Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-03

'NoSwe'll have him tonight cried
Increase.
And away he ran.
Now, if the young Smith thought he
was RECALLING Mrs. Ferris with glad tt
dings, he was considerably in error
The truth is, in closing the window. she
was pale as death. The reader may
guess the cause of her agitation, when i
inform him that there was no Joe Ferris
sick with the headache in the house.
| But Mrs. F. was woman of energy
and decision. She caught up hammer,
threw shawl over her head, and left
the house.. She was soon in Mr.. Smiths
barn, with her hand on the granary door.
'JosephP she whispered !
No reply.
Joseph it is me, are you here?' she
added knocking on the door.
Let me OUT said voice within.
Without any further delay, Mrs. Fer
ris having thrown the barn door wide open,
so that she could see to perform her ope-
rations. commenced hammering the pad
lock in most destructive manner.
Now. Mr.. Smith, who was within, was
exceedingly astonished at what he had
heard. He certainly wished TO be let out,
but that he had no desire to have the pad
lock smashed, without first trying other
means. Something. like truth flashed
upon his mind, however, when he refec-
ted that the person who was. breaking the
lock, had called him Joseph, and that the
voice was .marvelously like woman's.-
! With great anxiety of mind he waited for
the door to open.
AT length the lock was torn away, and
Mrs. Ferris whispered
Come quick, Joseph. There's no
time to lose They'll be here in min
Ute
She caught somebody by the arm, and
that somebody followed her out into the
moonlight. Then he caught her by the
arm, and both stopped, looking each ofh-
er full in the face.
Mrs. Ferris screamed, turned paler than
the moonlight, and dropped her hammer.
Mr.. Smith was scarcely less astonished,
but recovering himself, he said, rather
coolly, considering the OCCASION
You are late tonight, Mrs. Ferris, al
low me to see you home
She could not refuse his arm and
when she saw that he was conducting her
to his house instead of her own, she had
not the least power to say word, or
make the least resistance.
The good lady's feelings on being
brought before Mrs. Smith, can be more
easily imagined than described. In her
fear and confusion she confessed some We
ry truths, and with tears, and on her
knees, begged her kind. dear friends to
be merciful, and not to expose her. Mrs.
Smith recovered from her amazemept, and
exclaimed never never never =
and Mr.. Smith who was not the least eX-
cited, INDUCED. in some equally sensible
remarks.
| Meanwhile Joe Ferris who was the
man that had taken the younger Smiths
place in the granary and given 1T up in
turn to the elder Smith, went home by
circuitous route, wondering by what
strange accident he happened to get
caught, and congratulating himself on his
escape. He had reached the door, when
hearing his name called by somebody in
the. road, he turned, and saw three men
going by.
Joe Ferris, is that you :? cried the
voice of the younger Smith. Come on,
if YOU are ready. I've got Bill Hodges
! and Mr.. Blake, and l think We'll be
enough for one thief, but the more the
merrier, sD.come on. kI1w you would
go in for fun in spite of thg headache I
/ Joe wasquite as muchtir the dark now
as when he was locked " in the granary, I
but concluding it wouldle best to put a /
bold face on the matter and accompany
Increase, he declared himself ready, and
jumped over the fence At first he was
afraid of committing himself, but the con-
versation. by the way siOwing him, as he
thought--exactly hoF he ground lay, he
laughed heartily at ffe queer manner in
! which the thief was .aught, and boldly
volunteered to be IT, first to enter the
granary where heNas confined, at the
same time ehueklins Joy ously at the an
ticipation Of the yonger Smiths dismay,
on finding instead a thief his own faith
er under lock and key
With great gle5 the men proceeded at
once to the granny, where Increase pro-
posed leaving b companions, in order to
go to the houscfor lantern and sec if
his father had returned, upon which Joe
Ferris laughe all to. himself, advised the
younger Smih to be sure and bring the
old man if1 was anywhere to be found.
Halo. .icried Bill Hodges the gran
airy doors open, and the thief has broken 4
out Il
Incfese came back, filled with conster-
nation. Joe Ferris was no less surprised
The stAnge events of the night involved
deepe than ever, when the elder Smith
haYig heard the approach Of Increase
andlis companions, made an appearance
wiA light. T.,
M, Halo. neiOhbOr! I! cried Joe FERRIS
tShat is all this hubub about Increase
as been telling us about thieves I'
L declare, father said tho younger /