Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-01-07

he Joined Hezekiah on the porch there
was faint smile of satisfaction on his
lips. He felt that he had safely dis
posed Of the carpet question, and now
he could once more turn his attention
to Hezekiah and the shirts.
It was, however, growing too dark to
study Hezekiah's face, so he turned
to the gathering storm that covered
the western sky. Now and then came
a flash of lightning, or a deep threat
ening growl of thunder, which showed
that the storm was slowly coming
nearer.
Mrs. Bowers, after doing up the
dishes" had gone to bed; not to sleep,
but to hide her eyes, and cover her
ears with the bed clothes, to shut out
the muttering of the coming storm.
But, as Mr. Bowers had previously
remarked, the storm was "slow COM
in" So growing weary of watching
it he had gone to bed, leaving Heze-
kiah, who declared it 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.
ut 'ud serve old Bill right if he
lost every shirt he had," unused Heze-
kiah, with little sympathy for his en-
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 out
into the yard among the trees and,
taking a good look at the sky, decided
that in another five minutes the storm
would break.
As he turned back toward the porch
he was surprised to see Mr.. Bowers
followed by Mrs. Bowers. A flash Of
lightning disclosed that they were
| both in their night clothes. Mr.. Bow
ers was carrying a tightly rolled bum
die of some sort in his arms.
Hezekiah wondered where 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 and fluttered with
faglike fluctuations in the colt cool
breeze that had suddenly arisen.
1t 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
were both bending over, examining
closely a spacious hollow that the
tree contained. While it was only for
moment that he could see them it
was long enough for him to note that
Mr.. Bowers was putting the bundle
he carried into the hollow of the tree.
This vivid flash of lightning was fol-
lowed by loud peal of thunder which
seemed to shatter the very earth and
sky. AS it died away Hezekiah heard
one prolonged and terrified scream.
Then the Bowers were lost entirely
from view, but the hired man was sure
that the husband and wife had turned
and were going toward the lane.
The rain had arrived, and it beat
with binding fury in Hezekiah's face
as he stumbled along.
He struck out through the cornfield
and ran against the cornfield fence.
lane when flash of lightning brought
a brief daylight Down the lane, H.
Illuminated 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
ping rags of some kind, and her night
gown whipping in the wind. Closely
: following sped her husband. Mr.. Bow
ers was gesticulating wildly and trying
to catch up with his wife, who dashed
along with amazing swiftness.
Hezekiah, between his own re-
| strained bursts of laughter and the
noise of the storm, could hear, now
! and then, scream of Mr.. Bowers
deep voice; and so he followed them
up the lane and into the house.
After Mrs. Bowers managed to re-
cover her voice she told her husband
of his strange visit to 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
clinging about his shanks was 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.
oval, maybe I wuz waikiki in my
Sleep" he said, thoughtfully. II reck
on have been putin my shirts in
thet boiler tree and thet's whar they
| In 81 al