The bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-1877, 1877-07-05
"And he womb bur. us. JohnY',

woman, don't ye go 10 lake thc coat IRON
him, or you'll be wanting new gown
yourself, and maybe pel,icoai and ALL"
lie retired. and the old women kept q
respectable distance from their protector.
lie never molesled them, and, indeed,
when they spoke cnjoling to him, he
even wHgged his tail In dubious way;
bu, still as they moved about, he squirt
ed at them ont Of his blood.shot eye In
a way that checked all desire on their
part To tiy on the carriers coat
Thus protected, they wen, to bed ear.
lier than usual; they did not undress;
they were too much afraid OF everything
especially their protector. The night
wore on, and presently their sharpened
senses let them know the dog was getting
restless. lie snutfed and then growled,
aud then he got up and battered about
mutterng 10 himself. Slraightway with
furniture they barricaded the door which
their protector must pass 10 deyour them.
But by-and.by, listening aculely, they
heard a scraping and grating outside the
window of the room where the dog was,
and he continued growing low. This
was enough; they slipped out of the back
door and lett their money to save their
lives; they got into the village. 1t was
pitch dirk, and all the houses dark but
two; one was the public house, casting
a triangular CLEAN across the road long
way off, and the other was the black
smiths house. Here was piece of for
tune for the terrified women. They
| burst into their friends house. "Oh
Jane, the thieves have come" and they
told her in a few words all that had
happened.
La" said she show timerous you are,
ten to one he was only growing at some
one that passed by" .
May. Jane, we heard he scraping
outside the window. o woman call
your man, and let him go with US.
My mamie is not here"
"Where is he them"
81 suppose he is where other working
womens husbands are, at the public
house." she said rather bitterly, for she
had her experience.
The old women wanted to 60 TO the
publit-house for him but The blacksmith's
wife was a courageous woman, and be-
side, she thought it most likely a false
alarm. May, Nay" said she, "last time
went for him got fine affront. III
come with you," said she. "l'll take
the poker, and We have got our tongues
10 r .ise the town with, l suppose SO
they marched to the toll-bar. When
they got near it they saw something
that staggered this heoripe There was
man half in and half out of the win dow.
This brought the blacksmiths wife to
standslill, and the timid pair imploled
her to 20 back to the village. May
said she, "what for? | see but one--and
--hark it is my belief the dog is holding
him." However, she thought it safest
to he on the same side with the dog, lest
the man might turn on her. So she made
her way into the kitchen, followed by
the other two; and there sight met her
eyes that changed all her feelings both
toward the robber and toward each other.
The great mastitf had pinned man by
the throat, and was pulling at him, to
draw him through the window with
fierce but mutfled snarls. The mans
weight alone prevented it. The window
was like a, picture-frame and in that
frame there glared, with lolling tongue
and staring eyes, the white face of the
blacksmith, their Courageous friends vii
famous husband. She uttered an appal-
ing scream, and flew upon the dog, and
choked him with her two hands. He
held and growled and tore till he was all
but throttled himself. then he let 60, and
the man fell. But what struck the
ground outside like lump of lead was
in truth, a lump of clay. The man was
quite dead, and fearfully torn about the
throat.
So did comedy end in an appalling
and most piteous tragedy; not that the
scroundrel himself deserved any pity.
Not so his poor, brave. honest wife, to
whom he dared not confide the villai1y
he meditated. ,,.-s. egsFs s
The outlines of this true story were
in several journals. l have put the dis
joinled particulars together as well as !
could. | have tried hard to learn the
name of the village and what became
of the poor widow, but have failed hith-
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