The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-04-05

how the hours draggedl She seemed
to have lived years since she heard those
footsteps on the porch. Why had she
been such fool?
1t was five o'clock now, and the
roosters far and near began to herald the
approach of dawn. The sky turned
from black to gray, and a whitisf
smudge in the east announced the rising
of the glorious sun.
Mrs. Cuthbert put out the lights, and
went to the front door. A drizzling
rain had set in, and the damp, raw all
made her shudder. She went back tc
the sitting-room, and, in dreary.
mechanical kind of way, lit the fire
there and in the little kitchen; then
brought baby down stairs, washed and
dressed him as usual, then put him on
the floor to play while she prepared his
bread and milk.
But baby was not destined to get his
breakfast just yet; for at that moment
a light step was heard in the entry, and
a tall young man walked into the room.
The bread and milk were dropped any.
where, and Mrs. Cuthbert flung herself
into his arms, sobbing, crying and beg.
ging his pardon all in breath.
"Pll never do it again. Won't you
forgive me, George~
"Forgive what? 1 haven't anything
to forgive" said the astonished George.
"Oh, yes, you have. I know it was
wicked of me; but Tll never
do it again."
"What on earth is the matter ?"
Won't you forgive me ?' was all Mrs.
Cuthbert's answer.
Eleanor, what is the matter?" de-
manded the distracted young man, all
kinds of awful visions flying through
his brain. "What have you done?"
"Why, 1 didn't let you in when you
come home last night. 1 only meant to
keep you waiting a little WHILE"
"When 1 came home last night ?
Why, 1 haven't been within fifteen
miles of the house since seven o'clock
yesterday morning. I've just come
down on the 4:30 train"
Didn't you come heme last night p
gasped Mrs. Cuthbert.
"Come home? No, of course I didn't !;
I'Ye been working at the Office half the
night. Didn't you receive my telegram
saying that I should be detained in the
city all night 2"
"No; l haven't received any. What
does it all mean"
And then she told him all about it
in rather an incoherent style, to be sure;
but she made him understand, and he
was greatly puzzled as to who it could
have been.
Mrs. Cuthbert, now that her mind
was relieved, began to remember that
,he had eaten nothing since dinner the
day before, and was soon flying about
broiling ham and poached eggs, stop
ping to havea hearty laugh over the
charred remains of her husbands sup
per, which she took from the oven.
Then they sat down to the tea table,
baby and all, and ate their breakfast.
That afternoon the village youth who
aid their chores was unusually late in
coming, but when he did arrive it was
with such a budget of news that his tar
illness was forgiven.
He had been an eyewitness to the
capture of two burglars at Squire
Jones's; they had been discovered in the
very act of carrying off the silver.
claws, how they ft!S said the boy.
s They smashed Bill Williams's head in
with the plate basket, and came most
near hittin' me, and when we had 'em
caught tight, how they did talk They
,ussed and swore, and one on'em-a
fslier with a powerful ugly face-said
Is how they wouldn't hev been nabbed
if they hadn't been foolin' round an
other house all the evenin'; and he ses ::
There's one of the pluckiest women
there, ses he; why, when I followed
into the winder at her, she didn't mind
it no more than nothin',' ses he 'and
hanged if she didn't foller me out to the
barn, and go pokin' round after me in
the darkl'"
Mrs. Cuthbert clung to her husband,
and shuddered at this part of the nara
tive.
can he ses," the boy went on" he
ses, 1 s'pose 1 should hev knocked her
on the head if she had been a man, butthe
blamed pluck of such little thing jist
fabbergasted me'-that's jest
his words; an he ses that she come out
after him again, when he an his pal was
hidin' under come bushes, an they was
afraid to tech her, cause they seen suthiH
shinin' in her hand, an didn's know but
it might be a six-shooter."
"My scissors, 1 suppose" family muir
INJURED Mrs. Cuthbert; her husband only
heard her.
"Wa'll, they're safe enough now-ar
l guess I'll fetch the COAL" said the boy
with the stolidity of true son of the
soil, seizing the coal scuttle, but drop
ping it again to rummage in the innel
pocket of his jacket. "Here's letter
for you, sir-the man said might a
well bring it long, as his boy couldn'
get upthis way lore tomorrow mornin
an you might be in a hurry"
"My telegram" said Mr.. Cuthbert
handing it to his wife. "What a con
venience these modern scientific dis
coveries arel"
JOHN HARTFORD, of Wyalusing, Wis
consin, took boy strongly resemblin,