, 1890-01-29
TACKLING A BURGLAR.

JNSN ~ WV AAAAS We Il a
weepin' an a-wailin' an nashin' of our
teeth, to speak paragorically, over the
Disappointment of our hopes, hat Miss
Petifish popped down on us like a wolf
on the fold" as Jonathon said. (She
boxed his years fur it though, and then
he pulled off her artificial bang, an They
tussled. IN fit, an skrimmaged round,
an I'm afeared famed the cat fur life by
tromping on her left hind laig, afore !
had time to ask her to lay off her hat
Miss Petifishes hat, not the cat's.)
But at last, after they galloped round
the room fur ten minutes or so, like a
couple of colts with the blind staggers,
Miss Petifishes breath give out, an she
began to wheeze; an SO finally she Topped
down into the big wooden rocker, an /
got a chance to say howdy.
oval, I've been tollable myselNf says
she, ''but Aaron hain't been none too
well. His constituency want never
one of the strongest, you know, an I'm
afeared he's a-goin' to git somethin'
serious. He's so powerful narvy, you
know. Why, when he's ~a-copyin' some
papers, or a-readin' in his law books, he
can't abide the ~leastest mite of noise, an
l hev to go into the next room to prac.
tie on my catarrh. An mebbe you
wouldn't b'lieve it, Belindy, F" says she,
''but if a little comply drops in an we
happen to cut round a little, jest for fun,
like me and Mr.. Bluegrass here, he ack-
shilly gifts in a temper, an rares an
pitches, an sometimes he cusses a blue
streak, if we run ag'in his elbow, or jog
gle him. Oh, he's got n powerful tenn
per, Aaron hast / often feel sorry Quin-
tilly has married SIGH a temperate man,
but it's too late to ondo the mischief
now"
After we had eat supper, Jonathon
says:
''Seein' you've got comply, Belindy,
1 reckon l mout as well go over an tend
the Farmers Lyance."
An says 1:
go, if you're a mind ter; but don't
set down on a log an go to sleep comm
home, like you done the last time you
went"
mo danger" says he. "Tll ride ole
Beeswax this time, a n if l do go to sleep
he'll fetch me home safe an sound"
So he went an saddled his nag an rid
away.
Dave had went away that evening to
see Eli Tucker, over on Ager hill, an
want a-comin' home till the mex day,
an 30 we put Miss Petifsh to sleep with
Liza Ann.
We didn't none of us set up very late,
and l hadn't more'n snoozed off when /
heared a quare noise in the kitchen.
l knowed 'twan't the cat, fur l had put
her out last thing afore l laid down, an
thinkses l, Its a burglar, sure shot"
While was a-studying about it Liza
Ann an Miss Petifish come a-hustling in,
as white as two sheets.
"Oh, maw," says Liza Ann, ''ther's
somebuddy in the kitchen? 1 kin hear
'em a steppin' round an a-stealin' some
thin out of the cupboard"
An with that l jumped up.
"Jonathon's wallet is on the top shelf"
says l, IAN it's got a silver dollar an two
bits in change into it,"
An grabbed the lamp in one hand
an Jonathon's waikiki stick in the tother,
an started towards the kitchen.
Come onT' said l. "Both of you
ketch up q weepon of some kind, an
help me tackle him. He'll be skeered Of
SO many wimmin."
An Liza Ann jerked the bootiack from
under the bed, an was a-follerin' me,
tremblin' like a leaf, but determined to
save her paws wallet or parish in the at.
temp.
But Miss Petifsh ketcht a-holt of us
both, an hung on fur dear life.
"Oh," says she, "be you goin' to tackle
a strange burglar with only your night.
gownds on? Mebbe he's a bachelor IN
unmarried" says she, ''an' l wouldn't
like to make his acquaintance without
my dress on"
But he'll git away" says I, "if we
stop to dress"
But she wouldn't hear to nothin', SO we
give in, an slipped on our dresses an
started ag'in.
But Miss Petiish wasn't ready yet.
Il amt got my shoes on" saws she,
IAN l wouldn't go barefooted fur no
money"
was powerful Uneasy, but l waited.
Nov, come on" says l.
But instid of coming on she few over
TO the bureau an begun to smooth her
hair an fix her bangs, an even tuck a
starch bag out of her pocket an begun
to powder her face.
An there vas me an Liza Ann on pins
and needles fur fear the burglar would
git away, an her a-powdering an pink