Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-10-26
Who Stole Those Hazel-NutS?

That was the question which agitated
the family for days. l. was really most
mysterious where those nuts went to,
and went SO fast.
Row had got them-it was his first
nutting frolic, and no one could tell
how proud he was of that big bag full
"They've got to dry he declared,
land where can they be spread?'
A good many places We're proposed.
The barn tioor-but the rats might get
them there; the garnet foor-but mice
might come there; mamma offered a
corner of the kitchen, but Ncrah turned
up the corner of her eyebrows, as If she
thought they'd be in the way;-(what
could you expect of girl who said
hazel-nuts tasted no better than raw po-
tatoes when they were green, and exact.
ly like so many chips when they were
dry.) But at last Roy hit on the very
place.
Outside the window of his own room
was the top of a porch. Surely moth
ing could touch them there, and NAM
ma gave him leave to put them out, she
holding on to his kilt all the time as he
spread them, and he putting himself on
his honor never to get out there by him
self. .e..e-..
So Roy's mind was at rest for few
days. He could reach out and get
few to crack for his mother (who, if she
shared Norah's opinion of hazel-nuts,
never said SOY and his little brother Sam
and himself.
And now the mystery began. Roy,
looking sharply out at his nuts every
evening when he went to bed in the
summer twilight, could not help think
ing more were taken than he took him.
self. He stopped taking any to make
sure.
And then he aCds sure.
The nuts were disappearing-disap-s
pearing so fast that it would not take
many days for all to be gone. " 4
But who was the thief? Not Norah,
naturally. Not mamma, Roy was sure,
although as far as he knew, she dotted
on hazel-nuts. Rats and mice couldn't
get up there, he thought. Julius Caesar,
the dog (Roy thought he was called so
because he had way of Selling things,
but this was a mistake, it was simply
his full name), although fond of nuts
when you cracked them for him,
wouldn't be likely to try to chew up
those pricking shells for himself Be-
linda, the cat, never ate nuts.
Still they kept going. Roy went to
his room one evening right after tea, to
watch. But he fell asleep and lay with
his head on the window-sill till mid
night, when he awoke with a dreadful
crick in his neck and a bad cold from
the draught. He had felt pretty sure
he had kept watch most of the time, but
he had seen no thief.
L L
sewing and sat in Roy's room. When
he came home from school what do you
guess was the first thing he said? 1t
was:
"Mamma? = Where's mammal
Mannl0?-MAoIMA!
Did you ever know any other boy
who said that when he came homer Or
any girl?
Soon he heard her softly calling: !
''Sh-h -h-h-lookn' she said. 1--WE
found the thief!'' Roy looked out and
saw at once that more nuts were going.
q declare PIl 90 for a policeman.
'''Wait," she said. t
A blueiay had Just perched on the
edge of the porch-roof The saucv
rogue took several dainty little hops
towards the nuts. He bobbed his head
from side to side, looking at Roy first
out OF one bright eve and then the
other, giving half-timid, half-pert chirps.
which meant as plainly as a bird could
put it:
'.Of course you wouldn't hurt me?
And ofcourse you don't mind my helping
myself to few nuts when you We got SO
many?" Then he seized bunch of
nuts half as large as himself, and flew
away without waiting to say thank you.
. This is the third time he has been
here within two. ho,1rs.'' said Rows
mother. \
This story is every word true, for /
could show you the very mother of the
boy who owned the nuts which were
stolen by that very bluejay. YOUTHS
Companion.