The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1884-01-24

1 Whsse 10 iunket was the or Thi. ~ai
the copundrnm which confronted Mr.
David Malan of Jay. Orleans county. ih,
oihor morning. as he stood ia the frosty
barn, with his breath mounting mp in =
heocy cloud OF vapor TO the low cobwebbsd
rafters.
The OK was not there. Tho OK had Ger
tainy been there tho night previously. The
door had been securely shut The door
was shut when Mr.. Mehan rnme TO the
barn. But one inference was possible. The
OK had been stolenl
Mr. Mehan rushed back into the house
with q yell that would have mads the Seven
Sleepers ysarn for boot jack. His wife
came rushing down stairs without her
store hair on; the children, widely awak.
ened, set up chorus Of terrified screams;
the hired man turned over in his sleep,
aud the cat flew up the stove pipe, and
perchea, with arched back. on the elbow
Tho oxl cried Mr. Mehan. Somebody
has stolen the fatted beevol
Then there was great lamentation in the
Mehau family, for a Boston beef packer
had contracted for the stall fed Mehan OK,
and that very day it was TO have been i'm.
molated upon the altar Of Mammon, to.
gether with couple Of skinny old cows
for the meat dealer Of tho neig gbboring
town.
Then the hired man came down, rubbing
his eyes, and Mr.. Meban pleasantly in.
structed him TO take Shanks marc and
hoof 1t nstanter to the vilage making in
quiries, and informing every one OF The
theft, upon the way, while he Mr.. Mchan
would take the horse and drive in the
opposite direction, upon the same errand.
SO they separated And after much
travelling to and fro, aud great tribulation,
the hired man returned, and begged Mrs
Mehan to give him bite Of breakfast
Presently. also, returned Mr.. Mehan, upon
a like. errand So they replenished their
exhausted systems, and counselled to-
gethor.
Supposing We go out and look in the
barn again, suggested tho hired man SO
the two worthless rose from the table, and
rushed out to tho barn.
Harkl exclaimed Mr.. Mehap, catching
tho hired man by the arm.
Bo.oo-ool from tie barn.
III DO hanged il it amt the oxl ex-
claimed the hired man Then they both
made dash for the door aud the hired
man scraped all the skin from his nose.
and Mr. Meban bumped his head on tho
cross peice so that ho saw stars. But the
OK was not there.
heard bin, said Mr.. Mehan, excitedly
rubbing his scalp,
SO did IT, cried tho hirod man trying
to look cross eyed down at his nose, to SEQ
how much Of it was left
Well, where is he? demanded Mr.
Mehan.
Echo-no, the hired man answered
Where?
Z Bo,oo.oo!
Well, Ill be blamed il hc amt in the
barn somewhere? screamed Mr.. Mehan
tearing AROUND like man at a fire.
He Isl = he is. ~hooped the hired man,
lashing in aud ont among thus stalls, aud
looking into all the hens nests, and even
he hole where the black cat had her last
brood OF kittens
Hooray! came family from Mr. Meban.
Fhe hired man looked up. and sax the
ower part Of his employers legs on tho
stairs that lead up into tue liny loft, but
,he rest Of that gentlemsn's body was put
i sight Then appeared Mr. Meban's
Iace, shiuing with wonderment and delight
Iswanpy, Bill hos up herel
Then Mr. Mslan came down aud slap.
ped the bred man on the back, aud the
lired man slapped his own sides, and tie
wo dIscoycrers danced around and haw.
ia we'd like couple Of lunatics.
As il an OK never climbed a flight Of
'tairsl Why, stranger things have hap
oened within the.memory OF man.
But we have not heard that Mr.. Mehan
md the hired man laughed while they
we're getting tho OK down again.