The National tribune., 1883-05-03

dow. She awoke suddenly, with thoughts OF
the silver in her mind, and presently she heard
the chimes Of the old clock ring through the
house like belI-twelve.
81 declare said she to herself then, sitting
upright in the bed, " / didn't think TO lock that
closet door. But it'ssafe enough-mother never
thinks of locking it."
She lay down and tried TO go 70 sleep again,
but it wasn'ta bit of use, though she counted
more than two hundred sheep jumping over n
gate. She couldn't help thinking OF how badly
her mother would feel should that silver by
any chance be stolen. 1t seemed TO her tbat
there were strange noises all about the house;
and once sound as OF a window being moved
softly up set her heart to humping in q very
lively way.
"What. a goose I am ~ she said at length,
aloud, and jumping out Of bed as she spoke.
'Its nothing but rat. But IN go down and
lock that door. I can't 90 to sleep till do"
She slipped into . wrapper, laughing at her
self all the while, and went softly down stairs
so softly that she could scarcely hear the
sound of her own Stockinged feet as she walked
She took down the paddock and key which were
seldom used, from nail in the kitchen, and
went bravely into the pantry. The moon shin
ing IN at the window lighted her way, but 10
was surely not the moonlight which shone in
that dreadful preserve closet, streaming out al
the door, which stood wide open.
Katy's heart stood still with horror /! There
in the closet, on the wide lower shelf was n
lighted lamp, and beside it glistened the heavy
old-fashioned cake dish that had belonged to
Katys great grandmother, and before it stood
Katy was sure-the tramp.
She could hardly keep from screaming and
her hands shock as with the ague; but with
one quick dart she slammed the closet door,
put the heavy hasp in place, and sprung the
paddock There was startled exclamation
from her prisoner az she did so. 1t was all
La4xv aorIh hafO,- 49, A.a1
the outer door, unlocked it, and sped away
through the moonlighted night toward Aunt
Priseilla's, mile distant.
He can't hurt Tilly," she painted, land she
| won't wake UP, and he-can't get out. But
maybe he'll barn the house up. Oh, why can't
| father GOMEZ and what makes it so far to Aunt
| Prissy's?
| She didn't get to Aunt PrisciIla's Just at
| that moment came the sound of carriage wheels,
| and before Katy had time to do more than rec
| ognize the old gray she heard startled cry
from her mother.
why, Katy child alive, what brings you
| here?"
| Then poor little Katy how she trembled
i when her father picked her up and placed her
in the carriage and how almost sobbing with
| the fear and exeitemOnt of it, she told her
| story; and how, by the time they reached
| home, she was as nearly in Mysteries as It is
possible for a well-erdered little girl, with no
nerves TO speak OF, to be.
"There, there, dearI And in your wrapper,
| too" said her mother, anxiously. You might
have put on a shawl, Katy. You'll catch your
/ DEATH"
/ You must have dreamed it all, daughter"
| said her father. But he lost no time in enter
| ing the house, and he provided himself with q
| huge pistol, which hadn't been discharged for
a dozen years, before he unlocked the closet
door and began TO open it cautiously. Then
Katy and her mother, waiting by the kitchen
door, which they took the precaution to hold
| wide open, heard an exclamation of surprise.
Aha! you'd better come out, sir, and give
yourself up peaeeably."
With the greatest pleasure" 1t was q
| laughing voice and it was a laughing re-
markably good-looking face that presently
showed itself over Mr.. DiIlingham's shoulder
in the pantry doorway.
Katy's mother took an eager step forward.
" / 'believe-it is Frank" she cried. "Why,
Frank, Frank Sawyer, where did you fall
| from2"
The minute Katy saw her mother half cry
ing on the young mans shoulder, with her
arms around his neck, she knew that this was
the uncle she never remembered to have seen,
who had been abroad for years. Poor little
Katy once moreI How astonished and ashamed
she wasI To think that she had locked hen
mothers only brother up IN the preserve closet
for a theft How dreadful it was Katy, with
the open door.
''But how declare laughed Mrs Dill
Iingham. "I don't much blame Katy"
1T goes without telling" said Katy's uncle
| laughing too. came ON the ten-o'el0cs
train, and made up my mind to walk over from
the station. When / got here / knocked al
the door, but nobody woke up, so Just made
my way in through the window. was hun
grier than cannibal, and thought I'd gei
something to eat without waking anybody up
/ was after preserves-you know I've a sweea
toOth-when saw grandmother's silver, and
was taking q look az it for the sake of old
times, when-presto found myself pris-
| oner"
sit was Katy" said Mrs Dillingham;. laugh
ing until she cried. " "Katy-why, what ara
you hiding for, ehildf Come here" And KATY
reluctantly obeyed-
Now how was it, daughter" asked he1
father, when this new strange uncle had shaken
hands with Katy, and kissed her half dozen
times on each cheek.
So Katy told the story over again, this tims
| with good many laughing Interruptions.
"And you were kind of q burglar" she said
slyly gIaneing up, because you were after th'
preserves you know"
II got in through window, too, Katy. And
l ate whole sponge-cake while was lockeG
up"
Mr.. Dillingham; sat down, and took BIZ
daughter ON his knee. "Well" said ne, "you't
have done Just the same if he'd been genuin'
tramp as he ought to have been, poking aroUnt
folks houses in that fashion. I'm proud o
you, Katy-did."
so am /" said Uncle Frank Sawyer, and h
! rolled up his eyes in e0mieal way at Katy
And so am /" said her mother, and sh
kissed Katy.-4da c. St0ddGrd, ~ Harper
Young People.