Iron County register., 1892-11-10
A QUEER BURGLAR.

How Old stuny Guarded the House While
| Billy Was Away.
''Say, Billy, amt you going with us?''
yelled the boys, standing on tip-toe to
peep into the kitchen window.
| The Maverick farmhouse was on a
| lovely plateau of land halfway up a
dreary mountain-side. And Billy sat
alone by the fire. trying very hard to
get interested in an old volume of
! ''Capt. Cooks Adventures" which he
had read over and over again. He
! jumped up at the sound of familiar
! voices.
''Going where?" said he, learning out
/ of the window
''Down to Pixley's Woods" said John
Jaycox. 'We're going to have corn
! and apple roast down there. There's
| lots Of fellows coming"
so, I do wish could CO." said Billy,
| with a sigh.
/ "Nell, come on then" roared Herman
! Smith. ''Only make haste"
! "But I can't" said Billy. "Father
j and mother went to the camp-meeting
t to-day and they left me to keep house"
p. ''Did they s'pose the bears was going
: to carry off the house?" contemptuously
F.. inquired Herman.
! ''No," said Billy. "But old Mrs.
! Tricks house was broken into night be-
fore last when she was gone to tea at
! Elder Jones'. And father says it amt
: safe to leave the place alone"
''Much good you would be if the
! thieves were to come,'' sneered Peter
, Wise
Vn1I 7 L. fo%1 ~
! old muslzet as we'll as another man."
! said Billy, with some pride.
! ''But it amt that, father says. The
burglars only try locked-up houses and
! those where the folks are all away"
| ''Well," shifted Peter, ''if burglar
! climbs this steep road he must be hard
, up for something to steal, that's all I
:, have to say about it."
F.. ''Do come, Bill, urged Jaycox. "We're
going to have regular good timer
! Billy looked wistfully at the other
boys. ''Oh, l only wish I could,' said
j he.
Your folks will never know" said
| Jaycox. coaxingly.
''No, don't suppose they will" as
| sented Billy. ''But-''
''Oh. come now" hoarsely shouted
! Herman Smith; 1--WE can't stand here
| waiting all day. If Maverick is coming
| let him come. If he amt let him say
so. Are you ready, fellows? Now,
/! thcn one-two-three-m
| And away went the little band of
boys at double quick!
Billy looked longingly after them.
| Boys are naturally of a gregarious ma
ture, and he had been alone all the
afternoon.
81 might just as we'll go as not" said
! he. aloud, to the old clock ticking away
! behind the door. ''It's just exactly as
Peter Wise says-there amt a burglar
going that would take the trouble to
| climb the mountain road. It's all nom
sense for me to stay herc"
Billy Maverick, as you can easily see.
| children, had never studied the story of
Casabiancar' If he had been ION the
burning deck it isn't at all proba BILE
+, that he would have remained long
| enough for anybody to make story
about. And yet Billy was very good
| sort of little fellow after ali.
"And I won't STAY" said Bill, $50
| there! I'll fix up fellow to keep house
! for me, and I'll run across the woods
| and over the broken bridge and be at
| Pixley's woods just as quick as the
other boys get there.
So Billy, whose resources were truly
! wonderful, drew the old rocking-chair
up by the fire and put bolster into it
which he first dressed up in an old coat
| of his fathers and battered hat.
With it's back we'll toward the window,
| it really did look like an old man warm
| ing his hands at the fire.
''There, old Stuffy!" said Billy, as he
gave it final pat on one side and a
shake on the other. 'Now mind you
| take good care of the house,
And scrambling out of the shed win
| dow so as not to unfasted any of the
bolts and bars, he slid down the roof.
| dropped into thicket of black berry
bushes at the end, and only pausing to
| rub himself little, started off at a run
| down the mountain side.
s.For." he argued within himself, s'all
| that father and mother wanted me to
stay in the house for was to make peo-
pie suppose that it wasn't left entirely
| alone-and why can't old Stuffy do that
| Just as we'll as me?''
He made such good speed by swing
| ing himself recklessly across the frame
| work of the broken bridge that he got
| to Pixley's Woods nearly as soon as the
other boys, wholwent by the regular
pathway. A bright blaze of dry wood
and leaves had been kindled under the
| shelter of a huge rock, the corn, apples
| and sweet potatoes were put down to
roast, and the boys beguiled the time
| by dancing break-downs, singing comic
songs and telling tales and riddles.
| The first lot of smoking corn had just
| been lifted out of the ashes when little
| Larry Pike came plunging down the
| ravine.
| "Hal1oo. fellow.r' said he, breathless
| with the haste he had made, ''have you
| heard the news?'
| ''News. What r.ews?'' said Herm an
Smith, while all the boys stopped short
| in their occupations and stared hard at
little Larry.
| Thieves said he, painting for
breath. 'In Mavericks house? And
jerks has gone for the constables, and
Win Maxwell has trotted off on his IA.
ther's horse to tell Mavericks folks al
camp meeting"
Isis anything stolen?'' said Billy,
thinking of his grandmother's silver tea.
spoons and the spare money his father
always kept in the till of the big red
chest up in the garret.
| ssThou Hons< Lno,D caid r0rrv