Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-11-07

And flying down stairs she seized the
old tin horn and blew a blast that
echoed like the Horn of Roncesvalles"
over hill and dale.
Reuben, swinging his scythe on the
hillside, stopped to listen. Rankin
dropped his milestone, and Miles Rug
giles, the hired hand, cried out:
"Je-ru salem! it amt twelve o'clock
yeti"
There's something up, anyhow"
cried Reuben, making a grasp at the
linen coat which hung on the nea, est
tilberry bush.
Smother amt home, aud Dotty is all
alone!" exclaimed Rankin.
wal, ef there's anything ext1aor-
binary on the carpet" declared Miles,
II amt a-going to be lett out in the
cold."
Up hill and down dale, over log
bridged stream and acloss hummocky
swamp, FASTENED the three brave re-
cruits, without loss of time, and
rushed, all abreast, into the kitchen
door.
Dotty stood there, with the broom
in one hand, and saucepan of boiling
water in the other, pale but resolute.
"Dorothy!" cried Reuben, "what on
earth is the matter ?"
He's up STAIRS easped Dotty.
"Who is upstairs demanded Ran
kin, as he reached down loaded revol-
YER from the very top shell of an odd
little three cornered cupboard.
''And 1 think he's kicking through
the side of the chest" faltered Dotty,
clinging to Rankin's arm.
"Je.Iusalem!" again remarked Miles
R4gelee, under his breath.
"Who?" persisted Reuben. "What
chest ?"
"Ihe burglar!' said Dotty. "He's in
the old chest upstairs. I tipped him
into 1t. And, oh, vas 80 afraid after
ward that he would suffocate to death,
because he was so still for a minute or
twov
''Astonished, may be-" suggested
Miles Ruggles, under his breath. II
should a-beep, / know"
"But when he began to kick" said
Dotty, with a little gasping breath,
''and swear, knew he was all right"
81 should think so!'' said Reuben,
with lowering brow. Chow did the
villain get in, Dotty?'
"1-left the doors open," confessed
Dotty, with a conscience-stricken air.
"Aunt Themis told me not to; but I
thought there was no harm. And had
hardly got up stairs before he came
shutting up, and 1 saw the old silver
milking in his pocket. He wanted old
clothes, and told him we had some in
the chest; and when / 9 stopped over to
look, I just pushed him in."
''Brave little heroinev said Rankin.
"And locked it tight" nodded Dotty.
The best thing you could have done"
declared Reuben, adm,ringly.
"Je-rusalem!" commented Miles Rug
giles, shifting the kitchen table with one
horny palm.
So up they proceeded in solid pha-
lanx, and released the velveteen captive,
who was very sullen and completely
bathed with perspiration, in conse.
quence of the vain efforts he had made
tolget free.
"Come!' roared Reuben, who was q
young giant of six feet odd inches, and
broad proportionate]y, as the miserable
prisoner scrambled out and stood COVER
ing before them, "what are you doing
here ?"
"Old clothes taken in exchange for
China vases!" he stammered.
"Then what are you doing with our
silver milk pitcher and ten forks in your
coat pockets 2" demanded Reuben.
"And what the Jerusalem business
hev you a-prowlin' round and scarin' the
women-folks 2" said Miles Bicycles, COM
ing valiantly to the front. "Here,
Rankin, III get up the old one-hoss
wagon-your mas got the shay-an'
cart the Teller of to Justice GilliIand's.
He'll settle with him in quick time, I
tell ye what. Jest tie the fellows hands,
and make him all ship shape. That's
all ask of you"
So the.sinister scound1el, in black vel
veteen, was borne unceremoniously off
by stout Miles Ruggles, as the first stage
toward two years. captivity in the
nearest states prison; and Dotty was
relieved at last from the incubus of his
presence.
First she laughed at Rankin's idea
shat she was a heroine, ard then she
cried and shuddered at her vivid percep.
ton of the terror she had endured.
1UVs AsOuOSAA UAO AoAnAAAs ouO ouAOs
"you must promise-solemnly now
never to tell Aunt Themis that DISC
be, ed her and left the door open."
And the two young men bound them
selves solemnly ever to keep the vow of
everlasting silence upon the subject.
"Since there is no harm DONE" said
Reuben, laughing.
Except Dotty's fright" said Rankin,
quite seriously.
So the chicken fricassee was made,
and the vanilla pufs; but the ice cream
was postponed indefinitely. and the
chocolate cake remained forever dis
embodied ideal. And 1T took the two
young men all the afternoon to console
Dotty.
And when Aunt Themis came home.
full of the preacher, and the brethren,
and the camp meeting, they all listened in
dutiful silence, and she never once mis-
trusted that any thing had happened.
"But I'm sure," whispered Dotty to
Rankin, when they went out together to
get pail of spring water, cit will
always be lesson in obedience to me. "
Nnnloosonf nm Roth &iAns