Middletown transcript., 1909-01-23

@uNh @uNh pLAon PuvtAlS OA q WC0ALhS
Harrison got angrily to bis
feet. He caught up his morning. I
work from the desk, tore itintc
small bits. and hurled ii to the
door.
Thunder and lightning! he ex,
ploded. What's the use OF q
mans trying to do anything when
he's got q woman nagging OF him
every minute? Let the tornado
come, if it's a mind to. Let il
rip things all to pieces and blow
down chimbleys and kill folks.
It's more important, I s'pose, that
Annie Evans should get married
than that folks should be warned
of their danger. ] sha'n't say q
word about it. Now ! hope you
are satisfied!
It was shortly after five on the
afternoon of the tenth that heavy
black clouds, copper-colored
along their upper edge, began
poking their ugly heads above
the western horizon. Annie
Evans wedding was over; the
bride and groom had departed
stationward in the old but much.
decorated depot carnage, and the
many guests were trailing home
ward along the dusty white road.
Harrison Bently and his wife
tnrned in at their gate, and as
they did so a warning rattle of
thunder came from the clouds,
which were now mounting the
sky at race.horse speed.
Mebbe that's your tornado com
ing, father, shifted Mrs. Bently.
Her husband did not reply at
once. All the afternoon he had
been something of . specter at
the feast. He had endured it
grimly in disgruntled silence.
Now, for the first time that day,
a sardonic smile curved bis thin
old lips.
Perhaps ! wasn't so far ont OF
the way, after all, he remarked
at last, casting an eye at the
blackening heavens. I hain't
seen any clouds that color since
the time of the 81 blow. II there
Ia . tornado, and you've cheated
me out of the predicting of it, |
don't intend ever TO forgive you /!
Mrs. Bently INDUCED IN an
ironic chuokle. / guess 'tain't
nothing more than an ordinary
thunder shower, she observed as
she opened the front door. Yon
fax round and see that all the
Wtnders are shut, viii you?
A lounder peal Of thunder
shook the house; pnrling gusts
Of wind caught eddfes Of dust.
aud sent it down the road; va.
grant drops Of rain began to fall
with a staccato rattle. Then the.
storm broke in earnest.
It was a storm long remem-
bered in that section. Trees
were uprooted, buildings un-
rooted, chimneys blown fat, and
windows were driven in by the
combined force Of wind and hail.
Even Mrs. Bently, who ordinar.
lily held no fearof wind and thun.
der, crsWled between two feather
beds, still arrayed in her Sunday
best and lay there, trembling,
until the storm had spent itself.
Il was six O'Clock when the
clouds finally lifted and the sun
shone brightly once more. Har-
rison Bently came ont Of the
house and gazed about mourn.
fully at the havoc the storm had
wrought. His face wore 3 strange
expression Of mingled triumph
and disappointment, He strode
to the front gate and stood look.
ing down the road at the twisted,
broken branches, which hung
from almost every tree.
There was q rumble Of wheels,
and round the bend in the road
came the depot carriage. its gay
decorations sadly bedraggledRnd
spattered with mud. Opposite
the house 1t drew up, and the
groom leaned forward to shout
10 tie old man, leaning detected
IL % bis gate post:
This has been something Of 3
blow, amt it2 There has been d
wash-oatdown the line. and there
viii not be q train running until
morning | should most have
thought . man as good at pre-
dieting as yoB are, Uncle Harri-
son, might have give rs some
warning Of this.
The old man shook hls head
slowly. am done with prophe-
~-fd mn