The Penn's Grove record., 1888-06-16
PENIS GROVE. N J., SATURDAY. JUNE IL. 1883.
I'll take that bag Of twenties you got
af the bank fhia manning v

Ill take that bag Of twenties you got
at the bank this moruing."
Too truel 1 had that very morning
drawn a quarters income-all in dou-
BILE eagles. How had the wretch found
1t outP For a moment 1 hesltated, but
that ominous clickl and quickly the
canvas bag came from its hiding place,
the middle of a long bolster, that /
always slept on. The burglar counted
1t leisursly-he was In no hurry.
"And. now, little miss" said he,
I'll trouble you to show m the family
silver"
Without a moments hesitation,
Ethel led the wretch down the winding
staircase, through the square hall with
its dark red walls, into the parlor, a
dim, old-fashioned room, with a great,
open fireplace, In which q wood-fre
still smouldered on the brass andirons.
On each side of the fireplace was an
arched niche; one filled with the books
Of a small library, and In the other
hung an exquisite copy Of n of
Raphael's Madonnas. Will you believer
AS his eyes caught sight of the virgin,
this robber-hIs pockets full Of stolen
goods-made a sign Of the cross, and
muttered an Ave Maria. i
The parlor led into a long, ~oak.panel-
led dining room, divided through the
middle by a crimson portiere. Two
large closets opened from it; one, the
first, for china, and the other for the
storage OF the hOuse-linen. To my
surprise, it was the door OF this second
c.oset0that Ethel opened, and pointed to
a black box, showed back on this top
shelf. L remembered then that a small
part Of the family silver had been
slowed there, to be used only In case
of necessity; the rest had been sent by
the family who owned the house, to the
Safe Deposit.
In the corner next the door was a
~step-ladder used for hcuse-cleaning
purposes. Just as the burglar seized
this, a tremendous noise. like the
tramping of armed men and the mad
rolling Of cannon balls, made him drop
the ladder and cock his pistol quickly.
We thought of rescue, but the noise
came from a colony of rats in possess
sion Of the neighboring attic.
Selling the ladder again, the burglar
set 1t against the shelves in the farther
corner OF the closet, climbing heavily
to the top of it, aud laid his hand on
the box. when, presto! changed quick
as lightning, Ethel shut the door with
a crash, turned the key. showed the
bolt, and there he was, a prisoner.
"I've got him, grandma I've got
himl she cried, 81 meant to get him
all the tlmel"
The mar struggled like a Gagged lion.
Kicks and blows rained on the door,
curses loud and deep filled the little
room; frantic poundings with his huge
fists were thrown away on oaken
planks felled in the old Bay State, and
thoroughly seasoned by coming
''arouud the horn In 40"
But what shall we do, now?
Ellen, who, at the elimination Of
Ethel's daring. had sat down OH the
gently, against the wall, now struggled
to her feet, and We held a council Of
war.
1t was half.past eleven. The night
was black, the streets dark, the super
visors had just decided, in a fit Of
economy, not to light the street lamps
for the next six months, and our house
was the only one In the fifty yard lot
forming the square. The garden wa
full OF hiding places, where some o n
federate might even then be lurking,
ready to pounce out upon us If we ven
tured out. On the hole, 1t seemed best
to hold our prisoner until morning,
when we could o u the Chinese
servants and send for help. So w
brought out the lamp and victualled
the garrison. Ellen made some strong
coffee over a spirit lamp, and we sat
there all night and waited. paying lit
tie attention to the fierce threats and
laundering blows against the wall that
emphasized the rage of our captive.
With the first morning light, we
aroused All Lung, the cook, and, hav-
ing satifed his moon-ayed wonder, sent
out for the officers of the law, who
oon had our prisoner handcuffed and
Gagged IN the county Jail.
You see now why 1 find 1t uphill
work to discipline my granddaughter
Ethel. l have told you how she N
swers me when 1 try to reprove her.
But there's one comfort at least.
THAT mani have been laughed at
a great deal of my life for looking for
him-waS ''caught at last"