News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-08-10

With rapid steps Nat hurried forward,
swinging his huge stick and talking to
himself. He had taken the placard as a
yeritable command to go to Tracey's,
and thitherward he directed his steps.
1t 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 fastened
down the road till it brought him to a
small stream, on the bank of which
stood saw mill. MIR. Tracey. the
owne, of the Half Way House, was en-
gagged at work here, and he turned aside
to speak to him.
"Tm on business for the King, and
Pm 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, a good-natured smile cross
ing his kindly face. swell, reckon
that's high honor to me. You've got
a tramp afore you, though, Nat-a good
seven miles"
Unjust obey ORDERS" replied Nat
simply.
"That's right-obey orders. Well,
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 1 come"
"What moneys that ?" asked fellow
workman as Nat turned away.
"My pension. My claim was allowed
last week, and I got my money-fve
hundred dollars yesterday. 1 was
foolish not to put it in the bank right
off, but I didn't, and as didn't have
time to go down town yesterday had
to leave it at home. I reckon it's safe
enough though, till tomorrow night,
and then"
Hist /" interrupted his companion
suddenly. "What's that ?"
Tracy paused to listen.
'I didn't hear any thing," he said.
''I thought I heard some one over
there" pursued the other, pointing to
large high pile OF boards few feet dis
tant-the boards being piled in the form
of square, with large cavity in the
centre. ''M0st likely it was rats,
| though"
"More likely to be rats than anything
else, there's so many about here" an
swered Tracey. Then he added ocular
ly, MAY be, though, it's them burglars
that's been playin' mischief round these
parts for the last week or so-mayb be
they're slowed away in that pile of lum-
Der. Myl if I really believed that I'd
be uneasy myself, for the chaps would
have heard all 1 said about my pension. "
"What. burglars is that ?" inquired the
I other.
"What burglarsP Why, man, don't
you READ the papers? Why, only yes
terday the Sheriff and his deputies rode
by my house on the hunt for 'em. Last
Saturday night they broke into Lawyer
Burke's house, in the village, and car
ried off about hundred dollars, and
then on Sunnay night they got into the
railroad station, broke open the safe,
more. That's the biggest of their hauls,
though they've entered several other
places"
The conversation was continued on
this topic for few minutes, and then
dropped. Neither of the men thought
it worth while to investigate the cause
of the noise, and they pursued their
work for short time and were then
called over to the other side of the mill.
just as they disappeared face peered
over the top of the board pile from the
inside, another followed a moment later,
and presently two rough, villainous-
looking men came into view, and seeing
they were unobserved, sprang quickly
to the ground and fastened into the
forest.
"Close shave that, as bein' as we was
hid there all last night and all day till
now," said one as he pushed through
the underbrush.
eyes: I thought as once them mill
chaps was comm to look, responded
the other. "Good for 'em as they didn't,
an took us for rats; cause the p'Iice be
on the look out now an we don't want
to use no shootin' irons an make things
too hot. We must move out lively from
ere, Bill"
"Not till we get that ERE pension, u
answered Bill, significantly. "Tbat
layout were as good as pitched at us,
an it d be pity not to take it. Sides,
the gov'ment owes me pension for ali
the time I've lost in jails and prisons,
an this 'ere's good chance to get it.
knows where the crib is, cause we
stopped there last week for something
to eat, don't you mindP This Teller
that owns it was there at the time.
There is nobody but woman an two
little 'uns, an they're easy fixed, an
there amt no other house nigh"
"But there's that ere other chap as
said as he was a-goin' there ?"
Him? He's crazy, an if he goes
there at all he'll only stop bit an
move on. A tap on the head'll settle
him, anyway, if he's there-but then he
won't be there"
During this time Nat was not idle.
His tall form, with long and steady
stride, was Mastering forward son bust
ness for the King" It did not occur tc
him what he should do when ht
reached Tracey's and had been sup
piled with food. At present he wal
" obeying orders and beyond tina
his thought did not go. 1t Yves in
deed long walk he had undertaken
and it was just at dusk that he reached
his destination. The Halfway Hous,
s was lonely hostelry, situated at tn,
. intersection of two roads, with no othe
i house in sight, and was common stop
} ping place for persons passing to ant
: from the city. Nat stepped boldly upol
, the broad piazza in front, and with full
consciousness of his right walked un
hesitatipgly into the pleasant sitting
, room. Mrs. Tracey came forward t.
meet him.
"Why, Nat, is that you ?"