The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-10-08
MRS. LYTE'S BURGLAR,

Mrs. Lyte was widow, gentle. timid,
sensible, and lovely; she had money
enough to he comfortable, and silver
enough to be worried; for in her house
were only her old mother, her young
sun, and the late Mr. Lyte's sister; and
the house was u pretentious mansion
outside, looking rs if the owner had
lavished ON it all the caprices of wealth.
And so he had, for Mr.. Lyte's salary
had been large, though with true Amer
lean carelessness he had spent It all, eX
cept as much as maintained his life-in-
surance; this, indeed, was all, besides
his house, that was lett to the widow
and Sam; and IS the man had been dea-
con of church and president OF tenn
perance society, besides dying in his own
bed of malignant erysipelas. the company
in which he was insured made but II
feeble threat of disputing the premium,
and after years delay ten thousand
dollars were put in Pembroke bank TO
Mrs. Lyte's account, and she was not
obliged to sell her silver, which was an
heirloom on both sides of the house, and
dear from association. But, as / have
said, she was naturally timid woman,
and the consciousness of those forks and
spoons and ladies and tea-sets-for there
were two packed away in her garrett
made her awake to every noise, and sus-
picious of every strange face; yet she
knew that Pembroke had never been a
place attractive to burglars, and her
common sense strove hard to put down
her fears. But after Mr.. Lyte had left
her without protector for several years,
and Sam was big boy OF thirteen, all
Pembroke was stirred to its depths by n
robbery of the spoon factory. Strange
o..
carried from the Pembroke plating COM
panys warehouse, dropped all along the
street, and after weeks excitement dis
covered in the barn of prominent citi-
zen, secreted in his corn bin, under the
corn. If the terrOrists could have paused
to consider the situation, they would
have seen at once that no professional
burglar had conducted this robbery; but
terrorists do not reflect, and the women
in Pembroke were in state of great eX-
citement. Mrs. Lyte trembled tor her
silver, and longed to be able to find some
sure protector for it. She thought OF
the bank vault; but in these days bank
is the first resort of burglars; her garret
was far safer. Then she remembered
Nr terrier; but how easily a dog could
~ poisoned! Sam had a pistol, to be
sure, yet it was questionable what use he
cOulu or WOuld make OF III unuer ulI6cl
alarm. Mrs. Hill, her mother, was &
courageous. old lady, and laughed at
Emma's fears; Miss yte was an invalid
confined to her room, and not allowed
to hear these outside affairs; and San
clustered great deal, as boys will, bu
not to much reassuring of his mother
who found her only sympathizer in thu
person of her pretty niece, Annie Grant
who had come to spend the summe
with her, partly to be out of the way o
an ineligible suitor, partly to take paint
ing lessons in Dartford, city within
easy distance by rail from Pembroke
Annie was, or professed to be. very neI
vous about burglars, and kept her aunt
terrors well alive.
About a week after the spoons wer
stolen, Mrs. Lyte heard that seveAl {
the wealthy residents near the robbie
warehouse had been putting in burglar
alarms.
% really wish could afford to d
it, she said, one morning at breaE
fast.
oh, Aunt EN-" screamed Anni
=" don't think~of itl They are perfect
Nwful things to have round. I've see