Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-02-16
MAGGIE AND THE BURGLARS.
You are not afraid, Maggie?"

"You are not afraid, Maggie?"
Me afrGd!" sald Maggie. I'D no
fear born in me. AS for the house, it's
the strongest fastened ever | was in.
You say yourself there's no lock burg
lar could force, and am not the one to
let tramps or the like III of my free will.
God knows the place will be safe enough
when you come back-as safe as though
there was a regiment of soldiers, i'll it,
and I'll have all bright for your new
wife, Mr.. Archibald"
She called her master Mr.. Archibald
still, the oil woman; but she was the
only one who still used his Christian
name. He was an elderly man himself.
and had few intimate friends, hospltali-
ty not being one of his virtues.
He was rich, and there was much that
was valuable in the house; more ready
money, too, than most men kept about
them; but then it was rs secure as
bank vault-patent locks and burglar
alarms that first sent bullet into any
one whe sought to enter by stealth, and
then rang bell to wake the household
were attached to every door, and furi-
GUS watch dog that lived on raw meat,
was il the back garden, The Van Mott
mansion could have withstood a siege at
q moments notice.
Mr.. Van Mott was money dealer. He
had ways and means of accumulating
property WHICH were mysterious to his
neighbors and they were suspicious that
the little back parlor, sacred to business
had even seen such lesser dealings as
the loan of money on the gold watches,
cashmere shawls and diamonds of gen-
teel distress.
Two or three mortgages that he had
bought up had been rather cruelty fore
closed, and he was hard landlord and
a bad person to owe money to altogeth-
er. On the whole, he was disllked In
the place, and. rich as he was, would
have found it herd to get wife to his
liking among his neighbors of Oakham.
However, having resolved to marry
again-there having been a Mrs. Van
Mott, who died years before--he had
sought out wealthy widow OF a saving
disposition, who lived on small farm,
some miles from town, and having al
ready disinherIted her daughter for es-
pousing an cstimable man OF small
means, and turned her only son out OF
doors for equally prudent reasons. was
not likely to bring any troublesome
generosity into his household, and he
had offered himself to her and had been
accepted.
And, now, though both their econo-
micaI souls revolted against it, custom
decreed wedding of some sort, and a
honeymoon trip somewhere, and they
had decided to do it as cheaply as posi-
BILE. For this brief time. Mr.. Van
Mott must leave his business and house,
and it was upon the eve of departure
that he held the above conversation with
his old servant, standing with his port
manteau in his hands and regarding her
gravely.
"Yes, yes he said, 81 presume it is
all safe enough. Aud I'll speak to the
night watchman, and give him dollar
to take a particular look at this house.
Well, goodbye, Maggie, make things
as neat as possible if they look dirty
my wife may think the furniture old,
and want some newfor the parlor." And
Mr.. Van Mott departed.
eyes," said old Maggie, "no doubt
she'll have fine, extravagant ways. Poor
master What a pity he should marry,
after all-but old fools are the worst
fools. A young man of eight and for
ty, too, when he has a sensible servant,
sixty last January, and knows what be-
longs to good housekeeping. If he
wanted to marry why didn't he ask me
I'd not have not gone galivanting and
spending. All, well, he'll suffer, not l. "
And Maggie trotted away to begin her
sweeping and dusting.
She said truly that there was no fear
born within her, but as the night drew
on she began to feel somewhat lonely.
as her masters presence was strangely
missed out of the great house, and there
was something ghostly in the look OF
his empty chair when she peeped into
his little back Office.
eff I was superst1tious, she said tc
herself, 'T should think something
dreadful was going to happen. I fee
chilly up and down my back, and / keeI
thinking OF funerals I'll make my
self cup of tea, and see if 1 can ge
over it.
And accordingly old Maggie, shu
herself 1nio the snug kitchen, and light
ing two candles drew pot Of tn
strongest young hySon, and putting he