Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-18

snCIc loT tHe DeHeHS OF mun1gnG ma
RAIDERS, and the first thing Aunt Bet
sey knew she found herself sitting like
Mr.. What's-his-name among the ruins
OF Carthage. Milk pans, cake-tins, q
horse-radish crater and cookey-cut-
ter were scattered about, while the
colander, like Achilles helmet, was
perched upon her disheveled locks.
jamie we fshed out of the tub OF
water looking like q veritable mer-
maid. Fortunately, no serious dam
age was done to either, and, as soon as
possible, all five of us were in the
parlor, watching the burglar down by
the gate.
He was still there, skulking in and
out among the trees in a most mysteri-
GUS way. At last, when our patience
gave out entirely, Ruth said, boldly:
81 mean to see what that villain is
doing. Come, Aggie, will you go with
Goodness me! Surely, girls, you
don't mean to go out of the housei''
said Aunt Betsey.
II es, that's just what we do mean, :"
Ruth replied, as she proceeded to wrap
shawl about her. ssThere seems to
be only one of the rascals, and guess
we can manage him. Anyhow, if you
hear us scream, run down to our res
cue. Come, Aggie,'' and a minute
later the two girls had slipped out of
the front door, and were quietly
making their way around the shady
side of the house down to the gate
Now near the fence, and just few
yards from the gate, there stood small
building, formerly used as a Toulouse
We had made it kind of a catch IL
storing here tools, grader seeds, corn
for the chickens, and various other
things. As the building never con-
tanned anything of value, we had
only slight fastening to it-a wooden
button and a rusty hook. When the
girls reached the building, they knew
by certain muff1ed sounds that the
burglar was prowling about within.
Quick-witted Ruth seized the oppor-
tunity which presented itself, and,
without minutes hesitation, slammed
the door shut and confined it by but
ton and hook.
chagrin, were heard from within. but
the girls did not wait to hear more, for
with swift feet they rushed back to
the house and told US what they had
DONE
Of course we were all wild with ex-
element. The whole house was in
commotion, and poor mamma added to
the general confusion by ringing the
dinner-bell with the most frantic
energy.
'.Now that you've caught the thieves,
Ruth, what do you mean to do?"
"Dop" Ruth repeated, in consider
able perplexity. 1--WE certainly ought
to have help to secure the thief, for it
would be too bad to have him escape
now that we have actually captured
him. But I'm really afraid that he'll
be able to work his way out of the tool
house-the fastening isn't much to
boast of, you know! Some of us must
hurry over to Farmer Jackson's, and
get him and his hired man to come
over.
THAT'S so," said Agnes, and she
added, decidedly: ''But, seriously, you
mustn't think of going, Ruth, because
your throat isn't well yet, and miles
walk in this cold, windy air would be
the very worst thing you could do
Edith can't go, of course, and / don't
think it at all prudent for jamie to ven
ture out after her impromptu bath. l
can go better than any of you. No,
don't shake your head, aunty! There
is really nothing to be afraid of nor to
worry about! I'll take my horse-pistol
along, and so shall be able to defend
myself in very heroic manner!'' and
not needing our circumstances, Agnes
proceeded to wrap herself up warmly
and sally forth on her errand.
You can scarcely imagine how anx-
iously we awaited her return. Sundry
thumpings down at the Toulouse noti-
fed us that it's inmate was zealously
striving to effect his release, but, much
to our qualification, the old bolt and
wooden button proved stronger than
we had thought.
In less than an hour two dark figures
were seen approaching from down. the
moonlit road.
..Thank goodness! There are Aggie
and Farmer Jacksonr' cried Ruth.
mo, it isn't the farmer" said jamie,
whose eyes were sharper. cit is too
tall for either him or Hans, his hired
man."
81 heard at the sewing society last
week that the Jacksons kept boarders, -
Aunt Betsey observed. maybe the
farmer was down with the rheumatic
he has spells of it-and so one of the
boarders come. But dear me! if that
varmint in the Toulouse is desperate,
one man can't manage him!''
..Well, he and Aggie are undoing the
door now" jamie cried, excitedly.
Just then, as ill luck would have it,
a dark cloud sailed across the moon
and the indistinct light was changed to
deepest obscurity.
None of us watching at the window
could distinguish what was transpiring
down at the Toulouse, but we listened
in breathless suspense, expecting to
hear shrieks, pistol-shots and other
horrible blood-curdling sounds! But
all was silent, until presently we heard
footsteps coming up the frozen path.
With one accord, we all rushed to the
door, and there, framed in the gloom,
was Agnes face-her eyes sparkling,
cheeks blushing, and her whole ex-
preston that of happy excitement.
More wonderful than this-just be-
hind her was tall, handsome young
man-Guy Hunt!
s.Well, I declared Aunt Betsy ex-
claimed. did you drop from the
clouds?"
And while we crowded around, Ag-
mes proceeded to relate how she had
hurried over the hill to Farmer Jack
sons but found that he was not at
home: how Mrs. jackson had said that
she would wake one of the boarders
and ask him to come to our assistance;
how the boarder had turned out to be
none other than Mr.. Guy Hunt, who
for some reason or other had taken it
+b;c ,,.rt Of tho