Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-06-11
Copyright by The Century Co.
CHAPTER xVlll-Contlnued.

"Ah, yew young rascal" cried Sam
uel "Yew're the Teller that eat up
all 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, SamL 81 came to the break
In the woodland, an open field of rye.
green as springtime grass, and his
own exquisitely neat abode beckon-
ing across the gray rail fence to him.
How pretty Blossy's geraniums
looked in the sitting-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
neysl 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 it.,
he hurried the faster.
The kitchen door was locked. The
key was not under the mat; it 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
lions for dinner
He knocked, knocked loudly. No
answer. He went to a 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, "Blossyl" No answer. Mis-
Rosel" No answer "Ezral" And
still 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 a
crack in the boards, he found that his
horse and the twO-seated surrey were
missing.
WAL. l never" Grumbled Samuel,
conscious once more of all his physical
discomforts. The minute my back s
turned, they go a-gallivantin'. l bet
yer" he added after a moment s
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 It. There
If the wanderers had not taken that
key also, he could build a fire, and
stretch out before it on bundle OF
sail-cloth
He gave a start of surprise, how
ever as he approached the place; fol
surely that was smoke coming out Of
the chimney
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.
Samuel flung open the door, anC
strobe in; but only to pause on tn,
threshold. struck dumb. Blossy wal
not there. Angy was not there, no
anyone belonging to the household
But sitting on that very bundle o
canvas, stretching his lean hands owe
the stove. with Samuels cat on hi
lap, was the "Old Hoss"-Abrahan
Rosei