Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-08-21

house, instead Of her own, she had not the
power 10 say word. Or make The least re-
sistance. a.fa 4 lses i.rH rraft
The good Iadv's feelings on being brough
before Mrs. Smith, can be more easily i'm.
agined than described In ber fear and
confusion, she confessed some very startling
truths, and with tears in her eyes, and on
her knees, begged her kind, dear friends
to be mercifu, and not to expose bcr. Mrs
Smith recovered from her amazement aud
exclaimed, Il never! l never! I neverr and
Mr. Smith, whowas not the least excited Of
the three, INDUCED in some equally sensible
remarks. ,,,
Meanwhile, Mr.. Joe Ferris, who was the
man who had taken the younger Smiths
place in the granarY, and given il up in turn
to The elder Smith, went home by a scircui,-
tous route, wondering by what strange acci-
dent he happened to get caught, and con-
graduating himself on his escape. He had
reached his door, when, hearing his name
called by somebody in the road, he turned
and saw three men coming by.
Joe Ferris, is that you?' cried the voice
OF 'he younger Smith. Come on, if you are
ready, I've got Bill Hodges and Mr.. Blake
and think we'll be enough for one thief
but the more the merrier, so come on.
knew you would 60 in for the fuo, in spite
of your headache
Joe was quite a. much in the dark now, n.
when he was locked up in the granary; but
concluding il would be best to put bold
lace on the matter, aud accompany Increase
he declared himself ready, and jumped over
the fence. AT firsl he was afraid of com.
mlting himself, but lhe conversation by the
way showing him -as he lhought-exactiy
how The ground lay, he laughed heartily, a,
the queer manner in which the thief rs :
caught, and boldly volunteered to be ~ first
to enter The granary where he was confined
al the same time chuckling joyously at the
anticipation of the younger Smiths dismay,
on fiuding, Instead Of thief, his own father
under lock and kew
With great giee, the men proceeded al
once 10 the granary, where Increase propos.
ed leaving his companions, in order to 60 to
the house for a laGtern and to see if his faith.
er had returned upon which Joe Ferris
laughed all to himself and advised the
younger Smith to he sure and bring the old
mau if he was anywhere to be found
'HaIIo! cried Bill Hodges; the granary
door is open! the thief has bf6ke oui!'
Increase came back. filled with consierna-
ton. Joe Ferris was no less surprised
The strange events Of the night were involv-
ell in deeper mystery Than ever, when the
elder Smith having heard the approach OF
Increase and his companions, made his ap-
pearance with light.
Halo, neighbor?' ? cried Joe Ferris, 'what
is all this hubbub abou,7 Increase has
heen telling us about thieves
declare, tather,' said the younger Smith
after you shut me up for thief, shut up a
real thief, and left him in my place.
know il; your mother has told ne,' re :
piled The elder Smith, 'and when came to
lie, You OUT
80! see it all ! groaned Increase. He
got awayr
Yes, and shut me upr
And how did you get outT
Why, the thief's wife had the kindness
TO come and break The Iock
So saying, the elder Smith held the lao :
tern up to the face of Ferris, who turned
ghastly white, and irembIed as if he had
been in an ague fit.
The whole Of the affair was now explains
ed, TO the astonishment Of every body in gen
eral, and Of Joe in particular, who was too
much sstonished to mike any resistance,
while Increase and his companions were ~.
ing bis hands behind him.
Ferris and his wife were accommodated
with lodgings in MIR. Smiths house that
night; and on the following day, search
having been Instituted, and all sorts Of goods
found OIL Joe's premises, they were both
committed TO Jail to await their trial.
What their sentence was, when convicted
Of The crime charged against them, have
quite forgotten but it is certain that the
good people Of Smihvile were troubled no
more with the mysterious disappearance Of
their goods and chaIels. and that the Smiths
remembered with peculiar satisfaction the
manifold mistakes committed on the night
of their adventures with the robbers Bos.
ton Weekly Museum.