The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-20

garden wall, over which they were leis-
lrely climbing. They were rough-look-
ng, and evidently bent on degradation,
;or they occasionally paused to help
themselves to windfalls," and once
shook pear-tree and filled their pockets
with the fruit with coolness that
Miss Abigail silently to take down the
gun and hold it at arm's-length as she
brought it to the window.
Oh, Aunt Abigail, take care! 1t IL
go offp' exclaimed Mollie.
81 mean it shall, if they do much |
MORE" rejoined the spinster, turning
the gun around with gingerly care.
" You'd better get out of the way, Mol
lie 1 might hit you just as like, or the
thing might explode. 1t hasn't been
used for years"
You ought to keep hold of some
thing when you fire il" suggested Mol
lie, from the other side of the bed. 1T
will kick and throw you down. Guns
always do"
"They're trying the back-door," an
nounced Miss Abigail, in an excited
whisper. "They only knocked once. 1
wonder if those robbers in the cellar be-
long to the same set. They're shaking
the door, the villians!"
Two or three loud knocks sounded
through the house, and then the men
tried the nearest window; finding that
fast, another and yet another, while
Miss Abigail watched them from above
with fast-growing anger; they then
took a leisurely survey of the house,
evidently undecided what to do next.
81 wish l could hear what they are
saying" said the spinster, vexedly. L
heard all gone to church, The one in
the red shirt said it. | expect they'll
get a battering-ram next. "Pn keep
still as long as | can"
Instead of proceeding to any extreme
measures, however, the men lighted a
couple of pipes, during which operation
they more than once laughed uproar-
iously. They afterward made circuit
of the house, tried every window, in
Guiding those in the sheds, and shook
the door vigorously; meanwhile Miss
Abigail and Mollie followed their course
through the chambers, the former still
carrying the gun. Having come back
to their original starting point, they
held another consultation, after which,
went off to the barn.
"Pd like to know what that's forp'
CALCULATED Miss Abigail, at her wits end.
"They'll steal the other horse, or else
they'll get something and break awindow
up here; and there's no knowing what
those men down cellar are about"
| All was quiet for time, the stiffness
being only broken by the groans OF
Grandma Richton. The intruders were
nowhere to be seen. Finally, Mollie
reconnoitering from an attic window, dis
covered that they had entered the corr
barn by means of rear window, hao
opened the door, and were sitting upor
two barrels smoking.
Mercy ON us!" exclaimed Miss
Abigail, glancing at the clock and ther
sinking into chair. Here it's ter
minutes of twelve o'clock and Jonathan
and Marthy coming home, without i.
thought of what's happened. Jonathan
IL drive right round that corn barn a
sure as fate, and into the barn. They'll
be laying in wait for him. They'r
setting just where they can see the who'll
length of the road, and they mean to d.
the sly They'll murder him and go oi
with the plunder in our wagon-that'
ALL"
Mollie's cheeks grew paler yet.
"But, aunt, you know we can rus
out an warn him when he's at the foo
of the hill; and he'll have Uncl
Nathan's pistols"
Not he! / never knew Jonatha
Price to do thing the way he said h
was going to; and he's an old mann
| mn Fob For %0hn t,n
just mean to kill him and then hav
| their own way. There, they've shu
t the corn barn door. told you so."
5 1t did seem mysterious that the tw
| men should have shut themselves in th
corn barn. Miss Abigail needed no fu
D ther evidence of their evil intentions.
"Mollie," she said, solemnly, there
S only just one thing to do. You mu'
: run across lots and meet Jonathan, an
/ tell him to bring two or three of th
] Clark boys home with him. We've gt
S the Sc people in the cellar to dispose o
d Tell them to hurry, for if Bridget ism
t dead already, she's pretty near that. I
go myself, but | can't leave you hel
l. alone. Pll let you out the front-door, ar
|. you can kind of creep along behind Il
It walls"
e "But what if they should chase me
!; gasped Mollie.
y "They won't see you. They've sh'
!. the door, and you needn't run aero
l, the open fields"
1t " But, aunt, I shall have to go O.
n front, and those men in the cellar W
n be sure to see me. They must be watc
(. ing. If they should, they might fire
IS me-"
Vi Miss Abigail was only posed for
moment.
lie Well, I'll tell you. Put on pair
IN Jonathan's pantaloons and his gray COS
ar Tuck your hair up under his big strs
IS hat, and, if they see you, they'll thil
i'd it's one of their accomplices. Hur
K now, it's almost twelve"
r. 1t was of no use to demonstrate. M,
n, lie was hurried up stairs, not knowi
ut whether to laugh CT cry, and too mu
in frightened to do either, and was put
i'd to the aforementioned garments; the
Id withouta moments delay she was push
down to the front-door.
as "Hurry, now!" said Miss Abiga
ed cpl have the gun up at the front WI
,r. dow, and if one of 'em chases you
;e, fire it at him."
to Don e.! crled MOll1e, horr0r-StrlcK
en- at the prospect. You'd hit me inste.
list I won't go unless you"
lg- "Well, well, run alongW and
front-door was cautiously opened and
% cautiously closed, and Mollie ran un'
Ter the shelter of the east wall.
lie Uncle and Aunt Price, peaceful
jogging homeward were amazed to Sc
lid nondescript figure suddenly appear fir
iss clump of hazel bushes at the foot
Sc hill
TX "Lord" said Uncle Price, dubious
ed pulling up Elijah, whats that?"
m. It's crazy critter," exclaimed A
de Price. "Do 60 along Jonathan"
The " 1t looks more like a running scs
or crow. Stop, Marthy, don't you to-
m the horse-it seems to me them clot
se. looks atrial"
| T,