Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-02-27

equally interesting. The ladies each
gave q start and littles scream and
huddled themselves close to me, and the
three burglars gazed at them with faces
that expressed more establishment than
apv had ever seen before. The stout
fellow gave vent to a smothered ex-
clarnation and tho face of the young
man flushed, but not one of them spoke.
Are you sure they are tied fast?''
whispered my unit Martha to me-
"Perfectly.'' I answered; '.if 1 had not
baen sure should not have allowed you
to come down.
Thcreupon the ladies picked up cour-
ago and stepped further into the room.
Did you and David catch them?''
asked my aunt, land how in the world
did YOU do it?'
I'll tell you all about that another
time, said, ''and you had better go up
stairs as soon as you two have seen what
sort of people are these cowardly burg
lars who sneak OR break into the houses
of respectable people at night and rob
and steal and ruin other peoples prop
crty with no more conscience or human
| feeling than is possessed by the rats
which steal your corn, or the polecats
which kill your chickens"
81 can scarcely believe" said Aunt
! Martha, ''that that young man is real
| burglar"
At these words the eyes of the fellow
spoken of gloUed as he fixed them or
Aunt Martha, but he did not saya word
and the paleness which had returned te
his face did not change.
| ''iave they told you who they are?'
asked my wife.
| 81 haven't asked them" said, ''an6
now don't you think you had better gt
upstairs?'
1T seems to me- said Aunt Martha
''that those ropes must hurt them"
The tall man now spoke. ''Indeet
they do, madam he said, in a low
voice and very respectful manner, 'the.
are very tight
told David to look at all the cords
and see if any of them were too Tight.
drawn.
It's all nonsense, SIR" said he, whe1
he had finished the examination; mo
|
they want is a chance to pull out thei
ugly hands,
..Of course" said Aunt Martha, ''if i
would be unsafe to loosen the knots
wouldn ! do it. Are they to be sent K
PRISON."
Yes" said I; cas- soon as the da,
breaks I shall send down for the pc
lice"
/ now heard a slight sound at TIT
door, and, turning, saw Alice, our maii
of the house, who was peeping IN at tn
door. Alice was q modest girl and quit,
pretty.
Il heard the noise and tho talking
sir She said, ''and when I found tn
ladies had gone down to see what it wa
l thought | would como, too"
And where is the COOKE" asked M
wife; don't she want to see burglars?
Not a bit Of it, answered Alice, yer,
emphatically: ''as soon as l told he
what IL was she covered up her head wit
| the bed-clothes and declared, ma'aul
that she would never get up until the
were entirely gone out OF the house"
At this the stout man grinned.
81 wish you'd all cover up you
heads" he said. The tall man loolle
at him severely, and he said no more.
David did not move from his post nea
the three burglars, but he turned towar
Alice and looked at her. We knew tina
he had tender feelings toward the girl
and | think that he did not approve Q
her being there.
Have they stolen any thing?" asRe
Aunt Martha.
''They have not had any chance t
take any thing away I said; and m
wife remarked that whether they ha
stolen any thing or not they had mad
q dreadful mess on the floor, and la
broken the table. They should certain
ly be punished.
At this she made q motion as If sn
would leave the room, and an anXiou
expression Immediately came on tn
face Of the tall man, who had evidentl
been revolving something in his mirA.
Madam he said, ''We are very sorr
that we have broken your table an
that we have damaged some of you
glass and your carpet. [ assure you
however, that nothing of the kind woul
have happened but for that drugge
wine. which doubtless was intended &c
medicine and not q beverage; bu
; weary and chilled as we were when W
) arrived, madam, we were glad to pal
take of it, supposing it ordinary wine.
could not help showing little prid
at the success of my scheme.
, The refreshEent was intended fo
fellows of your class, and l am very gla
you accepted it,
! The tall man did not answer me, bu
he again addressed my wife:
Madam he said, eff you ladie
+ would remain and listen to me fe'
moments, an sure l would make 20
", 9llll1 /, +