The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-10-30

slight cracking of the dry brush. nor
did she see dark head that was thrust
little way above the hedge, gazing
after her with sinister looks.
IN not stay long" she thought, as
she sped on, land no harm will come of
it, I'm sure.''
But once in the woods, and with such
lively companions, Lou forgot every
thing, and time flew by so rapidly that
the first thing she knew it was growing
late and the sun had sunk far down the
Western sky. With start she cried:
'Oh, my! how the day has gone. 1
must run home at once, or pa and ma
will get back and find me away, and
then I'll get licking.' 1 didn't mean
to stay but a minute when came"
Lou was somewhat relieved when she
approached the house, to find that her
parents had not yet returned, and after
all, she thought, no harm was done by
her day in the woods, and it was much
more pleasant than staying at home,
even if she had disregarded her mothers
commands.
But when she entered the house her
spirits fell and she stood aghast. The
drawers were all taken from the bureau,
and the contents scattered about the
floor, and her first thought was of the
money-two hundred dollars, the pro-
ceeds of her fathers sale of fat hogs.
''It's gone, it's gone," she cried, land
pa will lose his farm, and I'll get an
awful whipping. Oh, me! [ wish I'D
minded ma and stayed at home"
Lou sat down on the floor and cried
until she was tired, then getting up she
looked about the house and finally went
| out the back way in the vain hope of
discovering some trace of the robber.
The backyard was quiet, and no liv-
ing thing was to De seen there, save
Parker's goat, and he was calmly graz
I ing around an old abandoned we'll that
had been covered with thin boards and
was overgrown with grass and weeds
Lou hallooed at him and threw at
him, trying to drive him away, but he
would not 60.
swell, you'd as we'll make the most
of this day, you old brute," she said,
''for guess pa will kill you tomorrow
| If you come around here"
At that moment LOUIS attention
was attracted by noise from the old
we'll resembling groan and curse COM
bined. She started forward to see what
1t meant, but the goat drove her back,
and just then the old farm wagon
ratified up to the gate and Mr.. and Mrs.
Ramsey alighted. Lou had to tell her
parents all, inclu ling her going nut
ting, for, as she said, she felt like she
needed 'licking' and she'd rather
take it and have it over than to go
about for days with secret on her
mind.
So she told the whole story and ended
by saying that there was some one in
the old we'll. Mr.. Ramsey looked sur
prised as he cried:
"Some one in the old we'll! How did
any body manage to get in there?''
II don't know" said Lou, but some
ones in there"
"Pe1haps it's the robber?" Mrs. Ram
sey suggested.
We'll soon see who it is," Mr.. Ram.
sey replied as he started of. ''There's
that miserable goat again."
A ladder was let down into the we'll
and the man, who turned out to be Par.
ker's hired man. crawled out Mr.. Ram
sey found his money in the mans peck
ct, so there was no doubt of him being
the thief, and after awhile he confessed
to the charge.
The fellow was naturally vindictive
and cruel, and two or three times dur
ing the summer he had cruelty beaten
the old goat, and the beast had formed
q strong dislike for him.
He knew Of the money being in Mr.
Ramsey's house, and knew also Of Mr.
and Mrs. Ramsey going away, so he re-
solved to attempt the robbery, and was
waiting behind the hedge for that pur.
pose wheI. Lou left the house.
Altar getting NE money hs went out