Connecticut western news., 1880-12-08

she have ventured into the hall in pres ence of the dead or wounded robber. No; she instinctively turned to the ladder, still resting against the piazza.
 How she effected it she never exactly knew, having only vague recollection of descending half way, and then, some how, finding herself seated in half dazed state upon the ground.
 But, as she always asserted, her cour- age and presence of mind did not in even this awful moment forsake her !; and, picking herself up, she fled, as rap idly as her bruised limbs would bear her, toward the highway, about one hundred yards from the house.
 Here, concealing herself in the sassa- fras bushes by the roadside, she awaited the appearance of some passing traveller.
 As good luck would have it, several wagons, on their way to the early mar ket, presently came in sight. Then Miss Sophie, emerging like an elderly Driad from her umbrageous retreat, poured forth her tale of horror.
 The men, being armed, and further reinforced by couple of horsemen, pro- ceeded at once to the house, and, sur rounding it, with cooked pistols, sono- rously called upon the burglars to sur- render.
 "There they are, the bloody villains Fire on 'em Seize 'em ]" yelled the unmistakable voice of Andy.
 And posse of villagers, headed by couple of police, rushed upon the scene from behind the barn.
 "That is he-that is Andy, the leader of the gang P cried Miss Sophie, to one of her knights, whose arm she had seized. "Oh, do secure him, and hasten to the rescue of my poor niece."
 "Howly Moses, Miss Sophie ! an is it yerself I sees? An the poor masther up there in the house this blessed mint, shot and killed enthirely!' "The master?" screeched Miss Sophie. "You don't mean that my nephew, MT. Joseph Hawes-'
 "Faix, thin, it was him met comin' UfaCA 1IOAu 11lC AadG1A lOL G11o IttoOu Llldb there was no matin', at all an he said I mought as well come home wid him ]; an, along O the doors all bein' fast locked, wint up on the ou1d ladder to open 8 windy to let him in, an the first I knowed was 8 bloody, murtherin' vill'in of house. break1n' thief, shootin' him dead"
 Miss Sophie heard no more. For the first and last time in her life, as she often afterward asserted, her self-posses- sion deserted her, and she tainted. The crowd, by this time comprising the greater portion of the male inhabi- tants of the village, now surged into the house in search of the unfortunate MT. Hawes and his wife.
 The latter was found sufficiently re- | covered from her swoon to have slowed herself away in a clothes-press, at the imminent risk of fate such as befell the bride of Lord Lovel.
 A further protracted search resulted in the discovery of pair of boot-soles projecting from the end of 8 shelf under the attic roof, which, being roughly seized and dragged down, brought with them the body, not of a burglar, but of MT. Joseph Hawes, alive and very much kicking, and, as was proven upon ex- animation, with only harmless flesh wound in one limb.
 It appeared, on a general explanation, that on his way to the meeting he had been informed of it's postponement, on account of the non- arrival of the great orator of the occasion; and he had there upon returned home, meeting Andy by the way, as related by that retainer, an6 with the result already described. So the crowd, having been fully en- frightened, departed, disappointed in the anticipated tragedy of the scene, yet much delighted as regarded the comedy
 And it was observed that, from tha day forth, MT. Joseph Hawes nevel sneered at the cowardice of women, ant seemed to stand in certain awe of hi wife's Aunt Sophie, who omits no occa sion of relating this instance of he, } courage and self-possession.
 As for Fanny, she always shudderet at the mention of 'that terrible night, nor was her horror assuaged by the dis covery that the ''tramps' whom she s' much dreaded were only party of he Uncle Sandy's hay-makers, resting afte their days labor.