Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-12-22

leyes, and on her knees begged her kind, dear
friends to be merciful; and not to expose her.
Mrs. Smith recovered from her amazement and
exclaimed, 81 never! never! never! never! new
er!' and Mr.. Smith. who was not the least excit-
ed of the three, indulged in some equally sensible
remarks. @
Meanwhile, Mr.. Joe Ferris, who was the man
who had taken the younger Smiths place in the
granary and giving it up in turn to the elder Smith,
went home by a circuitous route, wondering by
what strange accident he happened to get caught,
had reached the door, when hearing his name
called by some one to the road, he turned and saw
three men going by.
ssJoe Ferris, is that you!" cried the voice of the
younger Smith. "Come on if your are ready,
I've got Bill Hodges and Mr.. Blake-but the more
the merrier, so come on. knew you would go
in for the fun in spite ofyour headache
Joe was quite as much in the dark now, as
when locked up in the granary; but concluded it
would be best to put bold face the matter, and
accompany Increase. He declared himself ready
and jumped over the fence. At first he was afraid
of committing himself, but the conversation by
the way showing him-as he thought-exactly
how the ground lay, he laughed heartily at the
queer manner in which the thief was caught, and
boldly volunteered to be the first to enter the
granary where he was confined; at the same time
chuckling joyously at the younger Smiths dismay,
at findng instead of thief, his own father under
/ lock and key.
With great glee the men proceeded at once to
the granary, where Increase proposed leaving his
companions, in order to go to the house for Ian
tern, and to see if his father had returned; upon
which Joe Ferris laughed all to himself, and ad-
vised the younger Smith to be sure and bring the
old man if he was anywhere to be found.
| "Hallo!' cried Bill Hodges, 'the granary door
is open-the thief has broke out!''
| Increase came back filled with CONSERVATION.
| Joe Ferris was no less surprised. The strange
events of the night were involved in deeper mys-
terry than ever when the elder Smith having
heard Increase and his companions, made his ap-
| pearance with light. .,
ssHallo, neghbor!' cried Joe Ferris, 'swhat is
all this hubbub about! Increase has been telling
us about theives.''
Il declare, father" said the younger Smith,
"after you shut me up for the thief, shut up
real thief and left him in my place."
II knew it; your mother told me- replied the
elder Smith; and when came to let you
so, see it all!'' groaned Increase, che got
away!"
ssYes. and shut me up!"
"And how did you get out!
"Wby the thief s wife had the kindness to come
and break the locks
So saying the elder Smith held the lantern up
to the face of Ferris, who turned ghastly white,
and trembled as if he had been in an ague it
The whole affair was now explained to the as
tonshment of everybody in general,and Joe in par
ticular who was too much astonished to make any
resistance, while Increase and his companions
were tying his hands behind him.
Ferris and his wife were Accommodated with lodg-
ings in Mr.. Smiths house that night; and on the
following day search having been instituted,
and all sorts of goods found on Joe's premises,
they were both committed to await their trial.
What their sentence was, when convicted of
the crime charged against them, have quite for
gotten, but it is certain that the good people of
Smithfield were troubled no more with the myste-
rious disappearance Of their goods and chattles,
and that the Smiths remembered with peculiar
satisfaction, the manifold mistakes committed on
the night of their adventure with the robbers