The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1852-11-18

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Increase dropped on his hands and knees, and
taking advantage of the noise made by the
robber, crept out. Then to shut the door and
lock it was the ork of moment. Some.
body was locked up.
Listening moment and hearing no sound
Increase became fully convinced that he had
committed no error, but had caught real
thief, and went imediatey for assistance.
Shortly after, very much ashamed of his
mistake, the elder Smith streaked into the
barn and approached the gra1ary. 1t is ne
cessary to state that the older Smith had
locked up his son with the key that belong
ed to the granary. and which he had carried
away with him, and that Increase locked
up the thief with false key, which the latter
had brought with him and carelessly left in
the lock on entering the granary, and which
the younger Smith carried away.
And now the elder Smith made haste to
open the door.
''Increase!" he called, putting his head in
side the door.
No sound replied.
care you asleep! Come, don't go to play
ing any trick on me, its all mistake, for,
really took you for a rob
Mr.. Smiths speech was stopped by VIC.
lent blow on the mouth. Mr.. Smith in an
instant was tumbled down midst wilder
ness of brrrels, bags, rakes, and shovels.-
Mr.. Smith was considerably stunned bv the
blow and fall, and when Mr.. Smith got upon
his legs again, the door, was closed and
locked. Mr.. Smith was a prisoner.
Meanwhile Increase was raising forces to
assist in taking the thief out of the granary
in safety. Having first told his story to Mrs.
Smith, who was exceedingly astonshed, he
fastened to alarm Joe Ferris, stout fellow
who lived in the woods near by, and who
had complained of losing quite as much pro-
perty as the Smiths. Mrs. F. put her head
out of the window, and wanted to know what
Increase wanted. The young man asked for
Joe. After some hesitation, the woman re-
piled that her husband had the headache, and
could not get up.
at lis very important" said Increase-"rve
caught the thief, and locked him up in the
granary."
80, have you'll" said Mrs. Ferris, in a
trembling voice. "How fortunate. But as
my husband has the headache II think you had
better keep-the-man till morning"
Now if the younger Smith thought ne
was regaling Mrs. Ferris with glad tidings, he
was greatly in error. The truth is in closing
the window, she was pale as death. The
reader may guess the cause of her agitation;
when inform him that there was no Joe
Ferris sick with the headache in the house.
But Mrs. L. was woman OF eneTgv ard
decision. She caught up hammer, threw q
shawl over her head, and left the house.
She was soon at Mr.. Smiths barn Wi1 ler
hand on the granary door.
"Joseph!" she whispered.
No reply.
"Joseph-it is me-are you here!" she add
ed.
"Let me out" said voice within.
Mr. Ferris screamed, turned raler than tie
moonlight, and dropped her hammer. MH
Smith was scarcely less as,onished, but 'e-
covering himself, he said rather cooly, CON-
sidering the OCCASION
"You are out late tonight, Mrs. Ferris,
allow me to see you home"
! She could not refuse his arm. When she
saw that he was conducting her to his house,
instead of her own, she had not the power to
say word or make the least resistance.
The good lsdy's feelings, on being brought
before Mrs. Smith, can be more easily
imagined than described. In her fear and
coniustiol she confessed some startling
truths, and with tears in her eyes, and on
her knees, begged her kind, dear friends to
be mercilul and not to expose her. Mrs.
Smith recovered from her amaZement and
exclaimed. 81 never! never. never." and
Mr.. Smith, who was not the least excited
of the three, INDUCED in some equally sem
sble remarks.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Joe Ferris, who was the
man who had taken the younger Smiths
place in the granary, and given ii up in
turn to the elder Smith, went home by a cir
cuitous route, wondering by what strange ac-
cident he happened to get caught, and con-
graduating himself on his escape. He had
reached the door, when hearing his name
called by some ne in the road, he turned
and saw three men going by.
"Joe Ferris, is that youi' cried the voice
of the 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. |
know you would 60 in for the fun. in spite of
your headache
Joe was quite as much ia the dark now,
as when he was locked up in the granary,
but concluded it was best to put bold face
on the matter, and accompany Increase. He
declared himself ready, but the conversation
| by the way showing hlm-as the thought
exactly how the land 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 JOY
ously at the younger Smiths dismay, at find
ing, instead of thief, his own father un
der lock and key.
Width great glee the men proceeded at
once to the granary, where Increase proposed
leaving his companions, in order to 60 to
the house for lantern, and 10 see if his
father had returned; upon which Joe Ferris
laughed all to himself, and advised the
younger Smith to be sure and bring the old
man, if he was any where 10 be found.