Connecticut western news., 1889-04-24

last time. Francois is. a good fellow (with a glance toward the kitchen, where French Canadian lad was cook ing something that smelled exceedingly good over the stove), ''but he sleeps like a log. Blu, Sancho barks at tho very least alarm"
 ''Why, Aunt Alantha, how many times have you been robbedg" gasped l. ''Three," answered Aunt Alantha, exultingly. 'But they got nothing but some plated spoons and lot of Con- federate money that I was going to mount on pasteboatd for . curipsity.."
 We had delicious supper of game, cooked a la Delmonico, coffee and hot waffles. Sancho had the wild turkey bones, and Francois ate his share in the kitchen, squatted on the hearth.
 'Aunt Alantha,' said l, "have you no women about the house2"
 "La, no, child!' said Aunt Alantha. "What do want of women2 I hate women Francois is worth three women any time. And Sancho can do every thing but talk"
 Late as it was Aunt Alantha took a lantern and showed me over the house, especially pointing out the various doors where chains and bolts were so connect ed with loaded guns than any tampering with the locks would be sure to produce an explosion.
 "No more burglaries for me-" said Aunt Alantha, chuckling. cpd like to see 'em try it now. They've got an idea that Pm very rich. So I amin guns, and chains and wires"
 There were also curiosities of all sorts -mosses, birds nests, carefully labelled geological specimens, rattlesnake skins, and case of hideous stuffed birds, look ing about as much like live ones, as complexion made up of powders and cosmetics resembles a sixteen-year- old girls peach-pink cheeks.
 ''I believe I've got an example of every small bird in these woods," said Aunt Alantha, viewing them with her head on one side. ''Such collection as this is nearly priceless. Don't mention it, Katherine, but I think seriously of leaving this collection to your mother in my will. It ought never to go out of the family.'
 I looked at the case in dismay. It was full yard long, by four feet high an atrocity of stained wood, with hid eous tree bough sprawled in its centre, like an octopus, and birds perched about it in all sorts of impossible attitudes.
 Never, in all my. life, had seen any, thing so ugly.
 The rooms were small, but we'll fur nished, after wild, ,unceremonious fash ion, and was relieved to find that the apartment I was destined to occupy opened out of my Aunt Alautha's own sanctum.
 ct is an awfully lonely spot,' said I, glancing out at the wild tops of the mountains, and the woods swaying in the night wind.
 "I like lonely places," said Aunt AL antha
 "Aunt Alantha!" I hesitated.
 "Well ?" said my aunt in her short, sharp way.
 "I do hope," said I, lowering my voice to a whisper, 'that you haven t any money in the house."
 "All I've got in the world is in this house" said Aunt Alantha, putting an- other log of moss fringed wood in the air tight stove, which created a summer atmosphere through the room, moisten- cd by the tea kettle that saLg on the top.
 "Oh, Aunt Alantha! And the bur glars"
 Burglars" said my aunt, 'stake 'em all ill all, are no worse than savings banks that fly to pieces, and cashiers that defalcate. Besides, they've rum magcd the premises three times already to no effect. I don't believe they'll try again. My money, Katherine -"
 ooh, don't tell me where you keer it" said I, putting my fingers to my cars. "I would't know for the world
 'I wasn't going to tell you," said Aunt Alantha. 'I was merely going tt remark that it was quite safe."
 In the middle of the night I walked up. A masked man was standing ove mo.
 Don't be alarmed, miss" said he 'It ain't our trade to hurt women no children. Just you keep quiet. It. my duty" to gag you, and to ii your feet and hands. But ain't goin, to hurt you. Your grandma, she's sub mitted quite peaceable, like a sensibl old lady. The French boy, he tough considerable, and we had to knock tn dog on the head. All we want is tn privilege of going peaceably through tn house."
 Thero we lay, Aunt Alantha and I trembling all over, unable even to speal to each other, while the untitled treat and disguised voices of the williams wh had gagged us sounded all over tn house for two mortal hours.
 At the end of that time all was still 1 a,,l ,,.ora,,4l,. ,...e,,