Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-07-31

pursuit, and began to descend. Always
before had thought those stairs firmly
built, and the carpet that covered them
thick and soft: but that day every step
had voice of its own, and creaked and
groaned as if it were in league with the
enemy. Yet I reached the street door
safely 1t was locked. The man had
evidently intended to prevent intrusion
from without, but the lock turned easily,
and in a moment was on the steps, with
the outer world of hope and help all about
me. Marvelously enough, policeman
was near at hand, and promptly obeyed
my summons. A few low words ex-
planned the case, and he fastened into the
hall Just then Bridget appeared at the
dining-room door, but started at sight OF
the officer.
keep quietr'
His peremptory tone silenced the excla-
nation on her lips, and whispered:
"There is a burglar in the house"
"Och the saints defind u.s." muttered
Bridget, rolling up her eyes in horror.
"Whatll come of us all"
Rapidly but stealthily the policeman
mounted the stairs. followed because
my baby was there, and Bridget from
some underlined notion that she would be
safest near me. l had never in my life
tainted, but as the officer sprang forward
into that dreaded 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 wonder that all was so quiet
when the door was pushed back, and my
policeman presented puzzled face.
81 can't find sign or trace Of any one
II haven't seen soul anywhere about
here, ma'am," added another voice.
And looking in, saw the dark face and
keen eyes Of the stranger wearing an hon.
est expression of establishment, and the
strong hands busted with no more deadly
work than that of repairing the fractured
gas-pipe.
l wanted to faint then; I 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, stammered out an
explanation that brought cloud of pro-
found disgust over the countenance of the
disappointed official, and into the face of
the workman first indignation and then
amusement.
81 had forgotten about asking my hus-
band to send some one to see to the pipe.
l thought the door had been left un-
locked; and then you came upstairs so
softly"
faltered. Bridget threw up her hands
in perfect paroxysm of merriment.
"Ah! thin is that yer fine burglar,
ma'am? Shure let him in mcsilf, an
showed him where he was to go; an
tould him ye'd be jist in the next room if
he wanted to Ak yee's anything, but not to
bother we wild stoppin' to knock or make
a noise at all, seeing the baby had been
throublin' all night, an was jist getting to
slape."
"And so l did ma'am. thought you
looked little wild, but didn't suppose
-" and there he stopped and Joined in
Bridget's demonstration.
That valiant knight of the mace made
his way to the street again, and told the
whole story-of course he did Periodical
shrieks, in the combined voices of cook
and Bridget, foated up from below, and
an occasional subdued chuckle mingled
with the rafting of tools in the adjoining
apartment for the next hour. But all the
t, ,lst was not to be compared to Thaddeus
ven he came home to dinner. That man
tneka positively sublime genius for laugh
convShen once he gets started, and he GER
licaafy was started that day.
ooh! my most sagacious detective" he
gasped. ain the golden age when women
are no longer debarred from the positions
for which their talents fit them, what a
shining light you will be at police head
quarters!"
Well, sat in my room that night, and
felt my face grow hot as thought it all
over. clenched my hands, and wished
| hadn't been such ninny, and that the
policeman had been thousand miles
away; that Thaddeus wouldn't quite raise
the roof, and that the pipe-mender had
been burglar in good earnest until a
quaint remark of Aunt Betscy's fioated
into my mind: "Queer how some folks
will mourn over little blunder that makes
'em ridiculous in the sight of folks, more
than over sin that makes 'em black in
the sight of Heaven"
All! but Aunt Betsey, Heaven will
forgive our sins, and the world never par
dons our blunders. Nevertheless, when a
law-abding citizen and Christian finds
herself wishing that somebody else had
been guilty of crime, if SO she might
have been guiltless of mistake, it is
time to be looking into the matter little,
and subsidized. But have felt sort OF
reverential pity for absurd blunders ever
since them. So many of them are only
hcroism on the wrong track.-Hearth and
Hn,nS