The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-12-21
breIia blown inside out, bat Strengthening
hersslf and Looking back and laughing.


hersslf and looking back and laughing.
Poor ii,tls Cyrilia did not feel like laugh
Ing. She would Ike TO 70 TO Mrs. Dan-
tons, too; but Of course that was not 10 bs
thought Of. She haa sent mittens and
sccks. bot II wAs not because she stayed
sssy that she did not feel liks laughing.
She thought Of her uncle aud the boys.
don't see ~hat keeps yoar uncle, her
Aunt Eanice said, sitting down at last with
her basket OF darning. He ought 10 be
home By pow. ! hope the marsh hasn't
given way anywhere.
They'll catch awfui coids, said cyrilia.
They don't catch cold 40 much, sad Mrs.
Nelson. But something must have hap
pened. Why, ses how early iis getting
daikl And the storms grown worse In.
stead Of better. Ideclare, I'm worried
There VAS long silence. Il seemed ~
IL the clock had never licked 30 loud. They
~ill be chilled to the bone when they do
come, said Mrs. Nelson. guess I'd better
nave things bot for them. She built up
the Ore, and then set the teakettlc forward.
Te may ~ we'll get supper early, she said,
They'll be nearly starved. Where do you
suppose they ayei There's light 10 Mrs.
Browns dAiry--thev've milked already.
Wen have come dip.toast, anyway, she
said, hurrying about to divert her mind.
he likes that. And scrambled eggs-well, /,
won't scramble 'em till be comes but III
break 'em into the pan, and you might be
beating 'em up, Cyrilla; your Arms are
stronger than mine.
And although Cyrllla knew II was only
co hli her thoughts for the time being, che
beat the eggs with will.
/ declare, I hate to light the lamp, said
her aunt. But I'll have to. The darki
shut down like dish cover. can't sit In
The dark not kaowipg what's become Of
sour uncle and the boys this weather. And
Billy's chest isn't strong. | know what's
hsppceed! They're lost on the msrsh
rherelsn't light in sight there. They
can't tell which way to 90. She fell into
her chair and threw her apron over her
bead, and sobbed aloud.
Cyrilla sobbed, too; bot her thoughts
we're seeking some way to help. II only
,he knew how to build bonfire! But no
bonfire would burn In these floods Of rain.
even could one be lighted, for the wind.
And then her thought touched another |
point--if they could not have light to |
guide them they might hear sound that
would help them. And she thought Of the |
horn her aunt blew to call the men to din.
ner but the storm would blow the souno
back, and nothing would be heard.
There WAS the old string Of cow.bells-I
but that was too absurd; 1t would be no
better than the buzzing ofa ay. And then
suddenly another thoueht-if she could
Il she dared!
She looked at her aunt. The poor woman
rocked fesbly to and fro, oil the strength
gone out Of her. No, her aunt could not
DO anything. And Flora WAS not here.
Could she herselfi She who found 1t .
labor to get across the room, could she 70
out into the stormi She edged her way
from chair to table, till she reached the
door, got . cloak In the entry, and broom
stick handle there for q staff.
The wind rushed In ~ II 1t were going to
search the house; but she succeeded In
.hutting the outer door behind her. Plant
Ing her staff, and bending her head ~ she
mad seen Flora do,-Flora, who was plain
y going to spend the night with Mrs.
Dunton, she struggled down the lane,
She was frightened she had never been
out In such night before. The darkness
was something you could touch. But her
uncle was out thsre--and the boys. 1t wa
'low work; she could hardly sst one foot
before the other. She fell in the snow tha,
Lhe rain had soaxed to sponge. She fell
and sat stiff till her heart woulo
let her 20 on. She wanted to fy-and she
could only crawl.
She could guess her way, too, BY moth
pg buts the RUS in the road. Never,
ever, had she been 90 impotent! Blown
here and there, tumblipg down, scrambling
up, losing her breath, bruised and drench.
d, at last she fell upon the Westinghouse
teps, and rested.
The door Of the old Westinghouse VA
oever locked. CyrIlla pulled herself up,
urned the handle Of the door and went In.
She knew whore the rope hung down In the
middle Of the broad aisle. Slowly she
CROPPED along and found 1t. She twisted
ner stsfl in the rope, and bent and pulled
with her long srns, the only stro-g e thing
about her,--and pulled again, and pulled
with all her might.
Out on the tongue Of land In the middle
Of the marsh, where Mr.. Nelson and biz
men stood shielding the young lads, . far,
strange sound had come sigblpg ard swell
ing on the wind.
The old meeting house bell cried nr.
Nelson. There's fire some where, | sup
posa. Ny land, II never did better work
Don't you hears Don't you hear 1t from
4 he northeast II that's northeast, we're
IN Barclays Point. Go slow, 70 slow.
ooys! just follow that sound nd--alow--s slow
and we'll be safe In less than IN hour!
With the sound Of the bell lsadiDg them
step BY step, they crept on TIL they passed
be little wood aud came out upon the
highway, sDd at last they Stumbled Into
,he wood.shed. Aunt Eunice, who had re-
covered her strength st the sound Of the
bell, threw open the door Of the grsa,
Kitchen.
Some Of you, she said, must 70 and fetch
CyriIla. She'll b. ringing that bell TIL the
crack Of day II you doo't!
Cyrllla. cried ber uncle. And exhaust
ID ~ be had been the moment before, be
was filed Low with pew energy. and has
II ned out Ard hftpf her although the lone-