Connecticut western news., 1882-07-26

 and presently COW came into view, followed by the short, sturdy figure and round, freckled face of Tommy Brock. Tommy was fourishing large stick and shouting at the COW in his efforts to keep her in a proper homeward direc- tion. As he came up he exclaimed:
 "Hello, Nat What are you doin' here?"
 "I'm on business for the King," re- piled Nat with dignity.
 ''On business for-who ?" asked Tom. my in surprise.
 s'For the King. He sent me-" said Nat again. ''That's his orders there, l take it," pointing to the placard. ''What is it, Tommy ?"
 ssThat Why that's only an adver- tisement," answered Tommy, his eyes opening wider in his astonishmont. "It says, Go to Tracey's Halfway House for a square meal
 'sYes, know'd it know'd it l" ex- claimed Nat exultingly. ''The King said take no money nor nothin' to eat, an He'd take keer of me. He says 'Go.' an I'll obey orders" and instantly his tall figure was moving swiftly down the road.
 Tommy gazed after him minute in bewildered silence, and then ex' claimed emphaticaliy as he turned away:
 "My but ain't he cracked y With rapid steps Nat hurried forward, swinging his huge stick and talking to himself. He had taken the placard as a veritable command to go to Tracey's, and thitherward he directed his steps. It was not the first time he had been there. On previous occasions when he had passed that way he had been kindly treated by Mrs. Tracey, and perhaps that had something to do with the alac- rity of his movement, and he hastened down the road till it brought him to small stream, on the bank of which stood a saw mill. Mir. Tracey, the owner of the Half Way House, was en- gagged at work here, and he turned aside to speak to him.
 "Im on business for the King, and I'm going to your house" he announced with the digniied gravity that belonged to his royal commission.
 "On business for the King, and goin' to my house, eh ?" answered the person addressed, good-natured smile cross- ing his kindly face. "Well, reckon that's high honor to me. You've got tramp afore you, though, Nat-a good seven miles"
 "Imust obey orders," replied Nat simply.
 "That's right-obey orders. We'll,
 if you do go tell Mrs. Tracey I'll be
 home tomorrow night. Tell her, too,
 not to be uneasy about that money be-
 in in the house, 'cause I'll see to it
 when come."
 "What moneys that ?" asked fellow workman as Nat turned away. ,, My pension. My claim was allowed
 last week, and got my money-fve hundred dollars yesterday. l was foolish not to put it in the bank right of. but I didn't, and as I didn't have time to go down town yesterday I had to leave it at home. reckon it's safe enough though, till tomorrow night, :, , and then"
 "Hist p interrupted his companion , suddenly. "What's that ?" Tracy paused to listen. s'I didn't hear anything," he said. "I thought l heard some one over there," pursued the other, pointing te a large high pile of boards few feet dis tant-the boards being piled in the form of square, with large cavity in thu
 centre. "Most likely it was rats though
 f. "More likely to be rats than anythin il else, there's so many about here," all 70 swered Tracey. Then he added joculal h ly, "Maybe, though, it's them burglar n that's been playin' mischief round thes ,d parts for the last week or so-mayh v they're slowed away in that pile of lun at Der. Myl if really believed that I Io be uneasy myself, for the chaps woul m have heard all said about my pension "a "What burglars is that ?" inquired tt oe other.
 Ia "What burglars? Why, man, don V you read the papers? Why, only ye .t- terday the Sheriff and his deputies roo ed by my house on the hunt for 'em. La m Saturday night they broke into Lawy h Burke's house, in the village, and ca ,ss ried of about hundred dollars, al IT, then on Sunnay night they got into tl nd railroad station, broke open the sal
 and made of with about three hundr ad more. That's the biggest of their hau m though they've entered several oth or places"
 lid The conversation was continued ,ed this topic for few minutes, and tn lad dropped. Neither of the men thoue ay- it worth while to investigate the cat ou- of the noise, and they pursued th ,rs work for short time and were th tile called over to the other side of the m ces Just as they disappeared face peel .isb over the top of the board pile from
 inside, another followed moment lat be and presently two rough, villaino onp looking men came into vlew, and see ne- they were unobserved, sprang quic lily to the ground and hastened into ick. forest.
 the "Close shave that, as bein' as we tbe hid there all last night and all day ees. now," said one as he pushed thro1 d so the underbrush.