The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-07
THE MYSTERIOUS ROBBER.

MRS. SAVAGE was by nature saving.
She never wasted her husbands sub
stance and economical in every way.
They had no children, and INDUCED in
no luXuries, and the consequence was
that when Mr.. Savage was forty and
his wife thirty-five they had such a
comfortable sum in the bank as war
ranted their indulging themselves in
the luxury of building house.
For many years past Mrs. Savage
had been dissatisfied with the small
frame building to which she had been
taken a bride not yet twenty, and
scolded over the falling plaster, and
fretted over the lack of clOset-room and
the constantly recurring leaks in the
roof of her earthly abode.
81 think agree with you about the
new house, Abram,' she said one morn
ing in March, land the sooner you Get
at it the better I'll be pleased"
Mr.. Savage was as careful and as
economical as his wife, but if there
was one thing in the world which made
glad his heart, it was to raise envy in
those of his neighbors. For years he
had prided himself on being rich
man, and the consciousness that his
neighbors admitted his clear title made
him very happy.
The old house, with its sunk roof and
small rooms, had worried him greatly.
He knew the neighbors and gossips of
Scrubville said that it didn't look rich,
but very stingy to live in such an old
shell, and he rejoiced exceedingly
when his wife gave her free CON
sent to the building of a new
habitation with all modern CON
veniences. He determined to build
such an one as should make all the
people of Scrubville open their eyes
with surprise, and tell of it for miles
around.
In April the important work was
begun. The land chosen was about Il
mile from the old house, and there was
room for gardens, stables and green
houses. Carpenters and masons and
painters did their work, carefully
watched by Mr.. Savage whenever he
could spare time from his hardware
store.
1t was not built cheaply, for Mr..
Savage did not grudge the money that
was to make him the envy of the town.
but he was carefully prudent about the
expenditures.
By the first of November the new
house was ready for occupancy, and it
was indeed model of beauty and ele-
gance, as well as comfortable and con-
venient.
Mrs. Savage did insist on an album
dance of closet-room, and she had it,
for never before in Scrubville had
house boosted of the receptacles Mrs.
Savage's now possessed. Even in the
cellar great vaults of closets had been
built, though the lady declared that
these would be useless, since she should
put nothing in them to be spoiled by
damp-and cellar closets, in her opin-
ion, always were damp.
The great work of moving began,
and all the goods and chattes went out
of the old house into the new. Mrs.
Savage had always been too neat a
woman to allow trash and useless fur
niture to accumulate in her house, so
there were no bon-fires or trash piles
made. Of course there was not enough
furniture, so Mr.. Savage went to the
city and bought all that was needful,
and got it of the best He also sent to
ScrubVille from the great house of
James q Roberts, dozens of towels,
napkins, linen and cotton pieces for
sheets, and whole bolts of material for
table.clOths. He bought brackets,
busts of great men, and card receivers,
vases, and various other ornaments too
numerous to mention He fully
expected on his return home to
receive a terrible scolding from
his economical wife for his ex-
travagance, but on the contrary
she met him with smiling face, praised
his taste, and asked his advice about
the arranging of the different pieces.
1t was plainly to be seen that she
had imbibed some of her husbands
desire for envy. She did think he had
bought rather too much linen and too
many towels, but then she felt now as
if she was to be permanently settled for
life, and the linen and towels would
last her all the rest of her DAYS, and
then be handed down to Rebecca, for
since they had no children Rebecca
Dartmouth would inherit all their
wealth.
Rebecca was the child of Mrs.
Savage's only sister. and the sweetest
and best girl who ever entered the dull,
little town of Scrubville. Her home