St. Paul daily globe., 1893-06-25
A SUMMER IDYL.

rived TO take up their abode for the season.
1 know young couple who went to one of
our popular lakes this spring long before the
other cottagers had arrived. The family con-
sisted OF Jennie. Jack, the baby, and two
packages of onion seeds. They thought it
wonld be so nice TO raise their own fruit and
vegetables and must go early TO plant them.
They had been raised in the city and became
quite enthusiastic when country was
mentioned. Just think. jack" said Jennie,
how perfectly charming it will be to arise
at dawn. go out into our own garden and
pick turnips and potatoes whilst the due is
still upon them. makes me feel quite poet
ical. Oh, rise in the morn and dig the sweet
corn"
Jennie staked out her onion trees and
soWed her potatoes. and she never noticed
how lonesome the long rows of wooden
shuttered houses looked Sd long as her Jackie
was by her side. But one fatal day he re-
ceived telegram. The telegraph messen-
ger did very well for a country summer
resort boy and managed to get the message
to Jack only eight days after it had been
sent. JACK started for town, expecting to be
gone couple of days. Before he kept his
business engagement he displayed great fore
thought and wonderful presence of mind by
sending his Aunt Susan out to assist his
Jenniein keeping off tramps book agents
and fruit tree men.
Miss Susan Higgins was not noted for her
bravery, but she had few infallible burglar
proof recipes for the discontinue of gentle
men inclined to partake unlawfully of other
peoples goods and chattels. They closed
the house about o'clock, but before retir-
ing Jennie banked all Of the tins the house
contained against the front door, placed a
washtub full of water back of those, and
fixed up numerous other burglar traps under
Miss Susan's able directions. Strings were
stretched across the floors; Miss Susan didn't
intend being murdered in her sleep. Ii those
tins didn't frighten Mr.. Burglar away. there
was the tub for him to fall into; surely that
would dampen his ardor somewhat.
Jennie retired armed with the poker and
tongs, while Miss Susan brought up the rear
shouldering butcher knife, which she put
under her pillow, then calmly settled her
curl-papered head and prepared to snooze.
Meanwhile poor Jennie remained awake,
shivering for fear Miss Susan might have
the nightmare and stab her for pick pocket.
Miss Susan suddenly remembered that she
had forgotten one important device for sub.
DUNG unwary burglars. SO they proceeded
10 go below and put pail of ashes over the
door III such way that the slightest open
ing of the front door would drop it and en-
velope the intruder. Then they once more
retired. Jennie could not sleep, another
cause for her wakefulness being the knowl-
edge that the drawer contained loaded pis-
tol. The only way she would dare make use
of it would be to fling it at the offenders
head. But suppose Miss Susan should at
tempt to use it! Nothing would be left for
her TO do but fly to the burglar for protection
and beg him TO teach Miss Susan how to use
it before she killed the baby.
**
About O'Clock she was sure she heard
noise. She had imagined she heard many
noises. but this seemed to be the genuine
burglar noise, SO awaking Miss Susan. these
two brave women armed themselves with the
tougs and poker. and defied the thief by qui-
etly crawling under the bed, leaving the pis-
tol and the baby to guard the silver. The
front door was cautiously opene; dthen Miss
Susans burglar traps began to work. Bangl
bang! bang! with noise like warship sa.
went .he burglar into the tub of water.
AFTER all that he must be surely Dead"
whispered Jennie, and felt a slight SYM
pathy for him, as she thought of the polly
wogs in the water in the tub already feast
ing upon his dark lantern. jimmies and
skeleton keys. But he wasn't SO dead as he
might be, and such stream Of flattering re-
marks as he shouted forth was enough to
melt the pie tins and turn the pollywogs into
corpses. .'Oh, Lord!' groaned Miss Susan,
"a burgler who would be impolite enough to
use such language would be rude enough to
murder as, and the baby, too; now is our
time to escape" There must be at least
dozen of them" moaned Jennie, as she
oyawled forth from her hole and grabbed
the baby and the tongs, while Miss Susan
once more shouldered the butcher knife the
poker and a tooth brush, not forgetting to
look into the glass to see if her nightcap was
straight
They held short consultation and de-
cided the best way was to make sudden
rush. So. yelling like two hyenas. a wild
dash was made for liberty and the open air.
They had safely reached the kitchen door,
when Jennie was clutched by a firm hand;
she dropped the tongs and the baby brought
up with dispairing shrek and turned to
face--Jackl She knew him by his voice.
He was covered with ashes. wet to the skin.
had black eye, bloody nose and was
otherwise mutilated. Still clusching Jennie
he began well executed war dance, and
brandishing the remains of a tin pail over
her head, he let pour from his
ruby lips the following stream of eloquence:
What does this meanF' he yelled. ~ lost
money by rushing my business nearly broke
my neck running for the last train aud went
supperless. in order to return home to my
timid little wife and not leave her alone at
night. come quietly in, expecting to be en-
Enthusiastically welcomed on my return to the
bosom of my family, and how am / greeted?
Deluged with ashes, battered with tin pals
and pans nearly drowned. and, to cap the
climax. / find my wife rushing around in her
night dress, with the baby and the tongs.
chasing crazy old maid who is screaming
like steam engine, and whose head would
frighten a blind man speeches." Here he
lost his bre ath. When it returned and he
was about to resume his narrative at the
sixth chapter, second verse, he discovered
that Miss Susan had taken to the woods his
wife was having fit on the floor and all was
confusion; but the baby calmly sat i'll the
coal hod. where it had been dropped amongst
some fishing tackle, and contentedly toyed
with fish hook E.. II. II.