
beside the stove, frightening several
sitters out of their wits, but not injur-
ing any of them.
Williams descended the well. Not a
particle of water was in sight.
II give upv' he shouted in disgust as
he ascended the ladder to the surface
Of the ground.
The explosion occurred at o'clock in
the afternoon, but Hollenbeck and Mil
dred, who had gone on an excursion
with a party of friends to a neighbor-
| ing village, did not learn of their good
fortune until later.
Much disgruntled, Williams retired
to bed early in the evening, but his
wife was taken suddenly i'll before his
| eyes could close, and he arose in the
darkness to get some medicine for her.
He searched for a candle in bureau
drawer where candles were kept by his
| wife and, finding one, lighted it.
1t began to sputter in a strange way
and to throw out sparks.
Mrs Williams screamed. "For mer-
cy's sake, father, what's the matter?"
The next moment a ball of fire rose
from the candle and struck the ceiling
Smoke and sparks filled the room.
"Oh, dear me, the house will burn
down! What shall we do?" cried Mrs
Williams, rising in bed.
Another fiery ball went up. and old
Peleg, realizing now that he held nc
common candle, but a roman candle
hobbled toward the nearest outer door
as fast as his rheumatic leg would per
NIT him to go.
Gaining the outer air at last, Will
liams held the candle while three more
balls scared and the darkness was
beautifully illuminated.
Standing with only his nightshirt on
his eyes blinking and his mouth utter
ing maledictions, Peleg presented q
grotesque spectacle. AS the last bal
sped ON its way and shower of sparks
fell he heard tittering and, looking IL
the direction of the sound, beheld his
daughter and Hollenbeck, who had just
returned from the excursion.
Peleg fed into the house and, thrust
ing only his head from the door, cried:
Providence is ag'in me. You car
have the girl, schoolmaster. I've haG
enough of wells and fireworks. Such
another cursed day hope shall never
see ag'in."
After Peleg's son, who had carelessly
placed several roman candles with the
common candles in the bureau drawer
had been soundly whipped by his ia
ther peace was restored in the house
hold, and appropriate preparations fol
the wedding of Mildred and the trium
phant schoolteacher, no longer dubbed
"the edecated fool" were made.
Getting Exercise.
When Charles TX. of Sweden, at the
age of nineteen years, fought and de.
feated a large body of Russians al
Narva in 100, Peter the Great, who
led his army, had several horses shot