The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-03-07

1s = k.sa - mSkeS MN more ana more rate,
I'm ,Wy, they look even worse from behind!
IN naow mp the sneaking old pirate;
III give him piece of my mind.
I'm done with the scoundrel, that's certain.
NOV, II ever saw such = sight
(B1t here we will let down the curtain
The rent wouldn't suit ears polite.) M
W. w. Crane. In Scri6ner's Monthly.
THE GHOST OF DEANS HOLLOW
The old grindstone suggested it.
don't know by what process of thought
: for thoughts are queer, unaccountabl
things sometimes. But this I know
that Louis Burns, passing in an idl,
mood, one day. by an old, superannu
ated grindstone, that had stood in tn,
yard for years, exposed to rain ane
storm, thoughtlessly seized the cranl
and gave it q turn. A doleful, wheel
ing creak rewarded his efforts, and a
that instant the thought came to him
He sat down on log near by, ant
for the space of five minutes Ions
time for him-was in deep study. WheI
he rose there was smile on his fact
and resolute look in his eyes, and hi
muttered to himself:
I'll do it if the boys'll help.s
Now, Lu Burns was one Of gang
OF big boys, who seemed to live only t.
cause trouble to others. They were
the pest of the village, and whenever
any particular outrageous thing was
done. the people always said . It thai
Burns gang, of course.n
The. Burns gang consisted of fonl
boys, Lu and Will Burns, Tom Martin
and John Stevens. Their last exploit,
at the time my story begins, had beer
to steal, one night, into the garden OF
Widow Norton, who lived half a mile
out OF the village, and strip the fruit
from a choice pear tree
The pears had been closely watched
by Harry Norton; but on that partic-
ular night he was obliged to 90 ten
miles away to attend to some business
for his employer, and though Molly
his slster-thought she could watch the
garden as well as he, she must have
Iallen asleep, for she did not hear a
movement near the tree, and yet the
fruit was gone.
Harry Nortonwas q quick-witted boy.
Being honest and straightforward, at
tending to the work of his place-which
was under clerk in the country store
ne was naturally no favorite with idle,
loafing boys, whose only purpose was
to pass through life with as little
trouble and as much "fun" las they
called their mischieD as possible.
81 When Harry came home and heard
OF the loss OF the pears, he put his wits
to work to think who had known of his
trip out of town, and he soon remem-
bered that Lu Burns was in the st ore
when Mr.. Mills decided to send him, in
stead OF the other clerk.
The next time he saw Lu, he said,
significantly:
think have clue to the pear
thieves, and shall keep watch of them
till catch them at something"
"oh, you Will" sneered Lu. 81
wish you JOY OF your sneaking business!
If they only knew yom were on their
track, they'd no doubt come and con-
TESS to your mar
Never mind" said Harry. "See
if l don't catch them in some mischief!
know their tricks"
Smart boy!" said Lu, ironically.
Does the antiquated lady know
you're out?" and he shut the door be-
fore Harry could open his mouth to
reply.
The mean sneakr' said he to him.
self. IS he sauntered toward home.
III pay him off for watching us. I'll
let me see-I1l-oh, know! I'll
scare that prinked-up sister of his''-a
revenge just suited to a boy of his char
acter. 5.s5.fs
For a few days after that chance turn
OF the grindstone-handle, there was UNI
usual quiet IN the village. No fruit was
stolen; no pigs turned into neighbours
neld; no cows driven of into the woods.
The Burns gang seemed to have sud.
denly grown industrious and quiet.
Enough Harry kept his sharp eyes very
wide open, he. scarcely saw any OF
them,-n did he hear of any new mis-
chief. E
At last, however, there came sensa-
ton with a vengeance. One night
Molly Norton, who had to 60 through
q piece OF woods to school, came flying
into the house, wild-eyed and pale as
death, without shawl or books. On
being questioned, she declared that she
had heard frightful groans and horrid
shrieks in the woods, which SO fright
ened her that she ran, and lost her
books and shawl.
Mrs. Norton laughed at her, and tried
TO persuade her to go back and find her
Things, But Molly was too much dis
turDed to be laughed out OF her fright,
ana when Harry came home. he heard
the story ,E
~ course ne Pooned al her terrors,
' III sa'u &c Se "o " 20 anu nun. up the
. ..a 20, lax taking oig STICK ne
NJ LOW Hows '4 M Loao.
Is. Mo~ - Desa 2 lohow was IN q lonely
stlaP % w0oos' not very wlde-perhaps
qualt'5 - lnueED1s several miles
.oas, snu snoug. wen-tlavelea road
an ..Ivuen y, " was ratner dismal,
ssPoc.sny ~ ousk' atwnlcn tme Harry
en ~ IT,
nc MA.Aou IN very praveiy, tnlnklng
NY ne wouio la1gh at Molly, and
y ~ls' M, SONY 49, r. ne wenI, uil ne came
,t-.su '' fn.t pue wnlcn crossed
' sIonn ~ y xns - NY toot soucned the
na rso nu n nc ~ r I uTawns qaaver-
~ sloan " 'nc rign@ ~ haa Pecu-
;ae snv v sn,nd AN 10 ''e Sar wan. NOT
'g Hs 81. h;,.,.,,. -, L.. -.
70. hr!v se' and 5eter -n Mnt ~ pu' ne
: ne = 1870 1n ~ uc Ic:I 70 20 on;
.s,tsd sioro t the n no o,h nasI,y anu
:. = e. 49, - alon s.o pn.u: earnest
Az t&Ao 11h14luX III uClc1s In ~ mo /