Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-26


every solitary fowl! Bled 'em to
death as neat as If it done with lancet
At the same moment Lillian Darling had rushed
into the only room where they kept fire-the
great shining, yellow-waled kitchen-cry1ng
out:
"Oh Rebecca, the violets frozen, and so are
all of the lilies that you were saving for the
Easter market Oh, isn't it dreadful!
Rebecca Darling laid down her tablet and pen
ell.
You're pair of Cassandras" said she, with
enforced composure. rs there any other piece of
bad news you have got to tell me?"
81 say, Miss Becky called a bass voice from
the shed adjoining, 81 amt fit to come in where
folks is but I'll jest have to go to Squire Par
lett's well for water; chain pumps friz as
tight as drum"
at does seem as if had the wust luck of
anybody" sighed old Greta.
Lill went up to her sister and passed her arm
lovingly around the long, slim neck.
Come to breakfast, Becky" said she. "At least
the coffee pot hasn't exploded and the last of the
eggs is beaten into delicious omeet. l should
like meat for breakfast, but long Adonijah
has such limitless appetite l shall have to con-
tent myself with biscuits and coffee
There it is, Lill," said the elder sister, 81 was
Just adding up our accounts and I find we can't
afford the luxury of retainers. Adonijah must
CO."
Lill clasped her hands.
"Adonijah! Oh, Becky! Poor Adonijah who
works zealously all day long and worships you
as if you were his patron saint But what is to
become of him."
"I don't know, Lii, | only know that adverse
fortune has proved too much for me- had calcu-
lated on sending those fowls to the Boston mar
ket at fancy prices, and realizing considerable
sum ON the Easter flowers. But they are both
gone at one fell swoop And, oh! Lii, this is to
be disastrous Easter for u.s."
Don't talk in that way said Lill stamping
her foot on the floor easter is never disastrous"
At this juncture, honest Adonjah all uncon.
scious that his fate trembling in the balance
came in with a pail of water-a ruddy-faced
gipseyeyed boy of sixteen, who regarded Miss
Becky as little short of guardian angel
81 say, Miss Becky" began he 'is it true?'
"Is what true, Adonjah?"
THAT this ere house is haunted?"
What nonsense Adonijah!'
Just what l told em myself" nodded the lad.
But Squire Farett says there's a picture of the
house in the New York Sunday paper, with The
Haunted House of Juniper Mountain writ under
it, and a long story of Revolutionary soldier
that was shot down at the upper window, over the
porch, and that comes here moonlight nights all
in his buff toggery"
"Oh, Becky" cried Lill, with little hystercal
laugh, Il knew that man reporter, though
he made believe he a surveyor, and wanted to
run lines parallel with the new turnpike"
well, what difference does it make?" said
Becky dejectedy. Nothing signifies very much
now. If the New York people like to open their
eyes over ghost story"
"But is it true" urged Adonijah, "about the
soldier l mean?"
"Why, yes, I believe it is" abstractedly
swered Becky: "it my great grandfather
Ruggles. Shot down Easter by Hes
sian-and my great grandfather followed the
sassin half way the swamp with a rusty
scythe-the first implement of warfare he could