Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-01

not forbidden it.
Moreover, he felt that he would not
enjoy explaining his motive; he real.
lied as he had not before the utter fool
ishness of imagining even that those
dogs would jump and bark, and he did
not care to expose his folly.
He walked around the house, but he
knew the fastenings too well to have
any hope of getting in.
He came back, resolved to wait quiet
ly until the servants came down in the
morning, and then go in by the back
door.
He seated himself in a sheltered cor
ncr of the porch, where it was compare
lively warm. The last stragglers from
the fire were returning, and it seemed
as if but a few minutes had passed, when
he was startled by the sound of steps
upon the porch.
Somebody was trying softly to open
the front door, then each OF the win
dows.
Richard did not act upon his first inn
pulse, which was to run, nor upon his
second, which was to scream, because
he was too frightened TO obey any but
his third impulse, which was to remain
perfectly still.
Evidently this was burglar. Rich
ard knew burglars as members of the
community upon whom society, as .
rule, frowned, but he hal always felt
that they had certain compensating priv
ilcgcs, after all, since they had such a
simple aud easy method of getting the
things they wanted.
He was anxious TO see how this one
would manage to get into tn at closely
guarded house, and, after moment or
two, ventured to follow him at a safe
distance.
He had heard that burglars preferred
not to kill people who did not modest
them, and he felt n strong curiosity to
know how they managed.
The man passed around the house,
tried every door and window rapidly,
but not very scientifically, thought
Richard, who had imagined burglars to
be as skillful as the people in arabian
Nights" in doing away with slight OBJ
stacles OF brick and mortar.
This one came back to the outside
cellar-door, and Richard soon learned
his plan of entrance, for he drew out
a lantern and proceeded 10 file the lock.
1t was very soon done. The man gave
n quick glance around, saw nothing,
softly put back the door and started
down the steps.
Alter o moment, Richard followed
him there. He trcmbled some, for the
burglar seemed closer than when he
was out of doors. but he kept after him.
through the cellar and laundry, up the
stairs and aero IS the kitchen.
In the hall beyond the man paused
and studied the doors, each in turn. lie
was aiming for the dining-room, bat lie
made u mistake, and opened the door
OF long, narrow passage, leading to 3
disused conservatory. The ceiling was
low, and depression in the center,
caused by some unaccountable freak in
the stairs above, made place where
the unwary always came to grief.
Richard stood still in the hall and
watched the man feel his way through
this passage and as he approached the
dangerous place the boys excitement
all found expression in tremendous
yell, which sounded through the house
from garnet TO cellar.
You'll bump your head! Look out!
look outr' he screamed.
The man did bump his head, but lie
did not stop TO thank Richard for the
warning. He sprang through the door,
and by the time the startled family had
assembled to demand the cause Of the
uproar. was well out of the way.
But for the evidence of the cellar
door they would have supposed Richard
TO be the victim of adream; but the filed
lock and the lantern dropped in the
kitchen obliged them to put fa tn in hi:
disconnected story for he tried to as
sumo in the beginning that it was quite
customary for young gentlemen of thir
teen to be taking promenades at three
o'clock in the morning.
Such chance as YOU had to be {
hero!" said Tom. "lIcre is the key in
the door. When the fellow was in the
passage you might easily have turned il
and locked him in. l Ger, ainly nevol
heard of a boy, with such chance t
, do a big thing, who did thing so ut
terly absurd as to yell to burglar no
to bump his head. You wanted him t
get the spoons, did you?"
"a don't wonder that you never hear
of such thing. II you wait for me t
tell, you'll never hear the whole o
this" answered Richard, rather Grossly
But the next day Philip came, anC
Richard gave up the dog mystery.
II must say that l am disappointed
r in you, Dick" said Philip" Il ex
pected that you would think it out
sure. said that they barked whcl
e they heard the bcll-ioieM. mind you
But as their ears are put on for orna
> mcnt, | don't suppose they heard TIN
bells the other night; so they couldn
be expected to bark"
Richards thinking power was fam
lily joke for some time. But one da,
at dinner he said, with great serious
ness:
~ have been thinking"
"Mother," interrupted Tom, Il pro
test. The last time Richard indulge,
8 In thinking turn it nearly cost us tn,
A spoons. Tell him TO stop it, mother.
thinking about that night" pro
, oeeded Richard, not deigning to motto
Tom. If l hadn't happened to be gu
| the burglar would have come in just til
, same, wouldn't hep"
S The family admitted that he probabl
would have come in
/. "And nobody would have hear
G him." continued Richard.
Probably not.
: "And he might have carried of every
/ thing in the house, So the dogs and
b did save the spoons, In a Kind of
/ way believe I'm sort Of hero, afte
4 all. Mamma, I'll take another piece c
pie, please. "-Harriet B. Waterman, i
I Golden Days.
e The length of the wire used in tn
i construction of the submarine cable