The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-27
A BURGLAR STORY.

Rose Underwood and her sister Fan
ny, and several of the other girls, were
clustered around the stove at recess
1t was quite cold day. and some of
the seats in the old schoolhouse were
none too warm. and there was general
ly a rush for the stove at recess A few
boys lowered shyly on the outskirts of
the group and listened TO the girls
chatter. 1t was rarely that a boy dared
raise his voice However. to-day one
of them happened to be remarkably
wise upon a certain topic which was
agitating them all, so he had spoken
quite at length. with the bushes mount.
ing higher and higher in his chubby.
honest face. There had been bur
glary the night before in the village
grocery store, and his father kept the
store, SO, of course, he knew a great
deal about it, and had right to speak.
Rose Underwood's sister Fanny
looked significantly at her when there
was little lull in the discussion. Say.
Rose, tell them about your burglar"
said she.
Rose colored up and laughed. ut
isn't worth telling"
Eyes It's. too. Tell it. Rose All the
others chimed in. Tell it. Rose-that's
good girl; now do"
Fanny can tell it just as well as I,
said Rose. 1T was her burglar as much
as mine"
''Oh, Rose. you know it wasn't"
cried Fanny. You know you did the
most of it. Tell it. l think you might"
Rose smoothed her white apron down
over her plaid dress reflectively. well,
it isn't worth telling" she said again.
"All there was about it, it happened
before we came here to live, you know;
when we lived in Grover. / wasn't but
twelve years old. and Fanny was only
ten and half. Well, one night Mr..
Green came for mother to watch with
with fever, and they were all worn
out at his house taking care of her.
And mother didn't know just what TO
do about it.
You see father had gone away. He
was out west, going TO be gone six
weeks-he had been gone four then
and if she went she'd have to leave us
children alone in the house. There
was Fanny and little Abby and I. and
we'd never STAYED alone in our lives |
was kind of afraid, but Mr.. Green
looked dreadful anxious, and / spoke
up and told mother to go. ] said !
wasn't a mite afraid, and ! tried 10
think ! wasn't.
''Well, mother went. and just as soon
as she got out of the house we locked
up. We all got together in the sitting
room and played dominoes, and popped
some corn, but we felt awful lonesome
We went to bed in mothers room, that
opened ont of the sitting-room, and we
slept three in the bed, because none of
Us dared to sleep alone.
81 suppose we must have been
asleep, because il was quite late, but
Ill of sudden something walked us up.
sat right up and listened. and ! felt
Fanny shake. What's that says she.
IRA bling me. 'Hush.' said !. We all
istened. and we heard it again. We
NEW what il was in a minute then. /
N oppose we were too much asleep be-
ore. Somebody was pushing up the |
,itchen window. II went hard, and il |
ind of grated. We'd put sticks under |
ii the window. but that. and that /
tuck, so we didn't think any body could |
pen it,
Its the kitchen window says !. |
nd jumped right out of bed. Come 4
avs !, 'qu'rk, and Abby and Fanny |
ever said word; they just scram bled
ut of bed and tagged right after me.
md few up stairs, and up the attic 4
tairs You see. IL flashed into my
cad that burglar would never think
( going up to the attic, for he'd know
here wouldn't be anything that he
'anted there-nothing but old clothes
nd things
When we got into the attic the |
Moonlight was coming in the window,
} we could see quite well. and there
as an old bedstead with some old
uilts on it in the corner. and we Just
OF into that and covered us up. heads
nd all.
Then we lay there and shook We
ere terribly scared. bu, little Abby
ever cried, and she was only seven
ears old. Well. we stared there quite
while before we dared 70 peep ont
ON under the quilts, bat fnally I
oked my head on. little way. Then
begun 20 sniff. and ] made the Others
BIKE their heads out and see IL they +.
dn't smell something. And. sure's
Ju live. we could smell ham irving. /
e couldn't believe il at first, but ve
d
Well, we lay there and srnelled the
I'm frying. and ] got more and more
1easy. II seemed 70 me hadn't teen .
~ spunky. and I thought 81 mothers
liver spoons, and her gold breastpin.
I'd my gold chain. and Abbv's silver
'p that she'd had given her when she
as a IA by. and wondered III conIdat
anything tc stop he Burglars taxing
en-
Finally got MP. Fanny and Abby
ere most scared 20 death 20 have ne.
q. / crawled over 20 the attic - ndo~.
ID ] pushed 4 up an inch a. a time.
hen ! put out my head and looked SD
ID down the street. bu: dsdn't see
~ body coming ! begun 70 think
yer should Bat finally. did see
r Moses Lincoln coming He'd beer
i, 20 the Knights o. Honor that \.
lonSe1 10. 80 ne was ate
Il didn't dare 20 bol!sr. tkough he
IS right do-n helow-ossr hoase "a.
~ near the street 60 Jus, took the
g-h@2 that was hanging siGe Of the
Sdow AID threw ], down /: fell ia
e yard and asdn't come VERY near
n. bat Of e0ar~e he stopped short aud
3ked up.
Len spoke fus, a. fos~ as eJssld ! .
q make hin hear. and told him what
mater was ] expected nothing