Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-07-04
The Man IN the Cellar

Copyright, 1906, By X NJ. whitehead
My uncle. Joseph Warner, was a
farmer living five miles from the viii
tdge of Scottsville. and he and my
Aunt Martha were without children.
One day in September | was sent up
to Uncle Joe's on an errand and told
! that | might stay all night. was then
close to fourteen years old. I helped
my aunt attend to the live stock. As
we were milking the last COW in the
harnyard after shutdown we saw a
strange man pass along the highway to
the house. but gave him no particular
| attention.
II turned colder and began to rain
soon after dark. and our supper was
also an hour late. 1t was between s
| and O'Clock, and l had helped Aunt
Martha to wash up the dishes, when
| she sent me down cellar to bring up
piece of meat wanted for breakfast.
took candle to light my way, and /
| had to cross the cellar to where four
barrels stood in a row. She had said
the second barrel from the right. As l
passed the first barrel heard a move
| ment inside ii. | wonder why did not
turn and flee. as the sounds brought
| my heart into my mouth, but passed
the barrel, got the meat and even man
aged to whistle on my way upstairs.
! When had shut the door, however, the
sight of my white face made the wo-
| man exclaim:
For the lands sake, but the boy has
seen ghost,r
mo. | haven't" I answered. "but l
can tell you that there Is a man in one
of the barrels down there"
What nonsensei You heard rats"
| l repeated my assertion and remind
ed her of the strange man we had seen
| when milking. She unused q minute
and then said
You may be right. am going down
to see. If there is man down there
I'll discover him, but he shan't suspect
have"
She took the candle from my hand
| and went down, humming the air Of a
song to herself. and as she came back
| upstairs she was talking about the
meat and saying that Uncle Joe must
get rat trap. When the door had
been closed she sat down to the kible
and said;
Jimmy. you were right about the
man. He is hidden In that first barrel.
! Now. then, we want to think what we
shall do
1t was raining cats and dogs and a
| dark night 1t was half mile to the
nearest neighbours, and we felt that
the man must be something worse than
tramp to have hidden himself away.
There were three cellar windows. but
| over them had been tackled strong wire
netting. The man must have entered
the house and gone down cellar.
"I'il tell you what the miserable
skunk Is after" said my aunt after
| awhile. Uncle Joe will bring home
500 when he comes, and this fellow is
after il. He'll keep In hiding until
| your uncle comes and gets to bed and
asleep. aud then he'll rob the house
that is he thinks he will, but I'll show
him what's what In tue next fifteen
4 minutes
But what can we dor? l asked as
my knees knocked together.
Well, your Uncle Joe would have TO
shut up like a jackknife TO crowd him
self into pork barrel. His legs would
he all doubled up, and he wouldn't
have much use of his arms.
There's a cover for that barrel right
behind the stairs as we go down. II it
was clapped on to the barrel, don't you
think we could hold it there in spite of
all the man could dor
But he may jump out of the barrel
before we can put the cover on"
Don't be coward, Jimmy. You are
coming right downstairs with me.
| Wen talk about rats as we move
around. You'll carry the candle, and
IN get the cover and clap it on. If I'm
not strong enough to keep 1t there you
must help me-"
"I-I-I'- | began, but she caught
me by the hair and sternly said:
Jimmy, il you don't help me I'll
give you the awfulest licking boy
ever got and then tell everybody that
YOU haven't got as much spunk as
spring chicken
| | was nightly afraid of the man In
the cellar, but | was more afraid of my
aunt. Had she tried argument or coax
ing l should have funked. She put the
candle into my hand and opened the
stair door and began to talk about rats
and what damage they could do about
house. / believe the man had got out
of the barrel to stretch himself, but.
hearing us coming, had sought his re-
treat again. Without letting up on her
talk at all Aunt Mary picked up the
cover. and / saw her face grow white
as we started for the barrel. When
nearing 1t she made sudden jump
and clapped on the cover and seated
herself upon it. There was a series OF
| IN Il Ill. frorr. tho man inside and