The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-02-15

again. and with each repetitiOn OF tine
desire there grew unou her the convic-
tion that the tree must lie cut down or
things would never he right for her In
the world
She sat ont on the porch until sunset
and then went In and prepared supper.
but she did not eat any After supper
she went out and sat I'm the gathering
gloom of the porch She saw Hannah
Payne go away dressed In Il white
gown. and she knew that Hannah was
going to the circus. Abigails bitter.
ness increased she yearned TO go to
the circus herself.
AT last. when darkness settled over
! Green lane and the cricket orchestra
was in full swing. Abigail arose with
determined air and walked around
| her house 10 the woodshed. There
were no other houses In Green lane.
and she had the quiet little place to
! herself Deliberately she chose q
Ratchet from the several that were
ranged along the wall and in the dark
ness tried its edge with her thumb.
Satisfied. she Went ont into the lane
and gained Hannah Payne's front yard
Under the mulberry tree ii was very
dark, and Abigail knelt down and ran
her fingers around the trunk until she
found place where she knew the bark
was rough and Scared A horse had
nibbled the trunk when the tree had
been mere sapllng.
Then, to the music of the circus band
playing down on the green. Abigail
Hodson smote the mulberry tree blow
after blow on the rough SCARED place.
The Ratchet was sharp, and her thin.
why arms We're strong, and the blade
bit deep into the tree. A brisk north
west wind was blowing. and Abigail
had barely reached the heart Of the
tree when a hard gust came. There
was splitting. cracking sound. and
she had scarcely reached a place OF
safety before the mulberry tree crash
ed down, breaking the fence in its fail.
As If suddenly impressed by the grav-
ity of the deed she had committed. Abb
gail Hodson stood for several moments
as II stunned, Then with Il frightened
glance around her she picked up her
skirts and scudded homie again No
guilty murderer could have cleaned the
teltale instrument more carefully than
did Abigail her Ratchet after the fall
Of the tree.
Then she hastily changed her dress.
locked her house and ran down Green
lane. Five minutes afterward she en-
tered the circus tent Yes. for the first
time In her life Abigail Hodson went
TO circus.
Hannah Payne saw her and nearly
tumbed off her narrow seat. She
crushed the bag OF peanuts she had
been consuming into her pocket and
craned her neck to see where her erst
} while friend would sit Abigail took a
seat directly opposite Hannah Payne.
All the people stared very hard when
Abigail came into the tent, because
they knew that her father and her
grandfather had disapproved of cir
cuses, and when the Hodsons disap-
proved OF anything their stubbornness
was quite as remarkable as that of the
Paynes.
Abigail Hodson broke all precedents
by entering the tent, and there was lit
tie doubt that her fellow church mem
bers would require an explanation. In
the meantime she must enjoy it IL she
could. for never again would she have
the inspiration. provocaton. despera-
tion-call 1t what you will-sufficient to
sustain her during such trying ordeal.
Such was her excitement concerning
the mulberry tree that she did not en-
10y the circus at all. The clowns APP
peared silly, the horses old and decrepit |
compared to the graceful animals de-
picted on the billboards; the lonely ele-
plant looked muddy and ancient be-
yond all belief; the performing dogs
were foolishly self conceited This was
Abigail's estimate Of her first circus.
When Il was over she crowded for |
ward to make her escape from friends
and acquaintance who might have |
seen her there and asked embarrassing |
questions. She was almost the first |
one to leave the tent. and she sped |
away down the street with feet that |
barely touched the ground. She made |
up her mind that Hannah would guess |
who had committed the deed and she. |
Abigail. would not deny It, She would |
stoutly maintain that the tree was a
nuisance-a public nuisance-ond IL |
Hannah Payne wanted to begin suit |
against her she could have the papers
served ut any instant
BY this time Abigail had reached !.
Green lane and was toiling up Its !,
steep incline Ahead of her In the
darkness she could see the darker bnlk
OF the fallen tree. and as she reached Il
she hestated. Behind her there came
hurried footsteps-those of Hannah
but Abigail was rooted to the spot She
could not move an inch. no matter what