The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-22

rosvr ~ tne carpet question. ana now
he coull once more turn his attention
to HezcAlah and the shirts.
1t was however. growing too dark TO
study Hezek'ah's face, so he turnel
to the gathering storm that covered
the western sky. Now and then came
flash of lightnil-. or a deep threat
ening growl of thu Ter, which showed
that the storm was slowly coming
nearer.
| Mrs, Bowers, arr doing up the
| dishes" had gone TO bed not to sleep,
but to hide her ey s, and cover her
ears with the bed tlothes to shut out
| the muttering of the coming storm
| But, as Mr. Bowers had previously
remarked. the storm was SLOW com.
| in" So growing wcay of watching
| 1t he had gone to bed leaving Hezc-
kiah, who declared 1t was too hot in
| the house, In sole possession of the
/ porch.
Hezekiah was thinking about the
| conversation that he had overheard.
and wishing with all his heart that he
could help little Mrs. Bowers to get
| the carpets
1T nd serve Old Bill right If he
5, lost every shirt he had" unused Hc@e-
kiah. with little sympathy for his c y
| ployer But the little woman ought
to have them carpets, no mistake
After sitting alone for half an hour
with his faithful pipe, he walked ont
into the yard among the trees ART.
taking good look at the sky, dccid
that in another five minutes the storm
would break.
AS he turned back toward the porch
he was surprised to see Mr.. Bowers
emerge from the room door closely
followed by Mrs. Bowers. fash OF
lightning disclosed that they We're
both in their night clothes. Mr.. Bow
ers was carrying a tightly rolled bun
die of some sort in his arms.
Hezekiah wondered whore they were
going As they passed out of the gate
he resolved TO follow,
Sometimes he lost them in the black
ness of the night, and had to wait until
flash of lightning showed them, Mr..
Bowers always in the lead Mrs, Bow
ers hating timidly along behind.
Amusement followed mild surprise.
when on reaching the end Of the long
lane. Mr.. Bowers climbed the cornfield
fence, and struck boldly into the sea of
leaves that waved aud futtered with
flagiike Endula'ions in the colt cool
breeze that had suddenly arisen.
II was a difficult matter now for
Hezekiah to follow them. and quite
often he thought he had lost sight of
them entirely; an unusually brilliant
flash of lightning showed plainly that
they had reached an old tree in the
middle Of the field, and there they
we're both bending over. examining
loosely a spacious hollow that the
rec contained While it was only for
moment that be could see them It
vas long enough for him to note that
Mr. Bowers was putting the bundle
ne carried into the hollow of the tree
This vivid fash Of lightning was fol
owed by a loud peal OF thunder which
aemed to shatter The very earth and
by As II died away Hezekiah heard
ne prolonged and terrified scream.
'Aon the Bowers We're lost entirely
rom view. but the hired man was sure
hat the husband and wife had turned
nd were going toward the lane
The rain had arrived, and II beat
nth binding fury in IIezekiah's face
rs he stumbled along.
He struck out through the cornfield
and ran against the cornfeld fence
Ic was about 10 slide over It into the
lane when a fash ~ lightning brought
a brief daylight. Down the lane, IL
animated by fash after flash of light
ming the hired man saw Mrs. Bowers
running with her arms and hair fly
ing wildly. her hands holding two flop
ming rags Of some kind, and her night
gown whipping In the ~ind, Closely
following sred her husband Mr.. Bow.
ers was ecsticulatwg wildly and trying
"a catch up with his wife who dashed
along with amazing swiitness.
IIczekiah. between his own re,
strained bursts of laughter and the
noise Of the storm could hear, now
and then. a scream of Mr.. Bowers
deep voice: and so he followed them
up the lane and into the house.
After Mrs. Bowers managed tn re-
cover her voice she told her husband
of his strange visit 10 the orchard. and
how she had followed him and learned
where he had been secreting the miss
ing shirts.
Mr.. Bowers regarded her doubtfully
for long time. His damp night dress
cIineing about his shanks was a good
deal more convincing than the expla
nations of his wife There was no
denying the fact that he had been out
in the rain.
Wal. maybe ! WIZ walkin in my
sleep" he said. thoughtfullX = reck
on I have been putin my shirts IN
= het holler tree and thet's whar they
have been agoing. II was a blamefool
trick. anyhow
Mrs. Bowers nodded her head. but
did not venture any outspoken criti
cism. She just Rugged herself. prOba
bly, to keep warm.