Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06

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from the table and settled his mat well
down upon his ears as he remarked:
Now. l don't want to skeer you, Indy
but they do say the rivers on wuss
tear this time than it's ever ben before
warnin and take you and the kids UP 10
our house tell the water goes down ] ne
last thing RoXiny said was TO be shoTe
to fetch you back with me. My boat
will carry you all. easy
She struggled to the window throusil
her clinginS children and looked out INTO
the falling darkness and upon the turgld
yellow flood that widened We'll up on 10
the Ohio hilisides opposite and that tapped
and washed against the foundations OF
her own house.
ut is a-risin'." she admitted anXiousy.
You bet it is. and mighty fast III
nigh-about covered them gate-posts sence
I come in; they was in plain sight then.
You all'd better come along.
She looked at her children and Wavered
for moment. Then she shook her mead.
NO. thank ye, Ben: 1t was awful clever
of You to come after me. but I've got 10
stay here. My man is liable to come nome
any time, night or day. and he'd De
skeered to death IL We was all gone I've
got to keep light in the winder for
him SO lie won't get drownded tryin' to
git hyrr. ] don't reckon the rivers goin'
to rise no higher than what it is now.
rise fore now"
Jest as you say. Indy You all know
your own mind. but I'd like mighty well
TO take YOU along now. Hows'ever, I'll
on risin' through the night I'll be after
you in the mornin. And 7 don't like 10
resll 1t all night. but I don't see no other
way-ef you won't go now. Anything
there ainto Wal. then. good night Indy,
and good night. little Becky. She favors
her paw. don't she? Hyur, little Teller.
got kiss for me? What YOU call him?
Dave? oh, yes. that's after yore paw,
amt ito
It was certainly very lonely after the
big. wholesome. kindly presence had
gone and she was alone with her babies
and the terrible river, but Mrs. Hacke-
dorm set the tireless lamp in the window
and went out to wash her dishes. She
heard the swish and gurgle Of the water
under the house, which grew more in
sistent in the intenser silence of the night
The cellar had been flooded for three
weeks Her little children covered around
her and chung to her skirts. and tremor
OF their fear thrilled her brave soul as
she worked. But she sang in her soft.
feminine bass old revival songs that she
had heard at mountain camp meetings in
her childhood. and hymns that were sung
at the church in the valley when she had
gone there before her marriage. and negro
melodies: and when the dishes were put
away she sat in the old wooden rocking
chair by the livins-room stove and took
all three children in her arms and sang
songs of triumph. ending with the "Old
Hundred and the doxology.
The timbers Of the house cracked
slightly now and then. as If they were
being sprung with new pressure Sud-
denly she put her hand down and shook
the sleeping child at her side.
Becky. Becky, git up; honey! Git up,
baby: know you're SO sleepy. but maw's
little girl must git up. The floors all wet.
honey. / reckon we'd best so upstairs
and take the light. 1t looks like we're
goin' to be sailors fur quite spell yet"
She carried the two babies up to the low
sleeping room above and came back for
Becky and the lamp. She put all three
children on the bed in their clothes and
began to carry up supplies of all kinds
as fast as possible There was a mite of
a stove in the room OF the kind called d
hummer in the noun tains. and she car
ried up wood for this until she stopped
from exhaustion. 1t was nearly morning,
and she looked with satisfaction at the
sufficient store OF eatables and clothing
she had laid In for the siege. for the last
of which she had waded ankle deep
through the lower rooms. She put down
the last load, a basket OF canned fruit
and a bag OF potatoes ana went over to
the bed where the children slept peace
fully. Suddenly she fell upon her knees
with despairing cry: "Oh Lord. have
mercv."
A low chug-chug-chug answered her
and. uncovering her eyes, she went to the
window and braved the dread sight the
serried lights of a river packet forging it's
way I'D stream.
Its the Big Kanawha boat" she
groaned. land they oushtnt to let it run
now.''
She bent over the bed as il to catch the
children. and listened with strained ears
and waited The house was swaying con-
stantly now. Then it came first the
boom of the long, rolling wave against
the building. the second and she
breathed again. but the third the little
wave. was the one which looSened the
stout timbers that had stood for so long.
1t was a sickeDing sensation to feel her
house lifting and heaving beneath her.
The woman dropped upon her knees and
tried to remember how the preachers had
prayed at camp meetings in the noun
tains. Then she clasped her sleeping
children and prayed with wild earnest
ness. One side Of the house lifted Itself
clear of the foundation and then tie
other. and ii rocked heavily back and
forth with sickening movement.
1t sailed outward and caught upon the
fence. scraping and rasping. but IT lodged
there till nearly daylight Something
groaned and raped on the window three
times. The woman was superstitious,
and buried her face In the bed clothes
She thought her husband had been killed