The Old Kitchen Door 107 



strous legs, and with glue fastened a dense 

 coating of chicken-down over all. 



It was a fearful spider. 



I suspended the sham insect from a limb 

 of the tree so that it would hang directly over 

 Zip's face as he lay on the ground, and by 

 a black thread that could not be seen I could 

 draw it up or let it down at pleasure. It 

 was well out of sight when Zip fell asleep, 

 and then I slowly lowered the monster until 

 it tickled his nose. It was promptly brushed 

 aside. This was repeated several times, and 

 then the old man awoke. The huge spider 

 was just touching his nose, and one glance 

 was enough. With a bound and a yell he was 

 up and off, in his headlong flight overturn- 

 ing the thoughtless cause of his terror. I 

 was the more injured of the two, but never 

 dared in after-years to ask Zip if he was 

 afraid of spiders. 



And all these years the front door never 

 changed. It may have been opened daily 

 for aught I know, but I can remember noth- 

 ing of its history. 



Stay! As befitting such an occurrence, it 

 was open once, as I remember, when there 

 was a wedding at the house ; but of that 



