Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-04-29

widow house was a large photograph
of the late lamented Haley. Baker no
sooner set eyes on the picture than he
was ready to share with the widow and
the two quarrymen their establishment
at his resemblance to the man who had
been twenty years dead. When dinner
was served Baker found the vellow-leg-
ged chicken that had been promised
him and sundry other things good to
eat He enjoyed his dinner very we'll
until the servant spilled a quart bowl of
hot pudding sauce down his neck and
back. When that happened he felt un-
comfortable for minute, which, of
course, was perfectly natural.
'You'd better take the coat off an
have it cleaned before the stuff dries
in" said the widow.
But" objected Baker, 81 can't 60
around in my shirt sleeves"
"Would you be willin'," asked the
widow, "to wear one of Rufus coats ?''
Certainly, madam" said Baker
The widow hustled off upstairs and
was soon back again, holding out long
tailed, shiny black coat. Baker took
the coat and, after regarding it for a lit
tie as it hung suspended from his
thumb and forefnger by the back of its
neck, put it on and finished his dinner.
He was still wearing the coat an hour
later when the widows daughter, Effie,
arrived home from North Berwick.
Now it happened that this coat was
| the very one which the late lamented
wore when the photograph was taken
of which mention has been made, and
clad in it Baker looked more like his
prototype in the picture than before.
When the widow presented him to her
daughter she caught the resem-
blance as quickly as her mother had,
although she had no recollection of her
father, and only knew how he looked by
having familiarized herself with his
face in the big photograph. Baker, on
his side, did not fail to mark a similari-
ty between the daughters features and
his own, but, seeing that the widow was
looking at him inquiringlv and expect
antly, 1t occurred to him to ask her if
she still considered him reproduction
of her departed husband.
"More than ever" said the widow,
land when [ look on you an Ellie.
standing there together, [ kin scarcely
believe til at you amt brother and sis
ter"
When bedtime came, Barker was con-
Quoted to a chamber leading off from
the room where the widow kept her
safe and account books. He went off to
sleep very easily in spite of the fact
that he was incased in a strange night
shirt, one of the late lamented's, and,
if he had not been disturbed, would
have continued sleeping till morning.
AS it was, he was awakened a little after
midnight by noise in the next room.
Listening, he heard what seemed to be
blows upon some hard substance. In
stantly he thought of the safe. The
next instant he slid quietly out of bed
4 90 I'd ~
He moved noiselessly toward the door
connecting his room with the outer
chamber, and stood upon the threshold
a number of seconds, watching what
was transpiring in the outer room, be-
fore the persons who were working
there were aware of his presence. He
saw two men, one of whom was gray
whiskered and apparently so years old,
engaged with hammer and chisel upon
the safe. The gray-whiskered man was
the first to take cognizance of Barker,
and he no sooner saw him than, with
loud shrek, he threw down his tools
and started on run for the door leading
into the hall.
"Quick Joel" he called back to his
younger mate. "Quick, Joe, don't you
see Rufe Haley's ghost there in the
doorway ?"
one, and after the two ran Barker, still
in his borrowed nightshirt and nothing
else, carrying one of the burglars ham
mers in one hand and their lamp in the
other, he, followed the men down
stairs and into the sitting-room, but he
not leap after them out of the window.
Probably he would not have done that
under any circumstances, clad as he
was, but there was one overpowering
circumstance in the case which made
him understand that the sphere Of his
duty was inside the house. Something
which he saw after he had entered the
sitting-room stopped him short in the
pursuit of the burglars, and for a second
or two riyeted him motionless to the
floor.
He saw three bedgowned, bare
footed women sitting in row Of chairs
placed against a side of the room,
bound hand and foot, and made mutes
of by something crammed into their
mouths, each staring at him with wide
ly distended eyes. Baker recognized
in the three women the widow, the
widows daughter, and the woman who
had scalded him with her pudding
gravy. His first impulse was to set the
three women loose, and, acting under
this impulse, he placed hammer and
lamp upon the floor and moved toward
the bandaged group.
But he quickly changed his mind, the
thought suddenly occurring to him that
he was not confronted by life and
death condition and that the cali upon
him was not SO imperative that he
would be justified in answering it while
he was so scantily clothed.
pardon me, ladies'" he said, Il was
not aware that you were in this room or
| should not have followed those gen
tlemen in here. If you will excuse me
for moment | will-'see you later"
He whisked out of tho room, rushed
up the stairs, three at a time, dived into
his bed chamber, grabbed his trousers,
got into them fireman fashion on the
way down stairs. and within 6. minute
from the time of his departure from the
room where the women were he had
returned to it, and was ready to begin
the work of emancipation. When he
had finished it he retired to complete
his toilet, promising to return very
soon.