The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1870-08-04


was becoming the iron.founder agaio
"Show him in"
lie was shown in, and began to rur
up bis accomplishments, which. I,
Sir William, seemed very suitable
lie was Just the sort ofman be want
ed, and Sir William began to think o
clencbieg the Lurgain.
While they were quibbling abou
terms, they were assailed by a strong
smell OF burning, and a scream aud,
denly startled them them. Upor
hearing LOUD shouts of Fire !" Si
William aud the man instantly rush,
ed to the door but the man sudden.
denly fell hcadloug on the floor Sin
William darting of to the scene o.
tho couilagra'ion.
Upon arriving in the hall he iound
volumes Of smoke coming from n cup
board under the stairs. and ho imme
dia,ely ordered in the little hand fir,
engine kept in the kitchen Ga thing nc
mansion sboGld be without II,
ran it up TO the cupboard door, and
seizlug the hose in his left hand, he
commenced to pump furiously will,
the right, aud the little lever.handle
was almost invisible, with such speed
did il go up and down. Tho iootmau
kicked away the portmantcau that
had been lett IN the hall, and burst
the cupboard door open, and then pro-
cccdcd to drag TO light vast assort-
meut OF rags, and brown paper and
damp straw, all Of which made ter
rbe smoke, although no flame was
visible. 1t was soon put out, aud Sir
William returned to his room.
lie found tho door locked on the In
side upon his arrival but this did not
sarie him at first. lie knocked, but
he 20, no answer so, quietly step
ping back along the passage (bcing a
powerful man. ho flung himself at
the door, and it gave way with Il
crash. The room was empty.
He looked everywhere aud found
two things,--viz: that tue window
was wide open, and that his five hun.
drcd pounds were gone.
lie wos mortified in the extreme.
Had this man who wanted situs-
tion taken his money? lfso, was it
4 plot to do so, or merely that, know.
ing there was money there, he had
avniled himself OF the opportunity aud
token it2 lie thought the latter,
The man that was at the portcr's
lodge said that he saw man come
IN the morning oi the lire with port
manteau, and that soon afterward lie
saw him running toward the gate, say
log he was going for the iire-cngincs ::
50 he let him pass.
The next moruing Sir William re-
coivcd letter by the post, which puz
zled him not little. 1t rLn Us fol-
lows -
SIR :--Ilaviog seen your adver-
tisement 10 the - inviting bur.
glars to break in and steal, | thought
that as twas hardly to be called u
crime, this bouscbrcaking-l eing, 10
fact, an ou,-oi-the.way proof Of the
safety of your house, might with
safety venture to show you that for
cibly entry iSAot the on y way Of rob-
bing a house. And, moreover, rs yon
specified SO accurately where the
rhino was, | determined to possess it.
Il accordingly took 40 old portman-
teau aud filed it with some very
smoky and inHammable, but not dam
gorous, materials and, donning some
old clothes, ! proceeded TO your man
sion.
"As had often visited it while it
was building, | knew it we and SO
upon giving an elabroate message to
the iootman, stayed in the hail while
he. delivered it ; but was not idle.
| knew of the cupboard under the
stair. and immediately opening it, !
emptied my portman,eau and lighted
a match and applied it to tho damp
straw and the bits of brown paper,
and then l quietly closed tho door
and pooketed tho key kpowing il
would be some time before the smoke
would oozs through.
II then palavered TO your highuess
till the alarm was given, whereupou
| pretended to trip and fall while run
ming for the door but picked myself
up, Immediately locked the door,
forced all the drawers OF your writing
table, pocketed the mouey, and, lift
ing the window, lcaped on to the lawn
ii good jump, certainly but l ran
of toward the gate, Here l was stop
ped. | pointed to the smoke coming
through the hall door, said | was Ro-
ing for the cngines--aud then quietly
returned home.
1T is my intention to indulge in n
tour to the United Sts.es with the five
hundred pounds l procured by my
ingenuity.
"Pray remember they are not all
thieves that steal, and believe me,
yours truly, "A VERY HANDY MAN"
Sir William never puts aoy more
advertisements in the paper to show
where his money is.
A little four year old boy was seat
ed ut the table eating his dinner. A
4 4