Litchfield enquirer., 1860-12-06

He was surprised to find the house all darI as if the Nafles had retired to rest ani blown the candle out. He knocked, how ever, fnriously as the occasion required = After some delay, Deacon Naf1es came dowl in his night dress, stared at Smith in aston ishment. and demanded his business at tha time of night.
 "Caught the thief-locked up in the gra uary-where's Iacrease?" Ha! caught thief" cried Deacon Mai 6es, who having lost some property as vel as his neighbor, was interested in the intel ligence. "Good enough! keep him til morning"
 "'Twon't dow replied Mir. Smith, in ar exciting manner. He's a desperate fel low-break out-I must rouse the neighber, where's my son Incrcase?"
 "Oh, Sally is sick tonight, SO Increase courted only about an hour, and wen, home"
 Went home!"
 Yes," said the Deacon, "half an houl ago."
 The elder Smith clapped his hands to hi, forehead, as if he had been struck by all idea or some weighty substance.
 Grscious!" he exclaimed.
 What?" asked the Deacon.
 " l believe" stammered the elder Smith, "I--I have locked up -
 |" Who?'
 Increasew
 " "1'il bet you have!" cried the Deacon. ' heard him Say that he had got to carry ,cli ipf<> bo he went to bed"
 /" Lo"k herc," whispered the elder Smith, /" beg you to never mention this-I-I-- if it should get out"
 Oh, pll keep the secretly interrupted the Deacon, trying to preserve becoming gravity. The joke is safe aud I'd advise you to hurry home and let out Increase"
 The elder Smith turned on his heel and vanished. feeling very weak, probably the effect of the excitement he had undergone
 Let us now look in apon the younger Smith, who was actually shut up in the gra- nary. It is HOW impossible to describe his rage on finding himself thus eutrarred--- After shouting until Ae was hoarse, and nearly deaf he closed his teeth augriy, and sat down On 8 bag of meal to await tie re- suit
 Increase lad not been long in this dark dungeon before he heard noise in the barn. SupposiEg it was the old mun, who, having discovertd lis error, was coming to l!herate him. irs a,!gcr cvuloratctI, and he could not brlp Lut laugh at the iudicrous mistake.
 But there was a mystery abont the sounds he heard, which caused the younger Smith to doult whether they were made i,y his father, after all. He listened Tine key turned cautiously ill the lock. Slowly, stcaltfiy the door opened, while Increase scarcely breathed. Somebody entered noise !ess|y,--he touched young Smiths shoulder us he passed, and began to explore the fur ther part of the dungeon. Increase dropped on his hands and kuees. and taking advan- tage of the noise made by the robber, crrpt out. Then, to shut the aoor and lock it was the work of moment Somebody was locked up!
 Listening moment, and hearing 10 sound Increase became firmly convinced that he had committed no error, but caught a real thief, and went immediately for assistance.
 Shortly after, and very much ashamed sf his mistake the elder Smith sneaked into the barn and approached the granary. It is necessary in this place to observe that the elder Smith locked ap his own son with the key which lie had carried with him, and that Increase locked up the thief with false key which tue latter had brought with him, and carelessly left it in the lock on entering the yranary, and which the younger Smith had carried away.
 And now the elder Smith made haste to open the door.
 Incrcase!' he called, putting his head into the granary.
 No sound answered..
 Are you asleep! Come, don't go to playing any trick with me--it was all mis- tske--for really took you to be rob" lent blow on the mouth. Mir. Smith in an instant was tumbled down amidst wilder ness of barrels. bags, rakes aud shovels-- Mir. Smith was considerably stunned by the blow and the fall; and when he got upon his legs again the door Was closed and locked, Mir. Smith as prisoner. l leave the reader to imagine his feelings.
 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 greatly astonished, he has tened to alarm Joe Ferris, stout fellow, who lived in the woods near by, and who complained of losing quite as much property as the Smiths Mrs. F. put her head out of the window and wanted to know what h. crease wanted. The man asked for Joe After some hesitation the woman replied that her husband had the head ache and could not get up.
 But we have got the robber caught"
 "Oh, have you?" said Mrs. Ferris, in Q feeble voice. "How fortunate! But as my husband has the headache, think you had better keep the man till morning"
 No-we'll have him to-night!" cried h. crease, aud away he ran.
 s- Now if the younger Smith thought he was regalihg Mrs. Ferris with glad tidings. 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 agi- tation when inform him that there was no Joe Ferris sick with the headache in that house.
 But Mrs. F. was a woman of energy and decision She caught up hammer, threw shawl over her head, and left the house. She was soon in Mir. Smiths barn, with her hand on the granary door.
 Joseph" she whispered. Noreply.
 Joseph. it is nc, are you here7" she ad-