The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-04-24


girls room. A minute later, she heard
Mary Jane, the girl, coming down stairs
four steps at time, and screeching for
Mrs. Cooley to let her come into her
apartment. When she was admitted.
Mrs. Cooley locked the door quickly and
Mary Jane informed her that there was
something in her room making the most
awful noise she had ever heard, and she
was positively certain ii was either a
tiger from the geological garden or q
lunatic that had escaped from the asy-
lum,
Mrs. Cooley went to the door and
listened, and she heard it distinctly.
Then she was scared, and she put up the
window and sprang the rattle. That
brought out Judge Brown with his shot
gun and Peter Lamb with revolver.
When the situation was explained to
them they broke open back shutter
and entered the house, the Judge bring
ing his dog with him.
They sent the dog on ahead up stairs,
and the two men followed. When they
got near to the room the Judge proposed
that Peter should go in with the light
so that he could see where 80 shoot, but
Peter said that 1t seemed to him 1t would
be better for the Judge to go in and stir
the thing up In the dark, and he would
stand outside and shoot as the intruder
ran out and tried to escape. This view
didn't strike the Judge, and while they
were arguing about 1t the dog ran in un-
perceived by either of them. They
finally concluded that both of them had
better remain where they were, and fire
three or four volleys into the room at
random. Just as they resolved on this
policy Peter caught glimpse of some
thing moving about in the room, and he
fired two barrels of his revolver at it.
This excited the Judge so much that
he emptied his gun wildly in the same
direction. They heard something moan
and they knew then that they had
wounded the intruder anyhow, 80 they
pushed cautiously into the apartment
where they saw the dog lying in the
agonies of death, while the alarm clock
gave out few final and scarcely audible
clicks.
Then the Judge became angry.
"You confounded idiot Whatdid you
shoot at my dog for ~ he said.
"Who shot at your dogp" demanded
Peter, with newly acquired courage.
You did, said the Judge.
1.-THE mischief did Didn't you fire
at him too 7"
e But thought you saw something
else, and 1 fired because you did, said
the Judge.
81 believe you killed him and not
me-" said Peter.
"I know well enough" remarked the
Judge, sarcastically, 'that you'd never
have hit him but by accident You
must have been aiming at something
else when you struck him. But you've
got to pay for him anyhow |"
If do you may shoot me-" replied
Peter.
They were in the midst of the contro-
versy when Mrs. Cooley came up with
the girl and children.
What is it ?" she demanded.
Madam,' said the Judge bringing
his gun to o parade rest - madam,
have no idea what it was that caused all
this disturbance, but 1 do know that this
lunatic here has killed my dog"
"Why, there's an alarm clock Cooley
must have put 1t there. do believe
that's what scared Mary Jane" said
Mrs. Cooley.
Likely enough replied the Judge;
"and just on account of Mary James
internal foolishness I'm dragged out of
bed in the middle of the night and my
dog is assassinated.
"I'm very sorry" said Mrs. Cooley.
"Very well, madam, I'm glad you
are. But want you to understand that
this is the last time turn out with my
weapons, if burglars gut your house
from cellar to garret, and butcher your
family in cold blood. I'll move first;
blame me If don't.n
And the Judge shouldered arms, then
brought his gun to a " "right-shoulder-
shift" seized his dog by the near hind
leg, and marched down stairs, followed
by Mr.. Lamb.
Cooley now wakes Mary Jane by call
ing her.
An Astonished Father.