Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-05-21


.~>& ll<kz2 novel event, the
-. ss5:zse:s=.ssze--n, man of-a l-w k
@@ - gave her another
surprise, presenting telegram which
set forth that his sister was i'll and
needed him. OF course Mrs. Balcom
let him go. 1t did not occur to her
that the double departure left her and
the chlldr II unprotected, and if
1t had she would have smiled at the
idea Of danger. She did not know
that there was n burglar in town.
Mr.. Balcom did know. As he came
up IRON the train the evening before,
his nelghbor Jones had stopped him
to whisper that the Hartshorne house
had been entered and iudiciously ran
sacked. The Hartshornes were in
| Europe. Their care-taker had been
sojourning i'll that other foreign land.
a drunkard's paradise, but rs soon as
he came out Of it he discovered the
robbery and fastened to ask .Jones's
advice. Jones, who had nervous
mother-in-law, suggested that the mat
ter be kept rs quiet MS possible; and
he wanted to know if Mr.. Balcom-
You did Just right Mr.. Balcom
interrupted. wheE the story had gone
thus far. "Fhese country constables
would frighten every woman into hy-
sterics, but they wouldn't catch bur
glar once in athousand times. Profess
sional is he?"
80 / suppose. He seems to have
gone into the house and through it as
though he knew his business. F"
'Ill back my burglar-alarm against
him J! Mr. Balcom chuckled, conf
! IDENTITY.
"How about Ben Ezra?" the neigh
Dor asked.
No fear OF him. You see, my stable
is MS well protected as my house" Mr..
Balloon explained. "Fact is, I'd
sooner lose half there is in the house
than that horse. Little off his feed,
the poor fellow is I had veterinary
out yesterday to look at him, and 1
can t drive him for week l guess
/"
"I suppose we ought TO do some
thing" Mr.. Jones ventured to hint.
He knew that ii allowed to go on Mr.
Balcom would talk about his horse
until the burglar the listener
died natural death.
"Oh, of course we must trip the fell
low before he goes any further.
Tell You what: [ know a private de-
tectlve who was on the Boston force
for years-lonG enough to get ac-
quainted with every rascal in the
country. I'll bring him home with
me tomorrow to look over the ground.
1t would be better to pay him hun
dred than have the thing get out and
scare the women.
"Yes, indeed !" said Mr.. Jones, fer
vently
So it was decided. And after the
neighbors had exchanged the usual
remarks on the dryness of the season
and the need of rain, Mr.. Balcom
sauntered homeward, calm in that
contentment which a managing man
has right to feel He kissed his
wife and children and then he went
out and caressed his horse. With the
burglars accomplishments in mind he
looked carefully TO the locks and
the alarms, They were perfect and
IN order He went to bed in peace
That night, however, he had hor-
rid dream. 1t seemed that Ben Ezra
was stolen; that he had expended his
fortune in seeking the horse; that,
finally, whom he had sunk to a beroar
outcast, he found the wreck of Ben
Ezra laulinu n pnrhoon.cort IT,
dream so wrought upon Mr. Balcom
that he awoke IN cold perspiration
lie rushed to the stable and proved it
only dream. But 1t might be II
warning! That superstitious fancy
fingered with him through the hours
OF dusk and dawn, and the early glare
of an August sun did not dispel it. 1t
hurried him to the city, as has been
told.