The Iola register., 1886-10-29
BURGLAR SCARE.
Miss Beulah Arranges to Receive
Night Visitors.

ssWhy, Beulah Larkin! / never! Tr
clean beat out! Oh dear!' and with
sigh of exhaustion that was almost
sob, Miss Mary Jane Beers fell into tn
old rocker, and pulled off her slat bon
net.
whats the matter with you?'
4ueried Miss Beulah, setting down he
flatiron deliberately. and looking at he
friend over her spectacles with an ali
of surprised severity.
.'Oh, l never thought to live to SCI
sech works in Dorset! Mis- Morse
folks hev he'd a burglar in their sullar.
.'Why, how You talkr'
'They hev!' said Miss Beers. will
recovered breath and great emphasis
mis- Morse went to bed airly las night
but the deacon he was up an rounC
quite spell, and the hired girl she heC
a most an awful big wash on account o
comp'ny over the Sabbath, and she sol
up a-ironin' till after she heerd Mr.
Morse 60 up charmber. and there wasn't
a sound to be heerd then, and bein
tired. she went to sleep direct.
$50 they didn't know nothing on,
till morning, when they see the hatch.
way into the suilar was half open, and
he went down and found more'n five
tomater-cans smashed on the floor, and
the spigot to his cider barrel turned, an
cider runnin'. Luckily enough. the
cider was real low.
''But tell you the way bolts went
onto them doors, and padlocks onto
both matches, was rapid! Mis- Morse is
a-skakin' vet, and Nancy don't know
nothing what to do with herself. She's
so scarf to think of bein' asleep the hull
time in that back charmber right over
the shed roof. and her winder open all
night"
dear mer' said Miss Beulah, whose
sallow face had grown still more rigid
during the awful tale, for though her
moral courage was beyond doubt, the
good woman had none of that physical
bravery that is rarely coupled with its
spiritual counterpart, and she had be-
side a degree of imagination in her
character much greater than she could
or would have acknowledged.
"Why, Mary Jane Beers, this is dread
full! I've been so thankful every time !
took up the paper, and read about them
dreadful things that's always a-happen-
in elsewheres, to think that we have
been spared here in Dorset. There's so
many lonesome folks here, specially
women folks, that l don't know of a
likelier place for burglars to make
trouble in. 1 declare, l shan't sleep a
wink for thinkin' on't"'
"Nor me neither!" reioined Miss
Beers, Though l haven't got no great
10 steal, save an except bunnets; but
they're other folks's, which would be
worse than eff l owned 'em." which un-
worldly sentiment the good little woman
confirmed with another long sigh.
We'll" said Miss Buelah, "what's to
be did?'
Eminently practical as the spinster
was, this idea always came to her after
the first shock of any sudden occur
renee. If she di1 not express it in good
grammar. she acted on it in good faith.
Il dono! l donor' mournfully re-
sponded Mary Jane. Il haven't never
had but one lock onto my house doors
sence lived to Dorset. an that's on
the front one"
Locks amt a sight of good to real
burglars!' shifted Miss Beulah. who
read the newspaper as diligently as
other people do the encyclopaedia, and
believed every word she read.
This was startling to Miss Beers, who
h.,I Ca
thinking no burglar would ever essay
her poor little shed-kitched door. But
Miss Beulah knew better. Her house
was large, old-fashioned farm house,
with four rooms on each floor, kitchen
and loft at the back, and at least four
entrances from without. She slept down.
stairs herself. and her small hand-maM
in the Kitchen chamber" as the loft
was called, at the head of the back
stairs. So many doors seemed to offer
a premium to burglars, and all the
front of the house downstairs, and its
four square chambers, solitary and un-
defended. assumed fearful importance
now in their owners eyes, hitherto per-
cep;ive only of those minor dangers of
moths, spiders and mice, which awe the
female heart, but do not daunt it. Miss
Beulah sat silent so long. pondering the
answer to her own question. that Miss
Mary Jane felt little injured, and rose
TO 60.
Il guess I'd better be startin' for
hum. she remarked, with a, certain
asperity, as Lecty, the .'bound girl"
Etrayed slowly into the kitchen with a
painful of dandelion greens, her red hair
towzled over her pale face, her loose
jointed figure shamkiing about in its
carelessiy-worn garments. her weak
eyes and generally flaccid and feeble
aspect exasperating Miss Beers afresh.
She had always wondered show Beuly
could keep that shif'less thing" No
benevolent purpose would have induced
Miss Mary Jane to give her shelter for
half an hour. but her neighbor was of
stronger mold.
well, if you must be goin', Mary
Jane said Miss Larkin, aroused to the
Il won't hender ye none.