Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-10-16
A TERRIBLE VENGEANCE
Verify. the Way of the Trsn>sressor Coi
ffnue< to Ise Hard

Verify. the Way of the Tran~<rc~ssr Con-
tinues to Re Hard Q
s.Hark Cyrus, What was that9''
Nothing, Emily. Let ma go to sleep.
viii youo-
the sleeping chamber.
''Cyrus Winterbottom. there's some
body in the house, / hear = noise IN
the Kitchen
Cyrus sat up in bed and listened
Its the cat" he grumbled, drowsilT.
"a cat doesn't wear boots and so
around opening doors Hark.
The baby stirred and Mrs. Winter
bottom soothed it TO rest again
81 don't see what any body wants 20
get into our kitchen for growled
Cyrus, with yawn- There's nothing
to-heigh-ho.--to steal in that part Of
the house, is there2'
Nothing to steal, There's plate
full Of sarts. a pan OF doUghnnts and
sponge cake"
Some of your-heigh-h own
concoction, Emilys-
''Yes, some of my own making Then
there's all the silverware, and
Hell never get to the siiverware.
Emily, if he tackles the doughnGts first
You will find his horribly-distorted
body in the morning.
"Hushi Harkr'
He listened again All was quiet
But presently an unmistakable sound,
as of somebody moving about on the
floor below, aroused even Cyrus dulled
senses Steps seemed TO be approach
ing the stairway. Cyrus took his re-
volver out from under his pillow,
climbed softly out of bed. went to the
door of the room and got behind ii, first
having cautioned his wife in whisper
to make no noise and leave matters ep-
tirely in his hands,
Softly and stealthily came the steps
up the stairway, and in a few moInents
the dim light OF tne night lamp on the
| dressing case fell upon the stalwart
form of a man whose face was con-
| cealed by mask
Mrs Winterbottom screamed at sight
| of him, the baby woke up and howled,
| and before the burglar could recover
| from the momentary confusion into
| which this unexpected reception had
| thrown him Cyrus confronted him with
the revolver.
"You internal scoundrel - he hissed-
s'Don't you move a muscle or III put a
ball through you
The revolver hadn't been loaded for a
| year or more, and Cyrvs knew it but
the burglar didn't
The pitiful wretch stood perfectly
still
Take off your mask sternly com
manded Cyrus
The burglar complied With ashen
face and mean, hang-dog look he stood
there and said not word Mrs Win
terbottom had recovered her self-pos-
session, but the baby continued TO howl
1T would serve You right, yon sneak
ing, contemplate villain, said Cyrus,
in a deep. tragic voice. IL should
shoot you where you stand I believe
FIJI do it, anyhow"
Mercy. Mercy" pleaded the trem-
bling wretch Its the first time ever
broke into house. I'll never do 1t
again Please let me GO
Its the first time YOU were ever
caught at it, It'll be the last Down
on your knees,''
| Don't kill him, Cyrus. begged his
wife Think of the carpet,
Listen said Cyrus coming closer
to the kneeling burglar. '-Hola up
your hand,s
While the fellows hands we're up
Cyrus rifled his pockets He took thereH
from two loaded reVolvers, a bowie
knife, a dagger, a slung-shOt, a bottle
of chloroform, and sand-baC-
Your first offense, is ito" said Cyrus
For a novice at the business you carry
a pretty good kit of tools Stand up"
The burglar obeyed
..Are you a man of family?"
.'Yes, sir: o. please"
''Stop your whining
"a look of hard. stern, relentless lur-
pose settled on Cyrus face lie pointed
the revolver at the abject sconndrers
head again
go and take that haby-- he com
manded-
.'Wh-what for"
s.Never mind what for. You go and
take that baby"
s-Cyrusr' exclaimed Mrs Winaerbot-
tom. in dismay. '-what dc You meane'
Il Il know what I am about Emily
Pick up that sqGalling infant, you vii
lain,-'
The man obeyed-
Handle it carefully--
Yes. sir,''
s.Now walk the floor with it,
; For four long hours Cyrus Winter
bottom held that empty revolver
leveled at the head OF the miserable
man and compelled him to walk mp and
| down the room with the crying, sqGirm-
ing infant in his arms
!, At daybresk the cringinc. crawling
villain was permitted to sneak away
from the premises, a broken-hearted
man
: 1t was = horrible retribution. but
who shall say 1t was not deserved >
And thus We learn my children. that
crime sometimes brings ats own punish
ment. and that the way of the trans
gressor continues TO be hard--Chicago
: Tribune
Hood and the HypOchoadriac-
Hood used to tell q story Of a hvpo-