News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-08-16
AN AWFUL DISCLOSURE.
Mr.. Magruder Catches a Thief in His
House and Furnishes Him.
From the Chicago Tribune. ]

| Three short, blissful months had pass
ed over the heads of Callithumpian w.
Magruder and his bride, and not cloud
had dimmed the brightness of their do
mestio sky. The angel of peace lowered
over their household its full ten hours a
day, and the cricket of connubial Joy
chirped contentedly about their hearth
stone the rest of the time. There was
nothing she proud young husband
thought task if it gratiied the slight
est wish of his hearts idol or brought a
smile to her lovely face. Time and
time again he had arisen in the dead of
night to drive some low spirited cat off
the premises, or to battle his head in
rosewater or diluted carbolic acid if the
odor of the cigars smoked in his down
town Office during the day was found to
have fingered about him For her sake
he had subscribed for four Boston maya
zines, sold the most promising bull ter
rier pup in the Seventh ward, joined
Society for the Advancement of Ethical
Culture, and had determined with all
his soul to get the hang of Browning or
perish in the attempt.
The Fourth of July had come and
gone. With bloodshot eyes Callithum-
pianW. Magruder sat at breakfast trying
with unsteady hand to lift cup of cot
fee to his lips.
Darling, said the young wife, observ-
ing for the first time that her husband
appeared indisposed, "what is the matter
with you? Are you ill?''
CT am rather rocky this morning,
Elfeda, The responded, "but it will pass.
l shall be all ight again. -
''Callithumpian, rejoined the wife,
with that tender anxiety that leads wo
man-Heaven bless her!-to minister to
sick man by trying to stuff him
with food, ''won't you have some eggs
and larger piece of steak?"
"Elfeda, was the reply, as he put up
trembling hand to ward off the prof
fered consolation, 81 shall have to tell
you what the trouble is. 1t will come
out sooner or later at the coroner's in
quest2 You slept well last night, of
course?''
Certainly"
Overcome by the excitement of the |
day and the disturbed slumbers of the |
night before, your sleep was sound and |
dreamless as that of tired child. You
heard no noise down cellar in the midGl)
of the nightl'
81 did not, Callthumplan, replied
Elfeda, turning pale with apprehen-
sion.
"Well, did. 1t aroused me from a
,estless and unquiet sleep, and, without
waking you l dressed myself quietly,
seized a heavy cane, and stole softly
Town stairs / found man in the Gel
ar-do not start, Elfeda. He was a
little, dried-up, withered, insignificant,
sneak thief, not half as dangerous as a
setting hen. He was helping himself to |
your finest canned fruit. 1 lifted the !
little rascal out of the cellar on the toe |
of my shoe"
81 am glad nothing worse happened,
ny love. But why are you SO un-
lerved? 1t is all over now"
"No, it is not all over" exclaimed the
husband, as he looked off into vacancy
With a hollow-eyed, despairing gaze.
'Remorse is left"
"Remorse!"
"Yes-bitter, gnawing, agonising re-
morse. Listen. Before 1 kicked the
hief out looked about for some means
# inficting punishment upon him
hat he would remember, and tempta-
ion from the Evil One came into my
mind On q plate upon one of the
hanging shelves was something you had
with your own hands"
eyes, l remember; it was pudding
made myself. "Why-"
"Elfeda," said the husband, hoarsely,
s he looked at her in stony despair, 81
made him eat that pudding!"