St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-01-31

and everything"
mo, don't count, but can miss 'em
for all that" affirmed Mrs. Wilkin de-
cidedly. ''I know there's more go than
we use.n
Anyway, it's no difference. I
wouldn't, 'Lizbeth-there's plenty, you
see, more than we want" advised Mr..
Wilkin urgently, but rather incoherent-
ly. Then he caught up his hat and
started for the barn.
Mrs. Wilkin looked after him with |
pitying disapproval.
"When you've more than you want
yourself, leave it handy for somebody to |
steal Well, that's new command
ment, l do declaren
mot so very new, neither, Aunt Liz
beth, interposed Tim, stoutly. "'Cause
the Bible folks was told to be sure and
leave some of their harvest so the Door
could come and get it. 1 read it myself
only it wasn't called stealing then, and
was to be left handler than all slowed
away in smoke-houses"
''Timothy ~ began Mrs. Wilkin. But
Tim suddenly remembered that the
chickens were waiting for their break
fast, and chose to interpret the excla
nation us an admOnition in that direc-
| ton.
"Yes'm Pm goin' to feed 'em right
away" he observed, seizing basket of
corn, and darting through the door by
which his uncle had departed.
In truth it was not altogether easy to
mold Tim into the desired shape there
was too much individuality about him.
Encasing him in Mrs. Wilkins code of
manners was putting too large a boy
into too small Il jacket !; he was always
bursting out at the elbows or tearing OFF
the buttons. Mrs. Wilkin sighed at this
new evidence of the number of things in
the world that needed her attention
but England never expected every man
to do his duty more strongly than Mrs
Wilkin expected to do hers.
That evening the mysterious lights
appeared again in the store-roOm of the
mill. She could plainly see them, fol
just beyond her own back gate an open
field slOped directly and steeply down
to the building. The road afforded {
public and more circuitous mode ot
reaching it, but from the hilltop the
suspicious store-room was directly in
range. Mrs. Wilkin determined to tax,
Il more thorough observation than the
kitchen window allowed, and, throwing
Il shawl over her head, she picked hel
way carefully down the icy steps, and
crossed the yard to the gate. The snowy
field lay white and glistcning in the
moonlight, and standing in the shelter
ing shadow of il post, she watched the
door below.
But before she discovered anyone en-
teriug there she heard sounds in another
directiDn-steps in the yard behind her.
What if she should prove beyond all
doubt that her meat was stolen and de-
tect the thief2 With that quick thought
she turned her head cautiously. Yes
some one tried the smoke-house dooI
and entered. BreathlesSly Mrs. Wilkin
waited until the figure re-appeared
passed along in the shade of the house
and then rs it emerged into the cleaI
moonlight, she leaned eagerly forward
to catch full sight of it. 1t was easily
recognized. Mr.. Wilkin, beyond all
question, stealing meat fLom his own
stores
The revelation was astounding. In
her astOnishment Mrs. Wikkin incau-
tiously loosened her hold on the gate
post, took II step forward, and her feet
slipped upon the treacherous ground.
She sat down violently, and in an in
slant was speeding rapidly down the hill
toward her original point of investiga-
ton. For once the path of duty was
smooth before her-entirely too smooth
and icy. She could not check or guide
her progress; her feet struck with force
against the mysterious door, pushed
it open, and she slid into hall.
Thieves, gamblers or whoever they
were she must not be discovered by
them flashed through Mrs. Wilkins
mlnd-mOre an instinct of selt-preServa-
ton than thOught-and springing to
heI feet, she slipped behind some boxes
piled near her. The noise attracted at
tention, and i'll IL moment the store-room
door was opened and boy looked out.
Guess It's only the door blew open /;
don't catch good," he reported.
Lock it then, James, and bring in the
key" said IL voice from within and to
Mrs. Wilkins CONSERVATION the order
was obeyed, and she was prisoner.
The boy left the other door slightly ajar
us he re-entered. A gleam of light shone
into the hall, and there were sounds
from the room beyond-a scratching of
pens, and Il wOman's voice it sounded
wonderfully like that of the little knit
ting woman, directing and encouraging.
"Well done, Susan"
"Now don't be disheartened, Will. Of
course while you work i'll the mill, and
can only study ut night, you can't get
along just as some do who can go to
school all day but what you learn may
be of more use to you. We care most
for the things that cost us trouble.n
There were few simple mathemati-
cal problems, and then Il reading, and
the words, spelled out with difficulty by
some, were Bible words.
CHARITY suffereth long and is kind,n
''Vaunteth not ITSELF" HSeeketh her
Own," 'Thinketh no evil, "Beareth all
things, believeth all things, hopeth all
things"
1t was easily understood. Mrs. Will
kin leaned forward little, and could
peep into the room. Fifteen or twenty
boys and girls from the mill gathered
into night school. Then those won
derful words read so slowly and en-
phatically, seemed suddenly to assume
new and deeper meaning than Mrs.
Wilkin had ever thought of their pos
sessing-sOme things do show so much
more clearly in the dark than in the
light.
AS the timid little woman, who would
have been frightened at her own voice
in any other audience as large, explain
ed in her simple, gentle way the pas
sage read, it occurred to the listener
outside that some one was keeping a
''sharp watch" on these mill people, af-
ter all and that this MIGHT he a haitian