Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-02-28

take in Frightening them up While this opera
ton was being performed in the kitchen. in
the midst of one of those uncertain DAYS which
vary the northern June, sudden darkening of
the sky announced the approach of a heavy
rain. The hay was dry aud ready for housing
Robin and two farm men waere busy gather.
ing it in bat the great drops began to fall
| while considerable portion yet remained in
the field, and with the instinct of crop preser-
| walton, forth rushed the widow, followed bv
| Nancy leaving the spoons half-scoured on the
! kitchen table. In her rapid exit the girl had
/ forgotten to latch the door The weasel and
the kite were the only depredators known
abont the moorland farm: but while thew were
| all occrpied in the bayfield,, who should come
| that way but Geordy Wilson.
| Well, the kitchen door was open, and Geordy
| stepped in. He banged the settle with his
| staff, he cOughed, he hemmed be saluted the
cat, which sat pairing on the window.seat and
at length discovered there was no one within.
! Neither meal nor penny was to be expected
that day, the rain was growing heavier. some
of the hay must be wet, & Mrs Simpson would
return in bad humor. But two objects power
fully arrested Geordy'S attention one was the
| broth-pot boiling on the fire. and the other the
! silver spoons scattered on the table. Bending
over the former, GeOrdy took a considerable
/ sniff gave the ingredients a stir with the pot
hook and muttered, very thin" His pro-
! Ceedtngs with regard to the latter must remain
unmentioned; but half an hour afterwards.
! when he was safely enSConced in farm house
q mile of. the family were driven within doors
| by the Increasing storm; they found everything
as it had been left-the broth on the fire, the
cat on the window-Seat, whiting and flannel
on the table but not spoon was there
Whar'S the spoons p cried Mrs Simpson
10 the eutire family, who stood by the FIRE
! drying their wet garments Nobody could
/ tell. Nancy had left them on the table when
/ she ran TO the hay. No one had been iu the
house, they were certain, for nothing was ds-
turbed- The drawer was pulled out, aud the
stocking exhibited. Every shelf, every cor
ner was searched, but TO no purpose; the
spoons had disappeared and the state of the
farmhouse NAV be imagined. The widow ran
through it like one distracted. questioning,
SC0lding aud searching Robin. Nancy and
the farm-men were despatched in different d.
rectioaS, as soon as the rain abaled, TO adver-
tjse the neighborS, under the Suppositon that
some strO,ling begEar or gipsy might have car
red of the treasure, and would attempt 10 dis
pose Of it 10 the parish. Nobody thought Of
Geordy Wilson; he had not be=n spjed from
the bayfield,; bis circuits were wide his visits
10 the house were not frequent: and If he esch.
ewed Widow Simpsons from the day OF her
loss, it was because Geordy know that neither
1 her temper nor her ljberality would be improved
by that circumstance. Lost the spoons were,
beyond q doubt, aud the widow bade fair to
lose her SeUssS
/ The rich relation came et the appointed
time, aud had such n tea that he vowed never
aEain 10 trust himself in the house Of his euter
tainer. But ther search went on : rabbit
holes were looked into for the missing silver.
and active BOYS were hribed to turn out mag
pies nests Wells aud barns in the neigbbor-
hood were explored The criers Of the nearest
parishes were employed TO proclaim the loss:
II was regularly advertised al kiCkg aud tue
market places and Mrs Simpson began 10
tai Of getting a Search-Rarraut for the beg
gars meal pouch. Bathgate was alarmed
through all its borders concerning the spoons
bat when almost mouth wore away, and roth
ing could be heard concerning the spoons, the
widows suspicion turned from beggarS, barns.
and magpieS, to light on poor Nancy. She
had been securing the spoons, and left the
house last silver could not leave the table
without hands. Ii was true that Nancy had
alway borne al unQueStioned character bu:
such spoons were not to be met with every day
and Mrs. Simpson was determined TO have
them back in her stocking. Alter sundry
hints 10 Robin, who could not help thinking
that his mother was losing her Judgment she,
one day, pumped the charge, TO the utter as,
tonishment OF the poor g:rI, whose anxiety
in the search hap been inferior only to her own
TD,rrh nd ,hsv Nar,- hnI
honest pride she Immediately turned out the
whole contents of her kist, box uns;rung
her pocketIn Mrs. SIMPSONS presence, and then
ran with tears IN her eyes TO tell the minister
As was common then in the county parishes
Of Scotland, difficulties and disputes which
might have employed the writers and puzzled
TIE magistrates were referred 10 hiSarbltralio0
and thus lawsuits aud scandal prevented The
minister had heard, as who in Bathgate had
not Of Mrs Simpsons loss. Like the res; Of
the parish be thought it WAS very strange:
but Nancy Campbell was one Of the most eX-
emplary girls 10 bis conEregatjon-he could
not believe that the charge preferred against
her was true: yet the peculis-iIjes Of the case
demanded Investigation With some di ficulty
the minister persuaded Nancy to return 10 her
mistress, bearing message 10 the effect that
he and Two OF his elders WDo happened 10 re- /.
side in the neighborhOOd, would cou1e over n .
the following evening, hear what could be said .
on both sides. and, if possible, clear up the /
mystery The widow was veil pleased with the .
Minister aud his elders coming TO inquire after
her spoons. She put on her best rH51'-thst F.
IS to say cap-prepared her best speeches, and .
enlisted some Of the most serious aud reliable
Of her ueighbors 10 assist 10 the investigation 4
Early in The evening OF the following day I
when the summer was wearing low and tbe I