The Globe-republican., 1890-04-02
THELAMSON HOMESTEAD.
How the Mysterious Thief Was
Unexpectedly Discovered.


noon, and the Lamson homestead was in
perfect apple-pie order. Mrs. Lamson
was sitting at her sewing on the porch,
while Grandma Lamson turned the heel
of stocking, when Lucy Kemp, Mrs.
LamsOn's niece, stuck her head out of
the window over the porch. and called
out in tragic tones:
Aunt LamSon, my watch is gone!
do believe somebody has stolen it,
Old Mrs. Lamson looked at her daugh-
ter-in-law and laughed.
Lucy would lose her head if it was
set on with screw and she could take
it off" she said.
You've put it somewhere, and forgot
about it," answered Mrs. Lamson, lift
ing her voice TO the necessary pitch for
communication with the upstairs win
dow
'rve looked and looked, and shook
out every living thing, though know it
was in the watch-pocket last night"
answered Lucy. Il don't say am care
full, but / always know about my watch.
It's stolen, unless Billy's got it to play
with
Every thing is laid on that poor
child" said grandma.
"Bill-ee-ee!' cried Lucy.
Billy, a tow-headed little boy of nine,
appeared at this summons, and endured
his cross-examination; declared he had
not touched the watch. burst into tears,
was comforted by peppermint lozenge
from grandma's pocket, and returned to
his pin-fishing in the brook at the end
of the garden
The Lamson family began q general
search, which ended fruitlessly, and ar
rived at a decision that tramp. who
had been provided with coffee and bread
and butter that morning, was the thief
Lucy was regarded as person in Attic
ton, and every one who came to the
house, from the lightning-rod man to
the butcher, was instantly informed Of
the calamity. However, this was only
the commencement of the affair On
Sunday morning. Grandmother Lamson,
going into that sacred apartment, the
best parlor. found the family Bible gone
1t always stood in a little carved rack.
its gliding protected by lace tidy The
rack was there, the tidy also, but no
Bible.
Much confusion ensued. Again little
Billy was suspected and accused of hav-
ing taken it away to look at the illustra-
tions, which, especially "Jonah and the
whale" and Joseph and his brethren"
were irresistible temptations to him, at
times. But Billy denied the charge, as
only injured innocence can. The tramp
was settle upon once more as the thief.
1t was declared that he had hidden in
the parlor after his Refreshments, sneak
ed upstairs and taken the watch. jump
ed out of the upstairs window to the
shed, and so away over the fields.
Grandmother Lamson was inconsol-
able; Mrs. Lamson, the younger, bent
upon blaming somebody; the children,
frightened. and Lucy Kemp afraid to 90
upstairs alone at night; but the end had
not come. The tramp did not appear
again, neither had ch1awless person.
ages as thinkers. organgrinders. or gypsy
women, with babies on their backs, been
!; seen about the place; but it soon became
the regular thing for the Lamsons to
lose their portable property. In the
. course of one fortnight there disappear
ed from the dwelling in which they
abode these several things:
Two tablespoons; the silk patchwork
: cushion from the parlor sofa: the silver
teapot; Mr.. Lamson's best coat; his best
hat; two jars of currant jelly; the por-
trait of Washington, and Mrs. Lamson's
pocket-book with a hundred dollars in
It.
Then. indeed. despair seized upon the
household, and they held consulta-
ton with relatives and friends and their
pastor