The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-10-09

house, 2 and Miss Catherine turned the
cat outdoors, shut the damper of the
stove and declared everything to be ready
for starting.
~ never thought tia good plan to car
~ that clock key in your pocket book, .
said Catherine, az they logged along to
church. III
81 like to have things wnere ] know
they are safe, said her father.
well, you missed your finger for
once" spoke up his wife.
"By no n,eans,n replied the fine old
gentleman, good naturedly "tho key with
the rest Of the missing articles is in the
pocketbook, and that is mislaid by no
fault Of mine, as you will be willing to
admit when it turns up"
But It didn't turn up, even after dinner,
when they searched until shutdown. Then,
not wishing to have the old eight-day
clock run down, Catherine had the horse
harnessed into the chaise, and drove over
TO the east part of the town to the Russell
homestead. where there was an old family
clock exactly like theirs, and borrowed
the key. In talking the matter over with
Mrs. Russell, Catherine remembered that
tramp had called and had eaten bowl
OF bread and milk by the kitchen fire the
very morning before the pocket-bco was
missed. That brought up the prolific
subject of tramps and thieves, and Mr..
Russell mentioned that widow named
Waite, with two children, son and a
daughter, from down the river somewhere,
had bought and moved on to the Bascomb
place; that when he heard of it he couldn' It
help remembering that last year when ne
was down to the shiretown on jury a
widow woman named Waite was sent to
jail for three months tor stealing, and
that Mrs. Russell remarked that she didn't
intend to say anything about il to any
body, but that she had made up her mind
that she shouldn't call on her new
neighbors.
Tae next day, when Catherine was up
to her elbows in suds, gentlemanly
appearing youth who said his family had
Just purchased the Biscomb place, cane
to the door, having heard that Mr.. Camp
bell was Prudential School Committee, to
see ii he could secure situation as
teacher for his sister. Catherine listened
no further, but answered him CURLY
without referring him to her father, and
shut the door in his face
She mentioned the incident to Mrs.
Russell after dinner when she drove
over to return the clock key. She add
ed, thoughttully, that he looked to her
like the fellow to whom she gave the
bred and milk the day before the pocket
book was missed.
Mrs. Russell asked how much money
there was in it, and, being told, said she
had heard that they paid one-third down
for. their place, although only one-fourth
had been required.
When Catherine returned home she
found that her half brother, James, had
driven over from his adjoining farm to
see about note which his father held
against some one in the rext. town,
which he thought ought to be renewed.
1t won't outlaw for a year." said
Farmer Campbell.
Let me see, said his son, and then,
of course, Catherine let out the story.
"Was it your old sheepskin wallet,
father2'
'Oh, 70, it was the pretty red morocco
one with twenty different compartments
that the twins gave me last Christmas.
B "You had it in your hand the last time
| was here, and showed me the rcseipted
bill for three sets Of Cyclopedias Cath
crimes set, James set and my set. Let
me see; that was Thursday. There was
8 tramp eating bread and milk in the
kitchen, q rough-looking fellow. /
thought it injudicious to let MIN enter
the house, and spoke to wife about if
when | got home. Don't you remember
it2 After he went away mother said
father looked like tramp In that old
sheap's gray suit"
"There, those clothes are in that rug .
put in Catherine triumphantly, pointing
to an immense braided met on which
she was at work. .Father left them off
to have them menoed one day, the tin
peddler came along, and while father
was out talking with him, mother ana
stripped what was good for carpets out of
them and bundled up the rest for rags
in a hurry, I tell you.''
Il am glad of it." said her half broth
er, laughing heartily, sbut I must not be
lingering here. Father, can / tske your
side hill plow for a few days2"
II presume it is in that missing peck
ct book" observed Catherine facetiously,
and tie tame crow laughed, 'quha,
quha, quha," as he alignted outside the
window with Mrs. Campbell's scarlet
crochet knitting bag in his bill, which
ne Immediately carried across the yard
and threw into the well.
s. The four persons looked at each other
and nodded knowingly. 1--WE will send
for Ed Hotton immediately to come and