Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-23
and then go in by the back

| morning, and then go in by the back
door.
He seated himself in sheltered cor
ner of the porch, where it was compare
| tiyelv 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 the1an-
dows. SO 7
pulse, which was to run, nor upon VS.
second, which was to scream, becav
he was too frightened to obey any pS
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 had always 1elt
| that they had certain compromising PRIV
| ileges, after all, since they had such
simple and easy method of getting the
| things they wanted.
He was anxious to see how this one
would manage to get into that Closely
| guarded house, and, after moment or
TWO, VentuTeu W loiio" HiiA CIV =" ~
distance.
He had heard that burglars preferred
not to kill people who did not modest
them, and he felt a strong curiosity 70
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 to file the lock.
1t was very soon done. The man gave
a quick glance around, saw nothing,
softly put back the door and started
down the steps.
After a moment, Richard followed
him there. He trembled 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 across the kitchen.
In the hall beyond the man paused
and studied the doors, each in turn. He
was aiming for the dining-room, but he
made a mistake, and opened the door
of a long, narrow passage, leading to q
disused conservatory. The ceiling was
low, and a 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 i'll tremendous
yell, which sounded through the house
from garnet to cellar.
you'll bump your head! Look out!
look out!" he screamed.
The man did bump his head, but he
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 dream; but the filed
lock and the lantern dropped in the
kitchen obliged them to put ia; tn in his
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 a
hero!'' said Tom. Here is the key in
the door, When the fellow was in the
passage you might easily have turned it
and locked him in. l certainly never
heard of boy, with such chance to
do big thing, who did thing so ut
terly absurd as to yell to a burglar not
to bump his head. You wanted him to
ret the spoons. did you?''
Il don't wonder that you never heard
of such a thing. If you wait for me to
tell, you'll never hear the whole of
this, answered Richard, rather Grossly.
But the next day Philip came, and
Richard "gave up" the dog mystery.
Il must say that am disappointed
in you, Dick said Philip" II ex-
pected that you would think it out,
sure. l said that they barked when
they heard the bell-s0hen, mind you.
But as their ears are put on for orna-
ment, l don't suppose they heard the
bells the other night: SO they couldn't
be expected to bark"
Richards thinking power was a FAM
ily joke for some time. But one day
at dinner he said, with great serious
ness:
Il have been thinking-'
hOGucI, lulCII uplCu lolH> l. pro-
test The last time Richard INDUCED
in thinking turn it nearly cost us the
spoons. Tell him to stop it, mother.''
Thinking about that night" pro-
ceeded Richard, not deigning to notice
Tom. eff hadn't happened to be out
the burglar would have come in just the
same, wouldn't hep"
The family admitted that he probably
would have come in.
'And nobody would have heard
him." continued Richard.
Probably not.
''And he might have carried off every
thing in the house. So the dogs and
did save the spoons, In kind of
way / believe I'm a sort of hero, after
all. Mamma, I'll take another piece of
pie, please. "-Hdrrtet Il. Waterman, in
Golden Days.