Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-03-24
MRS. BAKER WAS CUTE,

Kotfian-she Was Not Blind.
Mrs. Sarah Baker, wife of farmer
IN Vantage, is small woman. but
strong. and possesses plenty of pluck.
she was alone one day last week, SAYS a
De ckertown IN. ]. letter. her husband
being away on business. Her eyes had
troubled her for several weeks. and she
was wearing q pair Of green glasses.
she was sitting in the dining room ear
ly IN the afternoon and had fallen into
a doze.
Suddenly the door opened and a
tramp entered. He wasn't very large,
but be had en- ugly look and carried a
club. He did not see Mrs. Baker at
flrst, and she kept very quiet. Finally
she said:
"Who is there?''
The tramp looked around, and at
once made up his mind the woman was
blind. That is just what she wanted
him to believe, for she had already
formed plan Of action.
II want something to eat, and [ want
it quick. See ?" said the tramp.
mo, l don't see," said Mrs. Baker,
'but hear very we'll, and 1 guess YOU
are thief come to rob the house."
Never mind what you guess. You
hustle and get some grub. [ hain't
had anything to eat since yesterday
morning."
Mrs. Baker got up and pretended to
stumble around in search of food. She
found some bread and butter and some
cold pork and put them on the table.
Then she fumbled around until she
found the chair, and sat down again
The vagabond ate everything up, and
than ho
"Now I want what money you have in
the house,
Haven't any money!" replied Mrs.
Baker.
You're liar" replied the visitor,
"and if you don't tell me where it is, |
will cut your heart out"
The little woman was badly fright
ened, but she did not show any signs of
agitation and stuck to her story that she
had nc money until the tramp grabbed
her by the hair and said he would cut
her throat. Then she apparently weak
ened and said all the money they had
was hidden where she couldn't get at it.
"Where is it ?" asked the tramp.
SIN the big oven," was the reply, and,
without turning her head, Mrs. Baker
pointed toward the kitchen. The man
went in the kitchen and looked in the
oll oven. AucIe was lIO nIo Ill " anu ~
seemed empty. Then he came back,
and, taking her by the throat, said she
was lying and that he would kill her.
She cried and begged him to spare her
life, and, amid her sobs, informed him
that the money was in wad behind a
loose brick at the rear of the oven.
She looked SO innocent and truthful
that the man believed her and went
back into the kitchen. Mrs. Baker
waited until she heard him crawling in
to the big oven. She looked and saw
that he was nearly in. Then she ran
into the kitchen and grabbing the tea
kettle from the stove poured the boil
ing water on his legs. He yelled with
pain and involuntarily drew his legs in
side the oven. The woman at once shut
the oven door and fastened 1t by putting
a knife through the latch.
Then she slipped on her bonnet and
darted down the road for mile until
she reached the blacksmith shop.
There were three men there. Alter
resting minute she managed to tell
them what had occurred. They grabbed
some hickory spokes and all hurried
back. 1t was half an hour from the
time Mrs. Baker left until she returned.
The men we're rather timid when they
entered the kitchen, but they regained
their courage when they saw the oven
door fastened as Mrs. Baker had de-
scribed. They decided that Mrs. Baker
Should s open the door, and as she did 50
they would grab the tramp, beat HIM
with the spokes and then bind him, and
while one of them watched him the
rest would get wagon and horse ana
take him to the justice at Vantage;
But when the woman suddenly.
opened the oven door she gave a. cry OF
astonishment. AS she looked, IN she
saw clear across the kitchen garden, ana
ont into the orchard. The tramp had
kicked the entire back out OF the oIo
oven, which was lOo years olo, tne
bricks of which were lald IN muo inoi
tar, and escaped.