Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-02-22
SETH PIPER'S CONTRIV-
ANCE.


knew what it was. Some people sale
it was one thing, others thought i
might be something else; but every
body agreed that it was rather start
ling to behold on dark night. A boy
named Tom Jackson, who had been
put out of singing-school one evening
for making disturbance, was the first
to discover it; and it was said that his
hair "stood on end" " when he rushed
back into the school house, and shouted
for everybody to come out. A few
moments later all Piperyille stood out.
doors in the darkness and wind, looking
at 1.-THE bright image of man in the
sky, holding long sword raised above
its head In the right hand, and some
thing that glimmered like lantern in
the left. First it appeared to be ascend.
ing straight up; then it paused awhile,
and afterward moved off across the
river, where it remained stationary
some minutes. Next it came down
slowly and hesitatingly, until it seem,
ed almost to touch the top Of one of the
tall pines on the opposite side of the
river. Then suddenly it went up
higher and higher and vanished.
Not even the schoolmaster attempted
to explain what it was. Comets, fall
ing stars, an eclipse or two, and sever
al other celestial wonders had been
predicted for the year in the almanac
and newspapers; but nothing like this
mysterious thing had been mentioned
1t made everybody feel trife awed,
if not really scared, and the Iext day
hardly anything else was talked about.
4 believe it's one of those pesky
things that there's always pictures of
In the front of the almanac said boy
named Jake Pixley. It's got loose
somehow and hyin' round, / reckon
Wal, guess not, sonny replied a
good natured old man, Uncle Simeon.
But maybe now its the angel Gabriel
a-huntin' for somebody. Jest as like
as not that's what tis.
They were among the crowd gather
ed around the stove in the village gro-
cery store, and Seth Piper stood near
at hand listening to all that was said.
He was round faced thick-set boy,
who never talked much, but always
kept up good deal of thinking peo-
pie said Any one watching him close
ly on the present occasion might have
fancied he wanted to laugh when Un-
Gle Simeon suggested that the strange
phenomenon was the Angel Gabriel
His eyes twinkled and the corners of
his mouth twitched little; but he
suppressed whatever risible feeling he
had and continued to whittle quietly a
stick he held in one hand.
I don't believe anything like it has
ever been seen in this 'ere part of the
world before or anywhere else,' said
the storekeeper.
Nor l either agreed bronzed old
farmer, who was sitting on barrel
and resting his cowhide boots on the
rim of the stove. According to my
idea, it's one of those kind of things
that don't turn up every day in the
year.
4 never heared tell of anything like
it afore,' Uncle Simeon said
If it was the angel Gabriel, perhaps
he was after thieves Seth ventured to
suggest, turning trife red and look
ing around.
'Thievesl' said the storekeeper, a
little surprised.
Thieves! eh?' querled Uncle SIM
con. why, sonny, what put that idee
into your head p
oh! nothing much. l was only
thinking that may be he might light on
those fellows who'ye been shearing my
sheep over on the island. Stealing the
wool, you know
Seth let the glance he cast at those
about him rest just an instant longer,
perhaps, on Jake Pixley and his broth
er Dave than on any of the others, and
then went on whiting as before.
The farmer said that it beat all how
mean some people could be, and during
moment or two the conversation took
new turn. Seth was the Widow
Piper's bow, for whom all had much
respect. The sheep were flock be
had raised from a few cossets, and
everybody knew that the money he
usually obtained in the spring for their
wool helped him to pay for term at
the academy in the winter. Conse-
quently, those who had kindly fellow
feeling expressed their sentiments; but
shortly the phenomenon was the chief
topic again. Nobody could ever imag-
inc, of course, that its appearance real
ly had anything to do with the wool
thieves, or that Seth knew anything
more about it than he did of the man
in the moon; yet strangely enough, it
turned out in the end that such was
the fact.
During the next two weeks while all
were on the watch every night for an
other glimpse of the image, Seth was
busy watching Jake and Dave, whom
he suspected were the guilty ones He
had laid several traps to detect them /;
but without success. One night be
had concealed himself among the trees
on the island and waited for them un-
til daylight; another time he patroled
around the island in boat; but they
always seemed to be aware of his
movements and either escaped before
he could come near or postponed their
visit till he was out of the way. What
he was waiting for now, however. as
a good clustering, dark night, with a
breeze blowing across the river Then,
if they chanced to be on the island, he
meant to try their courage.
As it happened, Jake and Dave Pix
ley also were waiting for about such a
night, and finally it arrived Scarcely
star was visible and the wind blew
just enough to rufle the river in waves
and make lonesome, melancholy noise
in the pine grove on the island Both
boys got into their boat and pushed of
into the darkness very quietly.
They're all up to the school house