Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1917-09-06

VI cleu NeVeI house where Iney
all met, and kept we'll, back iron
the road, for fear of being seem,
until they came out on the North
road near the first house where
they were going to hang May
basket.
The older boys sent Robert to
hang the basket ON the door, as he
was smaller than they and would
stand a better chance of not being
seem
They all hid in the shadows by
the roadside except Robert who
took the basket and keeping i'm
the shadows, made his way to- the
door.
Just as he reached the house,
and before he could hang the
basket ON the knob of the door, he
heard footsteps coming and, knew
that someone was coming to the
door.
He didn't dare to wait am instant
and with the basket in his hand le
slipped round the corner of the
house.
He heard the door open behind
him and knew that some one had
come out. Robert felt that he must
hide somewhere, for OF course it
would not do to be caught, espeoi-
ALLY before he could hang the
basket.
The first hidimg place which,
caught his eye was the open cellar
door at the end of the house. He
slipped DOWN the steps and crouched
DOWN in the darkness of the celler.
The next moment Amys father
(the basket which HE held in his
hand was for Amy) slammed down
the heavy cellar door, and Robert
WAS a prisoner.
He did not like the dark cellar
very we'll, if the truth was told me
felt rather seary. He started to
cry out, but checked back the words
He thought of the rest of the
party hidimg out there in the shad-
oWs,and knew they would he wonder
ing what had, became of him, so h,e
waited only until. the footsteps mad
died away before he tried to raise
the door. 1t would not bulge. He
learned afterward that it was pad
locked. T.
What could Robert do? He heard
steps ON the floor overhead but
he did not like the Thought of CALI
ing to the family and CONTRASTING
how he had ALLOWED himself to be
trapped.
He sat there and wanted and wait
ed and Thought and thought for
What seemed hours.
/ At last there Were MO more
Sounds upstairs, and he felt
sure that the family had, gone to
bed.
Then he started to steal yery
quietly up the stairs to- the Kitchen.
He knew the inside of the house
pretty we'll, and Thought it would
be an easy matter to- get out
through the kitchen.
But the fates seemed to be agains
him. He WAS nearly to the top OF
the stains how they did creak;
when he Init an empty key that was
standing ON the steps. 1t tipped
over and ROLLED to the bottom.
My, what an awful racket lit
made as it went bumpity- bump
down the stairs. In second or two
he heard footsteps and before he
could get down the steps the door
opened and there stood Amy's faith
er width lamp in his hand. The
rest of the family had gone to- bed,
but he had been reading in the
front room.
"What does this mean?" he
asked when he saw Robert. What
have you been UP top
why, why, you See was going
to hang a May-basket for Amy" Ro
ert began, but Amy's father did not
give him chance to tell his
story
Isn't a cellar a queer place 70.
that?' he asked. "And arenstt you
out rather late for a youngster OF
YOUR age?" s
And without giving Robert chance
to explain he took him by the cal
and hustled him through the
Kitchen AMID out of the door.
AS the door closed behind him
Robert hhard SOmo ono oi pnll;,,r +,