Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-03-26
Copyright by Tho Century Co.
CHAPTER xvIlI-contInued.

hos rs = =
"Ah. yew young rascal" cried Sam.
uel. "Yew're the Teller that eat up
ell my winter cabbages."
At this uncanny reading OF his
mind Mr.. Cottontail darted off into
the woods again to seek out his mate
and inform her that their guilt had
been discovered.
Finally, Samuel came to the break
In the woodland. an open field OF rye,
green as springtime grass, and his
own exquisitely neat abode beckon-
ang across the gray rail fence to him.
How pretty Blossy's geraniums
Cooked in the eitting-room windows!
Even at this distance. too. he. could
see that she had not forgotten to wa
ter his pet abutilon and begonias. How
welcome in the midst of this furry of
Snow--how welcome to his eye was
that smoke coming out of the Chin
neys! All the distress Of his trip away
from home seemed worth while now
for the Joy Of coming back.
Before he had taken down the fence
rail and turned into the path which led
TO his back door, he was straining his
ears for the sound Of Blossy's voice
gossiping with Angy. Not hearing 1t,
he hurried the faster.
The kitchen door was locked. The
key was not under the mat; 1t was not
in the safe on the porch. behind the
stone pickle-pot. He tried the door
again, and then peered in at the win
dow.
Not even the cat could be discerned.
The, kitchen was set In order, the
breakfast dishes put away. and there
was no sign Of any baking or prepare
tions. for dinner.
He knocked. knocked loudly. No
answer. He went to side door, to
the front entrance, and found the
whole house locked, and no key to be
discovered. 1t was still early in the
morning, earlier than Blossy would
have been likely to set out upon an
errand or to spend the day; and then,
too. she was not one to risk her
health in such chilly, damp weather,
with every sign of heavy storm.
Samuel became alarmed. He called
sharply, "Blossy!" No answer. mis-
Rose!" No answer. "Ezra!" And
gtill no sound In reply.
His alarm increased. He went to
the barn; that was locked and Ezra
nowhere in sight. BY standing on tip
toe. however. and peeping through
crack in the boards. he found that his
horse and the twoseated surrey were
missing.
WAL. never" grumbled Samuel,
conscious once more Of all his physical
discomforts. "The minute my backs
turned, they go a-gallivantin'. l bet
YER" he added after a moments
thought, 81 bet yer it's that air Angy
Rose. She's got ter git an CAD every
second same as Abe, an my poor wife
has been drug along with her,"
There was nothing left for him to
do but seek refuge in his shop and
await their return. Like nearly every
other bayman, he had a one-room
shanty, which he called the SHOP"
and where he played at building boats,
and weaving nets, and making oars
and tongs.
This structure stood to the north of
the house, and fortunately had an old,
discarded kitchen stove in 1t. There,
If the wanderers had not taken that
key also, he could build fire, and
stretch out before 1t on bundle Of
sail-cloth
He gave start of surprise, how
ever, as he approached the place; for
surely that was smoke coming out Of
the chimney Is e
Ezra must have gone out with the
horse, and Blossy must be entertaining
Angy in some outlandish way de-
manded by the idiosyncrasies of the
Rose temperament. l
Samuel flung open the door. and
strobe In: but only to pause on the
threshold, struck dumb. Blossy was
not there, Angy was not there, nor
anyone belonging to the household.
But sitting on that very bundle of
canvas. stretching his lean hands over
the stove. with Samuel's cat on his
lap. was the "Old Hoss"- Abraham
RoseT