The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-05-25

/ as soon as he had cleared the way Tor II.
| Much obliged to you, old lady he
said. as he swallowed the last remnant
of the pie, ''and my compliments to you,
my dearest madam,
Now. then. to sample the cake--
But the sample was never taken. for
| just then there was an ominotis creaking
| sound above stairs. tlS cellar door open
| ed. and a light appeared.
Jest like Seth Hardy." high-pitched
| voice angrily exclaimed. Not stick
| of kindling split! And l told him the
| last thing before he started out this
4 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 a tomb, and me with this rhumatiz,
| and I've got to have Il cup of hot tea to
settle my head, The footing of thai
plaguey brass hand has clean upset It.
Peggy. you run down cellar and see If
yOu can't scare up something to kindie
! 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 flour 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
bit of dry board, and Mrs. Hardy's in
sistent voice came ringing down the stair
| way.
Sr,1f+
I'D 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 extricate himself from the bar
rel .'I-"
| Whack. whack. came the heavy blows
of the ax. welded by Peggy's sinewy
| arm on the barrel. and Hardy gave n
| 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 ha6 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 I'll hit him one good
blow if l die for it, 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 series of rolling and tum-
bling motions about the floor of the cell
| lar.
THE Lord save usr' 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. / wouldn't put an AK into that
haythen ould barrel for all the gold in
! Ameriky!
Gathering her skirts closely around
her. she fled up the stairs, and dropped
exhausted at the feet of her mistress.
| Mrs Hardy prided herself on her cour-
| age. Inc DGuSntefS Oh nOlllaS JeHer
son had for their fundamental bylaw
1he teaching of self-control in emergen-
cies, and Mrs. Hardy was not to be ter
rprized by collapsed daughter of Erin.
!'What in the name of common sense
is the meaning of all this racket" sh..
askei, in her levelest tones. and then she
leisrtrely descended the cellar stairs. and
was met by the barrel leaping and tum-
iIinS toward her in the most erratic man
ner.
Sara -h-a-a-n-n, S-a-r-a-l-a-n-n-n-n"'
WIS the sound that seemed to issue from
the barrels interior and then there en-
sued n most vigorous and determined
bobbing up and down, followed by a
plunge forward which struck Mrs. Hardy.
as the sailors would say, about amid
ships, and swept her off her feet quicker
than lightning.
The desperate kicking of Mr.. Hardy
knocked out the head of the barrel, and
Immediately two red-stockinged legs, of