Middletown transcript., 1902-11-08

H.
ashes lay heaped in
the middle under
sfhe immense crane which traversed it
irem end to end, and whence hung three
81 four pot hooks. There was something
eminous about its appearance which ied
her to exclaim to her husband:
III Jest feel it in my bones that we've
lost our fire. do hate to lose fire, the
nsighbors think IT so shiftless."
'sYou can tell them howit was, Mar
thy
aYes, can tell them how it was, but
hate to dredfully.''
All at once, however, Mrs. Deans lace
lighted up with sudden pleasant recol-
lection, and rising quickly she dressed
Id her homespun woolen garments and
donned her shawls, one for her head and
the other for her shoulders, and taking q
small, three-legged skillet, prepared to
sally forth in the storm, which still con
tinued. although the wind had subsided
since daybreak. All night it had torn
and shreiked over the hills, blowing such
a hurricane that even the wolves, scent
inc freshIy-killed sheep in Captain
Browns clubhouse, just at the top OF the
Hill. had fed to less inclement quarters
Of the wood.
eIt's the wind that drawed out the tlre
i never see it blow so like the Old Boy,
said Mrs. Dean.
'trll 90, Marthy," called her husbands
wayering voice from the bedroom, where
its owner still lay shivering, his red
woolen night-cap barely visible above the
bedclothes.
oNo; you lay still. I'll 20 up to the
big house. Mis- Brown won't say Pm
shiftless, and she will want to hear tell
about the Doctors niger"
Setting her skillet down as sudden
thought struck her, she said: ''Mebbe the
boys is showed in up charmber, the RUIZ
is so terrible open"
Briskly ascending the ladder which ran
up through the opening to the loft where
slept her two sons, Eben and Eliphalet,
aged six and seven respectively, she
peered to the right, where stood an old
trundle bed, the sole piece of furniture in
the loft
s"They be, all kiyered up with snow
she called to her husband. "Eb, Life!'
she exclaimed, Fastening forward to take
off the outside wooden quilt and shaking
it into the opposite corner. Two laugh
ing faces appeared in answer to her ques-
ton as to whether or not they were cold.
f'Cold2 No; warmer'n toast. We Jest
dived when we heard you set the ladder. "
"Wall, you lay still and keep warm
whilst I 90 over to the big house and
borry some fire. Ours drawed out last
night, it showed and blowed so.'
"I'Il 60, marm,' said Life.
"Ne, I'd ruther 60 than wait round in
the cold," said his mother.
The clearing was reasonably large where
the settlement was, but it was closely
fringed with trees. 10 the northwest
was the block-house and fort, and in a
direct line was Captain Browns big house
with its underground passage to the block
house. The block-house was situated on
hill, and in case of an Indian attack,
the settlers could signal to the garrison at
MilltoWn, six miles down the river,
There had been one attack, when large
band OF Indians came silently down the
Connecticut in their canoes and pounced
upon seven Of the settlers working in
their fields, giving them no opportunity
50 grasp the muskets which lay near.
Five of the settlers were held for ran.
some, but two of them escaped and found
their way back; one died in captivity and
two were ransomed. Peleg Dean was one
of the latter, and since that time his wife
had held him choice, and, indeed, be
was little able to cope with the robust
denizens of new settlement with its un'
cleared forests and primitive manner oi
farming the rough acres.
81 can tell them about the Doctors
nigger," Mrs. Dean repeated to herself
more than once as she took her way
across the unbroken waste of snow, clam
bering manfully through drifts into which
she sank sometimes half way to her waist
But she did not appear to mind it at all
She was thin, agile and wiry, toughened
instead Of weakened by the addition Of sc
many Of Peleg's tasks the last three
years.
The big house with its many windows
of many panes stood bathed in the sud-
den rosy light Of the morning sun, which
flooded it from small opening in the
hills. All Of the low brown cottages
where lived the Captains wood-choppert
were illuminated. A vague idea STRUCK
the woman's mind as she noticed it anc
caused her to mutter: t1t's alwus light
for some Mebbe they deserve il"
A sudden burst OF smoke issued from
one OF the immense chimneys, and th'
latch-string was just being thrust through
the hole when Mrs. Dean approached th'
door with her skillet, 90 all that she. Hat
to do was to pull the string and lift tn
] atch.
When she entered, Mrs. Brown wa
Sitting before the fire, on the hearth th
baker, in which reposed some squares Q
dough in an oblong tin. The potatoe
were already roasting in the ashes, AM
Priscilla, the only daughter, was hanging
the tsa-kettle on the crane.
'.Pye come over, Mis- Brown, to borr,
some fire. / covered mine up just tn
same as ever, but the wind blowed so
drawed it out
II don't wonder mite. It did blow
like the Old Boy said Mrs. Brown cor
daily. ''I was afraid ours would 60 out
Here's bunch OF Goals that lain't bel
teched. Yoa can have them and vel
come,n pluning q long-handled shove
into the burning depths,
tsDon't rob your own fire." eaid Mrs
Dean politely. did you know the Doc
S1,e s,;arar had rutl away agaii.? Eli,