Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-11-17
OUR BURGLAR,

"And if you were three girls, an ole
lady and a cat you would be as fright.
ancd as we."
These words wound up what I felt tc
be the oratorical effort of my life, as,
indeed, it we'll might be, for did moi
peace OF mind, fortune, nay, life itself,
hinge upon it? For Billy, our youngest
and our pride, was about to leave home.
having received a business offer too good
todecline, but which would unfortunately
take him from us, except for an infre-
qucnt Sunday. And with Billy all sense
pf security departed, for, though only
Eeventeen, he was SO big and so fearless
That we would have matched him against
The burglar that was our haunting fear;
fhough our neighborhood had never been
nolested since the memory of man;
hough neither friend, relative, nor ac-
pualntance had ever been a victim to a
burglarious attempt, and we ourselves
had never suffered from the covetous-
ness of humanity; though our neighbor-
hood was probably not set down in the
Plue-book of robbers, and our house it.
elf presented a most attempting ap-
fearance, thanks to a landlord who held
to be the whole duty of a householder
b receive rent.
Most families have a popularity. Oar
in tells of one which for generations
ad six fingers and six toes. We were
ot so afflicted, but our popularity was
lot less a part of every member Of our
amily. From youth up we had had a
lightly conviction we were to be rob-
Jed. Still, we had felt no real fear as
Png5 as we had Billy and the weapons
hat, to please us, rested nightly by his
Fde-a section of gas-pipe and apolice-
pan's billy without any lead in it; pre-
Emably the latter was e~tficacious for
le moral force that might still linger
bout it.
In get you a revolver" offered
lilly. "Six shots. You might hit
ian with n of them"
But to this proposal there was a cho-
Es of rejection from Aunt Barlowdown.
We should be sure to shoot each other,
ke those awful stories you read Of in
be papers. I would not even take a
istol up by the handle" declared Ma
Ida, energetically. To the feminine
llnd, firearms divide themselves into
NO classes, pistols and guns.
"A dog? | can get you a beauty; bull
fFrler. I'D like to see the man who
ould get by him! Such a muzzlen pro-
osed Jack Walcott.
But this too we rejected, with even
lore energy than the pistol. 1 am not
Nfe but what, in our inmost hearts, the
nurglar seemed preferable to the canine
beauty that would let nobody get
asl him. Billy laughed a little corn
uNy. Our fears were an old subject of
lirth with him. Not so did Jack. In
Ms slow, patient way he sat there smok-
g, and trying to devise still another
Eay for our protection. If he could
My have staid with us! for no one
Guild have felt afraid when Jack Wal
9l was neal Big, burly, common
lace, and the one man on earth for
HON Billy had any reverence. Some
o~ 1t always seemed as though it was
$ commonplaceness, even more than
Us muscle and size, that made him such
tower of strength. He lived some
stance from us, but summer evenings
>ually found him on our porch, smok-
T. always, talking sometimes. Jack
ways lifted in. 'One eason was, he
as not one of those uncomfortable peo-
s Who always insist upon talking, and
NJ ume none of us cared to talk was on
summer evening.
u shall take the dinner bell to bed
.'h me every night" said Lou. CAL
e neighbors have told us to ring it
~ Of the window if we hear anything"
lie degrees of our fear might be ex-
ugsed by positive, comparative, super
a.Ive. LOUIS was superlative.
10 rouse the nsighborhood at every
aoGse you hear!-you will do nothing
= 'ne kind,' said Matilda, crushingly,
I' an BY virtue of a slight seniority un-
S! !.!o( to manage Lou and myself.
Then we must get somebody to stay
nta u.s." pursued Lou. II do not stay
= .ils house alone this winter" Lou
;as always making impossible sugges-
oa' and then leaving them for some
nay else to carry out. The present
NJ was Instantly secuted.
Oh dear MOI" said Aunt Barlow.
~ lake any one herep Neverl' mega
neu Matilda, cnergetioally. "One
Ers used to the angles and corners Of
w. 5 own family, but a stranger would
matt, sta perpetual friction. We should
Hh,GH lrN -