The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-07-02
MAGGIE AND THE BURGLARS

"You are not afraid, Maggic?"
Me afraid >" said Maggie, "Pd
no fear born with me. As for the
house, it's the strongest fastened ever
was IN. You say yourself there's no
lock a burglar could force, and I'm not
the one to let tramps or the like in of
my free will. God knows the place
will be safe enough when you come
back-as safe as though there were a
regiment of soldiers in it and I'll have
all bright for your new wife, Mr..
Archibald"
She called her master Mr.. Archibald
still, this old woman but she was the
only one who still used his Christian
name. He was an elderly man himself,
and had few intimate friends, hospital
lty not being one of his virtues. He
was rich, and there was much that was
valuable in the house; more ready
money, too, than most men keep about
them but then it was as secure as a
bank vault--patent lock and regular
alarms that first sent bullet into any
one who sought to enter by stealth, and
then rang a bell to wake the household,
were attached to every door, and fu-
rlous Watchdog, that lived on raw
meat, was in the back garden. The
Van Mott mansion could have withstood
as siege at moments notice.
Mr.. Van Mott was a money-dealer.
lie had ways of accumulating property
which we've mysteries to his neighhors,
and they were suspicious that the little
back parlor, sacred to business, had
even seen such lesser dealings as the
loan of money on good watches, cash
mere shawls, and diamonds of genteel
distress. Two or three mortgages that
he h%d bought up had been rather cru
ely foreclosed and he was hard
landlord, and a bad person to owe
money to altogetl g. On Il Q whole he
washisliked in tue place, and rich as he
was, would have found it hard to get a
wife to his liking among his neighbors
at Oakham. However, having resolved
to marry again-there had been Mrs.
Van Mott, who died years before-he
had sought ont wealthy widow of Il
saving disposition, who lived on a small
farm some miles out of town, and, hav-
ing already disinherited her daughter
for espousing an estimable man of small
means, and turned her only son out Of
doors for equally prudent reasons, was
not likely to bring any troublesome gen
erosity into her household, and had
offered himself to her, and had been
accepted. And now, though both their
economical souls revolted against it,
custom decreed n wedding of some sort,
and honeymoon trip somewhere, and
they had decided to do it as cheaplv as
possible. For this brief time Mr.. Van
Mott must leave his business and his
house, and it was upon the eve of his
departure that he held the above con-
versation with his old servant standing
with his poit nalteau in his hand, and
regarding her gravely.
" Yes, yes," he said, 81 presume it
Is all safe enough. And I'll speak to
the nightwatchmau, and give him dol
Lar to take a particular look at this
house. Well, good-by, Maggie, make
things as neat as possible, for if they
look dirty my wife may think the fur
niture old, 'and want something new
Tor the parlor." And Mr.. Van Mott de-
parted.
Yes, yes," said old Maggie, "nc
doubt she'll have fine, extravagant ways
foor master! What pity he should
marry, after all-but old fools are the
worst fools. A young thing of eight ant
Iofty, too, when he has sensible ser
want, sixty last January, that know