Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-06

without word the old man passed
into his chamber, and there secreted the
ten pounds, frowning as he did so.
'I'll send that fellow paclxin' soon,
whether find him stealth or not" he
muttered. sit amt none too comforta-
BILE feelin' to know you've got to lock
up every shilling you get and not tell
anybody where you put it. )"
He ate his supper that evening in ST.
Ience; Jennie and Dick chattering in
cessantly, and Mrs. Jameson told about
every ache and pain that racked the
woman she had been to visit
But the miller could only wonder
whether or not that frank, manly face
and those CHEEKY tones of his employee
belonged to knave and scoundrel.
can Jennie and him seem to under
stand one another faF.too WE'LL" he So
liloquized. 81 used to like tho lad, but
now I'd as lief see my girl care for old
blind Jack, the fiddler, as this fine gen.
tleman. AS Greene says, he's too fancy
about himself to be honest. I've often
heard the greater the rascal the more
genteel, an 1 guess I'll load the rife"
He did load his rife, and placed it
near his bed, telling his wife that he
wasn't goin' to lose any more money,
but the first one that came for dishonest
purposes would lose his life"
So he went to bed, and thought moro
of his daughter than of the money I'M
der the carpet. However, he did think
of his money sometimes, and, in fact,
his thoughts ran from that to Jennie,
as the thoughts of the money-lender ran
from his ducats to his daughter.
1t was midnight before his wife slept
at all, but then her sleep was profound.
1t was broken at last by the strangest
and most thrilling of sounds, no less
startling than a heavy fall, and loud,
harsh, reverberating report, as though
a cannon had been fred at her ear.
No woman is ever too frightened to
scream, and Mrs. Jameson's shrieks
were loud and shrill as she covered
| among the bed-clothes; and scrambling
in the darkness and muttered words
which she could not understand did not
tend to calm her.
There was rush of feet in the hall
without; a stout shoulder sent the door
inward with crash, and Dick Levoe.
who had made this unceremonious en-
trance, stood there, with light high
above his head, his keen eyes scanning
the apartment swiftly.
1t took him moment to comprehend,
and then no laughed with immeasura-
BILE amusement
! The miller, clad but lightly, was
sprawling on the floor, a dazed wonder
in his face, the old rife, which he had
struck as he had fell, lying harmless
beside him, and now unloaded; a win
dow was open, and through it came 4
fine sheet of rain; the old man was
soaking wet, and raindrops glistened
on his hair and scanty garments; his
bare feet were muddy, and altoge Their
he presented any thing but an agree
able or presentable appearance.
What has happened?" asked Dick,
as soon as his mirth could be sup
pressed, as he aided the miller to his
feet.
IL don't know!' stammered Jane
son.
His wife, hearing voices, cautiously
peeped out from under her coverlet.
"Robbers!' she cried, shrilly. "They
have been here again. Have they shot
you, Harvey?"
mo, wife, Pm not shot," said Harvey;
San don't think there's been any rob-
bers about Fact is, I've been sleep
Walkin',"
| "What?"
1--WE been w&lkin' in my sleep, sure
as you liver groaned the miller. ''Pm
| all wet, so 1 must have gone out of
doors, an the Lord only knows where l
, have boon or what I've been doinI l
was dreaming of that ten pounds"
| He broke off and hurried to that spot
in which he had hidden the money.
1t was not therel
You're rather old for such capers,
Harvey" his wife was saying.
But he didn't hear her. Very blank
ly he turned to Dick, who had now re-
treated to the threshold where Jennie
was standing, white and startled, but
ravishingly pretty.
Lad" the miller said, solemnly, al
believe I've robbed myself. I've heard
of such things, an now l believe I've
done just that, an amt got a notion
where put the money"
''Is it gomez"
"Yes,"
''Then you had best put on dry clothes.
sir, while go out and try to follow the
tracks you have probably left in the
garden. Your feet are SO muddy, I'm
sure you must have been there. I'll
report in few minutes"
| A whispered sentence to Jennie at the
door, and Dick was off to don his boots
and laugh at the remembrance of the
miller's plight.
With lantern he went out into the
rain, and his gravity departed again
as under the window Of the miller's
chamber he discovered deeply indented
footprints, which proved that Jameson
had emerged like a schoolboy.
The big, bare feet left plain traces in
the soft soil of the garden. Dick fol
lowed them on, across the road, and
found that they ceased at one corner Of
the mill. A loose board had been freshly
replaced. He drew it out, and there, in
the aperture, found small tin box.
Taking it out, he hurried back to fine
Jameson, his wife and Jennie up anG
dressed waiting for him.
The miller took the box eagerly, ant
opened it with scarcely steady hands
There were the ten pounds, and under
them the money of which he had though