River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-01-25

Ldinl
No sooner were the words out than.
seized by a vague terror. we took To
our heels and ran as though a legion of
horse-thieves We're in hot pursuit.
We reached the kitchen quite breath
less. with hardly pea left in our pan.
and il was some minutes before we
could communicate our intelligence.
On hearing IL. Miss Elizabeth Haywood
Immediately -ecoIlected that, as she
was drawing water at the well few
hours before, she had smelled smoke
and burnt flesh.
Miss Jennie skeptically remarked
that it was probably the breakfast
cooking. But she was Indignantly
squelched and reminded that we had
breakfasted on boiled eggs and toast
Yes, indeed; that burnt flesh just
confirmed our surmise We could talk
of nothing else, and impatiently await
cd the return of Ed, who had repaired
to the store, the Delphi of the commun-
ity, TO consult with Mr.. Peters, the pro-
prietor-a man OF deep wisdom. whose
Oracular judgments and predictions
We're needed with a Difference that
would have honored Apollo himself
by this time every one of us had
heard the cattle lowing on the noun
tain: all had shifted the air with such
success that even sl1eptical Miss Jennie
acknowledged that she scented burnt
flesh" (what supported the theory that
horse thieves had a preference for burnt
viands am unable to statel We had
settled il beyond doubt that the dark
character of last night was one OF an
organized gang who Were probably
camping in some cave on the mountains;
this one had been sent out 10 forage for
provisions
What pity the detecting society
had wasted that money sending to Phil
adelphia, when the sly rascals were
hiding right under our noses until the
excitement should die down,
OF course that was DIR. Andrews
chestnut he was riding. In fact the
only point of disagreement was the
COW, Miss Jennie Obstinately insisting
that il belonged to Deacon Brown,
while the rest of US were sure it was
the property of Farmer Jones. / will
acknow ledge that / felt a good deal
elated at being the first one to hear the
mOoiug and l fanciel Fan rather en-
We'd me the distinction. Still. will
saw in self-iustitcation that l tried not
to feel too much pulled up.
At last Ed returned. He listened to
our accounts with a cOnplaeent smile
of superiority and then deliberately
crushed our neat little fiction with =
few barefaced facts that he had learned
H. ID ssrbt
from Deacon Brown.
1t had happened that Miss Deacon
Brown had had company to tea last
night. and among other unusual lux
uries she had made some delicious cot
fee. The deacon had INDUCED pretty
freely in the beverage, and, unused to
the stimulant at that hour, IL was into
the night ere natures soft nurse"
closed his weary eyes While restless
" tossing and turning, he suddenly
heard his collie start mp, growing and
barking with unwonted ferocity. He
arose and peered through the shutters
just in time to see man on horseback
disappear behind his barn. That was
enough. Softly calling to his son, the
two stole out, armed with a horse
pistol AM a shotgun, and secreied
themselves in the deep shadow of the
fence.
Presently a cow issued from the gate
way, Carlo swapping at her heels, fol-
lowed by the man and horse. The dea-
con sprang forward, caught the
startled horse 10y the bride, and. point
ing the pistol at the man. sternly de-
manded who he was and where he was
going at that time of night. Muttering
some uncharitable hopes concerning the
future abiding place of the inhabitants
OF the peaceful valley. the man sullen-
ly told his brief tale.
The priest at W had purchased
the COW in New York and had hired
him to bring it up on the night boat
and drive it home. And he, guileless
man. knowing nothing of the per-
turbed state of the countryside had
attempted to take advantage of the
moonlight and deliver her that night.
tie ended with a weary sigh, adding
that this was the tenth time he had
been challenged since he had left the
1 boat, and asking how far he had to
/ travel.
ANAIOhs ~ az nav AAotChCa
pathetically, stified the reproving voice
( of conscience, as out of cOmmiseratio N
/ for the feelings of the hapless cow
driver he willfully computed the seven
! good miles to he. wal, bout six an a
half" Then, loosing his hold of the
/ bride, he had allowed him to proceed
Oh his harassed way, calling after him
! the comforting assurance that 1T
want so very fur when you was prutty
nigh there"
Strange to say. after learning these
I incidents. our uostrils were no longer
offended with the odOr of burnt flesh;
we heard no more lowing on the noun
/ tain. and grew so magnanimous that
l would willingly have given Fan all
/ the credit of having heard the first
moo. Yet such was the awful deprav-
1 ity of my nature that instead of re-
/ joicing that the neighbOrs had lost
none of their live stock. and that fell
] low-being had been exOnerated from
/ the guilt of which he had been suspect
I ed. / fear in my secret heart was a
/ feeling of disappointment that the
horse had not been stolen and his rider
I been proved bona-fide hOrse-tbief =
I Louise : Wray, in Troy IN. W Times.