The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-25

voice angrily exclaimed. Not stici;
of kindling split. And 1 told him the
last thing before he started out this
morning that he must split up some
thing. Lazier than dead alligator.
Runs in the blood of them Hardys to be
shiftless. And here's this house as chilly
as tomb, and me with this rhumatiz.
and I've got 10 have a cup of hot tea TO
settle my head. The footing of thai
plaguey brass band has clean upset it.
Peggy, you run down cellar and see if
you can't scare up something to kindle
the fire with
Gracious. Peter said Mr.. Hardy to
himself. that's Sarah Ann got home.
There'll be the very dickens to pay. I'll
just get into this empty -four barrel and
keep STILL
Suiting the action to tho word. Mr.
Hardy jumped into the flour barrel
standing back of the closet door. and
drawing in his head, remained breath
less.
Peggy was scrimmaging round after a
bit of dry board, and Mrs. Hardy's in
sistent voice came ringing down the stair
way.
Don't stop to bother Peggy. Split
up that old flour barrel behind the closet
door. sot it out there for Seth to split
up. but l might have known it would
take root before he touched it. Split it
right up.'
"Oh, Lordy" groaned Hardy. and he
made a determined but Intellectual at
tempt to extrcate himself from the bar
rel Il"
o1- IL.
of the ak. welded by Peggy's sinewy
arm on the barrel. and Hardy gave a
frantic whirl around which sent the bar
rel spinning off out of reach of the girls
weapon.
The nails on the inside of the barrel
were bent downward, and had securely
impaled Mr.. Hardy's clothing, and all his
efforts at breaking their hold were in
vain.
"Howly Saint Patrick cried Peggy.
starting back from the strangely gyrat-
ing barrel, ''the things alive. 1t is.
And the very ould evil one hisself is in
side of it! But III hit him one good
blow if l die for it.v' Peggy drew back
and raised the AK, and the whack she
gave the barrel caused several millions
of stars to dance before the eyes of Mr..
Hardy. and sent the splinters flying all
over the cellar.
A wild and unearthly whoop came
from the interior of the barrel and sud-
denly it assumed an upright position.
and began a series of rolling and tum-
bling motions about the floor of the cell
lar.
The Lord save u.s. cried Peggy. her
hair standing up straight from her scalp
in terror. and her eyes fairly starting
from their sockets. Its going to walk.
it is! l wouldn't put an AK into that
haythen ould barrel for all the gold in
Ameriky.'
Gathering her skirts closely around
her, she fed up the stairs, and dropped
exhausted at the feet of her mistress.
Mrs. Hardy prided herself on her cour-
age. The Daughters of Thomas Jeffer.
son had for their fundamental bylaw
the teaching of self-control in emergen-
cies, and Mrs. Hardy was not to be ter
rorized by collapsed daughter of Erin.
What in the name of common sense
is the meaning of all this racket i" sh..
asked, in her levelest tones, and then she
leisurely descended the cellar stairs, and
was met by the barrel leaping and tum-
bling toward her in the most cratic man
ner.
'S-a-r-a-h-a-a-n-n! S-a-r-a-h-a-n-n-n-nv
was the sound that seemed to issue from
the barrels interior, and then there en-
sued a most vigorous and determined
bobbing up and down, followed by
plunge forward which struck Mrs. Hardy.