St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-08-01

och the SAINTS dcfind us! NUT
tered Bridget, rolling up her eyes in
horror. ''What'll come of us all
Rapidly but stealthily the policeman
mounted the stairs. followed be
cause my baby was there, and Bridget
from some underlined notion that she
would he safest near me. had never
in my life tainted, but as the officer
sprang forward slto that dreadful room.
everything grew dark about me, and
leaned against the wall for support. 1t
was only for few seconds: then my
strength returned, and | began to won
der that all was so quiet when the
door was pushed back. and my police
man presented Il puzzled face
Il haven't seen soul anywhere
| about here, ma'am.' added another
vOisc.
And looking in. saw the dark face
and keen eyes of the stranger wearing
an honest expression of aStonishmcnt.
and the strong hands busted with no
more deadly work than that of repair
ing the fractured pipe.
| | wanted To faint then: | tried to:
would Willingly have been unconscious
/ for the next hour. But it was of no
use and with those three pairs of eyes
turned curiously toward me, stam-
mcrcd out an explanation that brought
cloud of profound disgust over the
countenance of the disappointed off
cial, and into the face of the workman
/ first Indignation and then amusement.
Il had forgotten about asking my
/ husband to send some one to see to the
/ pipe. thought the door had been left
unlocked: and then you came upstairs
50 softly"
taltered. Bridget threw up her
hands i'll Il perfect paroXism OF merri-
ment.
"Ah. thin is that Yer fine burglar.
ma'am Shure | let him in myself. an
showed him where he was to go: an
/ tould him yc'd bc .jist in the next room
| if he wanted to AK yees anything. but
not to bother ye wild stoppin' to knock
or make noise ut all, seeing the baby
had been throuhlin' all night. an was
iist getting to slape.'
And 81 did, ma'am. thought
you looked little wild. but | didn't
suppo-c-- and there he stopped and
Joined i'll Brdgct's demonstration.
That valicnt knight of the mace made
his way To the street again. and told
the whole story of course he did.
Periodical shricks. in the combined
voices of cook and Bridget. tioated up
from below. aud an occasional sub
ducd chuCklc mingled with the rattlng
of tools in the adjoining apartment for
the next hour. But all the rest was not
to he compared to Thaddtus when he
came home tn dinner. That man has a
/ positively sublime genius for laughing
when once he gets started. and he Ger
tainly was started that day.
"Oh my most sagacious detective -
he gaSped. "ln the golden age when
woman are no longer dcbarred from the
positions for which their talents tit them.
what Il shining light You will he at po-
lice headquarters -
I Well. sat in my room that night.
and felt my face grow hot as thought
ii all over. clcmched my hands. and
wished | hadn't hecn-Such n minny. and
that the policeman had been Il thou
sand miles away: that ThaddCU>
wouldn't quite raise the roof. and that
the pipe-mender had been II burglar in
good earnest. until Il quaint remark OF
Aunt Betscys tiOated into my mind a:
Queer how some folks will mourn over
Il little hlundcr that makes EN- ridicu-
lou> in the sight of folks. more than
over a sin that makes 'em black in the
sight OF Heaven"
/ Ah , but Aunt Betsey. Heaven will
forgive our sins. and the world never
pardonS our hlundeIs. Nevertheless.
when Il law-ahiding citizen and Christ
ian finds herself wishing that SOME
body else had been guilty of crime il
:" she might have been guiltless of Il
mistake. il Is time to hc looking into
the matter little. and | Suh>idcd. But
/ | have felt sort of reverential pity fol
absurd blundcrs since then. 80 many
of them are only herniSm on the wrong
/ track HodrH and Homc