The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-10-04

both hands, palms outward, pressed to
her face. She leaped to her and threw
her arms about her.
''What is it?''
"Lookr' Helen dragged her to the
window. ".At the next fash. The
fence beyond the meadow
"What was it? What was it iike?'
The lightning flashed incessantly.
Helen tried to point. Her hand only
jerked from side to side.
Look she cried.
81 see nothing but the lightning
Minnie answered brea thlessly.
"Oh. the fence. Tie fence! And in
the field.'
Helen! What was it like?'
"Ah. ah!." size painted. "a long line
of white looking things : horrible
white
.N-hat like?' Minnie turned from
the window and caught the others
wrist in a strong clasp.
"Minnie, Minnie! Like long white
Gowns and cowls crossing the fence
Helen released her wrist from her
companions grasp and put both hands
on Minnie's cheeks. forcing her around
to face the Pickering pane. "You must
look: You must look!w she cried.
'They wouldn't do it! They wouldn't
it isn'tr' Minnie shuddered. 'They
couldn't come in the storm. They
wouldn't do it in the pouring rain"
..Yes! Such things would mind the
rain!" She burst into hysterical laugh
ter, and Minnie seized her round the
waist, almost as unnerved as Helen.
yet trying to soothe her. "They would
mind the rain.'' Helen whispered
They would fear a. storm. Yes, yes!
And let him so; let him go!'
Pressing close together, clasping
each others waist, the two girls peer
ed out at the landscape.
ssLookr'
Up from the distant fence that bor-
dered the northern side of Jones field
pale, pelted. tapping thing reared
itself. poised and seemed. just as the
blackness came again, to drop to the
ground.
did you see?'
But Minnie had thrown herself into
:. deep chair with a laugh of wild re-
lief. MY darling girIr' she cried.
Not a line of white things-just one
Mr.. Jones scarecrow! And we saw it
blown down.
NO. no. no. I saw the others. They
were in the field beyond. saw them.
When / looked the first time they were
nearly all on the fence. This time we
saw the last man crossing. All, | let
him go alonen'
Minnie sprang up and infolded her.
no; you dear, imagining child. you're
upset and nervous, that's ali the mat
ter in the. world. Don't worry; don't,
child: it's all right. Mr.. Harkless is
home and safe in bed long ago.
know that old scarecrow on the fence
Ike a book. and you're so unstruns
YOU fancied the rest Hes all right
Don't you bother. dear.
The big, motherly girl took her COM
panion in her arms and rocked her
back and forth soothingly and petteo
and reassured Ter and then cried a lit
lie with her, as. q good hearted girl al
wavs will with friend. Then she left
her for the night. with many cheer
inc WORD and tender caress- Get to
sleep. nv dear" she called through the
door when She had closed it behind her.
You must if you have to go in the
morning. II just breaks my heart.
don't know how We'll bear it without
YOU. Father will miss you almost as
much as 1 will Good night Don't
bother about that old white scarecroW:
that's all it was. Good night. dear;
good nigh
Good night. dear" answered plain
tive little voice. Helen's cheek pressed
the pillow and tossed from side to side.
BY and by she turned the pillow over;
it had grown wet. The wind blew
about the caves and blew itself out.
Sleep would not come. She got up and
:aved her burning eyes; then she sat
by, the window. The storms strength
was spent at last. The rain grew light
er and lighter until there was but the
sound of running water and the drip.
drip on the tin roof Of the porch. Only
the thunder rumbling in the distance
marked the storms course, the chariotS
of the gods rolling farther and farther
away till they finally ceased to be
heard altogether The clouds parted
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