The Somerset reporter., 1904-03-10

Mr. AlanSon nor | have more than said
'howdy' to Miss Clarissa. Jock, you
stay here and keep this quicksilver
young person out of mischief while we
scramble through the decent thing"
you may find us engaged unless you
hurry back" Amy flung after them.
Jock laughed aloud. Lets hide" he
said. II know the very place. Won't
it give Billy jolt to come back and
find us missing?"
"He needs one, good and hard" Amy
said, tossing her head the least bit Il
have not told anybody else, Jock, but
I'm going to marry Billy If | can ever
make him show himself properly and
humanity foolish. He's so abnormally
steady going and sensible and settled
should not dare try to live up to him
urless | knew he had a nice silly streak
somewhere"
81 suppose you wouldn't any way
consider me. I'm pretty near all silly
streaks" Jock said dolefuly Amy
laughed and patted his arm, saying:
But you have good sense streaks, too,
Jock. else why should you like me SO
well? Well always be the best of
friends, l know"
BET your bottom dollar on IT, Jock
said, hurrying her along. He was max
ing for q tumbledown summer house
thickly oyergrown with vines, that
nestled in the very farthest corner of
the lawn. 1t had a plank floor, rotten
and crumbly, and a dilapidated rustic
bench along one slde-a cool, deeply
shaded nook, sweet with roses and hon
eysuckle. Amy sprang joyOusly inside
It, with Jock at her heels. AS they
made to sit down low, hollow reverbera-
tons came up from below their feet
There was a dull crushing, giving
away, then before they could cry out a
sliding down, down to dark. dank. IN
known perilous depths.
Five minutes later Billy was asking
anxiously of those about the garden
chair where Is Amy" Nobody
could tell him. Presently he spied far
out In the grass one of her little lace
mitts. Running away from 1t were
faint foOtmarks on the warm turf
Billy followed the marks, his face
whitening fast. Jock could not be so
cruel as to take her near that old well
house." he said to himself-then
groaned aloud; he had come In sight
of the well house, where the crumbled
floor told him the tale.
Jock Amy, Answer me! Oh,
God.' he cried aloud. peerlng over the
crumbling rim into the blackness No
articulate answer came to him, but
was 1t fancy that down In the deeps
of earth he heard low, gasping means?
He sprang up with shout that brought
the whole crowd budding about him.
Mrs. Brown was at the head, weeping
and wrnging her hands. They are
lost, lostr she moaned. Nobody ever
came out of that well alive. It's al
ways half full of choke damp! That
is why my father had 1t built over!
Why didn't l think to tell everybody? ?"
Billy seemed not to hear. With giant
strength he wrecked the rotten lattice,
clearing the well mouth. then flung Off
coat and shoes. and prepared to clam
Der down. He had already sent for
ropes mo. can't wait, with Amy
dying" he said to those who tried to
stop him 1--WE got to save her or
die with her. Stand by-llsten close
and let me have ropes the minute you
can"
The last words were shouted up the
well mouth, whence already there
came faint earthly smell, half sweet
ish, half repulsiye. Some Of the curl
Gus were for crowding the edges to
watch him, but wiser ones held them
back Give him all the light and air
possible, poor fellow he needs 10th.
Squire Clark said Young Alanson.
stripped and barefooted. sprang to the
edge Il the curb. Who'll follow me"
he asked. I'm going down, right BE-.
hind Billy; We may make live chain
before It's too late"
I'm follow, And And - came
from ali about. In little, the human
line was over the edge creeping down
down to the dangerous deeps noisonle