Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-10-25

sidehlli stopped to listen, Rankin drop
ped his milestone. and Miles Ruggles,
the hired hand, cried out:
"Je-ru-saleml it amt twelve o'clock
YETI
There's something up, anyhow cri-
edReuben, making grasp at the linen
coat which hing on the nearest tIlberry
bush.
Mother amt home, and Dotty is all
alone~ exclaimed Rankin.
"Wal. eff there's anything extraordina-
| ry on the carpet" declared Miles, Il amt
a-gUin' to be left out in the cold"
Up hill and down dale, over lOg-bridg-
ed stream and across hummocky swamp,
hastened the three brave recruits, with
out loss of time, and rushed all abreast,
into the kitchen door.
Dotty stood there, with the broom in
one hand, and saucepan OF boiling Wa
ter in the other, pale but resolute.
"Dorothyp cried Reuben, what On
earth is the matter?"
Hes up stairs, gasped Dotty.
"Who is up stairsI" demanded Ran
kin, as he reached down a loaded reyol
yer from the very top shelf in an odd
little tnree-cornered cupboard.
81 think he's kicking through the
side of the chest" faltered Dotty, cling
ing to Rankin's arm.
"Je-ru-salemr' again remarked Miles
Ruggles, under his breath.
"Who?" persisted Reuben. What
chest?"
"The burglarr' said Dotty. Hes in
the old chest up stairs. L tipped him in
to it. And, oh, was so afraid after
ward that he would suffocate to death,
because he was 30 still Tor minute or
two."
"Astonished. may be" suggested Miles
a-beeB, / know"
But when he began to KICK said
Deity, with little gasping breath, land
swear, knew he was all right"
Il should think so!" said Reuben, with
lowering brow. How did the villain
get IN, Dotty?'
Dotty, with conScience-Stricken air.
Aunt Themis told me not to; but L
thought there was no harm. And L
hardly got up stairs, when be came shut
ding up, and | saw the cid silver milk
jug in his pocket. He wanted old clothes,
and told him we had some in the chest;
and when he stopped over to look, L just
pushed him in."
brave little heroine!" said Rankin.
nd locked it tight" nodded Dotty.
The best thing you could have done,
declared Reuben, admi f&hgly.
"Je-rusalemp' commented Miles Rug
giles, shifting the kitchen table with one
horny palm.
SO up they proceeded in solid phalanx,
and released the ,elveteeu captive, who
was very sullen and completely bathed
in perspiration, in consequence of the
vain efforts he Lad made to get free
''Come" roared Reuben, who was a
a young giant of six feet odd inches, and
broad preportionately, as the miserable
prisoner scrambled out and stood cow
ering before them, "what are you doing
here?"
"Old clothes taken in exchange for Chi
na yasesi" he family stammered.
"Then what are you doing with our
silver milk-pitcher and ten forks in your
coat pockets: demanded Reuben.
"And what the Jerusalem business
hev you a-prOwlin' round and scarin' the
women folks?" said Miles Ruggles, com
ing valiantly to the front. Here, Ran
kin, I'll get up the old One-hoSS wagon
your mas got the shay-an' cart the
feller off to Justice Gllliland's. He'll
settle with him in quick time, l tell ye
what Jest tie the feller's hands, and
make him ali ship-shape. That's all I'll
ask of you"
So the sinister scoundrel, in black
velveteen, was bornel unceremoniously
off by stout Miles RHggles, as the first
stage toward d 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
that she was heroine, and then she
cried and shuddered at her vivid percep-
tion of the terror she had endured.
+ But, Reuben and Rankin" she said,
"you must prOmise-solemnly now
never to tell Aunt Themls that l DISC
bsyed her and left the door open"
And the two Young men bound them
selves solemnly ever to keep the VOW Of
eternal silence upon the subject.
'Since there is really no harm done,
said Reuben, laughing.
Except Dotty's fright said Rankin,
quite seriously.
So the chicken fricassee was made,
and the vanilla puffs; but the ice cream
was postponed indefinitely, asd the
chocolate cake remainsdforever disem-
bodied ideal And it 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 eampmeeting, they all listened
in dutiful silence, and she never once
mistrusted that anything had happened.
But I'm sure" whispered DOtty to
Rankin, when they went out together
to get pail of spring water, 1t will al
ways be a lesson in obedience to me"