St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-11-15

70 right now and then. On the whole
he was = plucky as the average man in
spite Of his conviction that the time
would come when he would have trouble
with burglar aud = suit at law with IN
old maid.
Durston, as you know, lives in . hand
some house on an uptown cross street
He has always held that the majority Of
burglaries are effected through the
treachery of servants He has. there
fore, kept bachelors hall for many years
with the aid of only one assistant-an
old woman-a kind Of heirloom in his
family. As he generally dimes at his
club he has managed to live very COM
fortably without keeping . boarding
house for men and women who might be
In league with rObberA His aged house
keeper is not ambitiouA He feels con-
6dent sh0 will never sue hlm for breach
OF promise nor permita burglar to make
. breach in tho house s
Durston's library and bedroom are on
the second floor. The old woman sleeps
In back room an the floor above. She
d very deaf, 50 when Durston wishes to
call her he touches button at the head
Of his bed This sends mild electric
current through the reclining form Of
the housekcepcr upstairs She approves
Of this process In the belief that it
tea-ds 70 hold her rhenmatism in check
Jt seems very shocking way to treat
IN old woman, howcves. - And then
Durston must find it unpleasant to
discharge servant two or three times
day.
$ But let US return to our burglar. One
night last winter Durston reached
home rather earlier than, usual Az
was his custom, hc examined the doors
and windows n yAG lower part Of the
house -Aaa then went to the library. He
found his smoking-jacket and slippers
IN their accustomed place. A wood
4re was cracking in the crate and a de-
canter Of whisky and box Of cigars
tempted him from the center table
Durston smiled contentedly Is he drew
N easy chair toward the fire. Life
was very pleasant to him. He was one
OF those happy bachelors who have no
regrets Not that Durston lacked
-0anfiMent Far from It Ia fact he
was not g al what the world calls .
practical man.
Z, No. Durston was inclined to lcok at
che rcmsnttc side Of life, and Is he |
smoked . perfecto and slipped his whisky
and seltzeS in front Of tho blaze that |
night he INDUCED in imaginings that |
would have shocked the hard-headed |
housekecpee upatairss werse than did her |
private electric current the day the bat |
terry was oyerchar9ed.
/ Durston had for the moment forgot
ten all about old maids and burglars
He was in condition Of bodily |
and mental repose that drove into
outer darkness all the unpleasant
things Of lie. Finally the conviction
came upon him slowly that It was time
TO 60 to bed. He fought hard against
tho proposition, but there was no escape
for him. Looking at his watch he found
that It was long after one O'Clock.
Turning out the lights in the library he
his bedroom. He was still in q
state Of sleepy contentment. Just as he
was about 10 put out the gas he wa>
startled By slight noise that seemed
20 come from the cellar. He listened
Intently. Five minutes passed, but
there were no further sounds from be-
low. Durston surrounded himself by
perfect darkness and crawled into bed.
But he could not sleep That unlucky
noise had rendered hlm feverish. The
thought Of burglars had DESTROYED his
serenity OF mind. His revolver lay on .
Dhair BY the bedside, and he kept his
hand on Il for some time. The weapon