The Newtown bee., 1894-04-20

VN'NASSo conjectures were hszarded, but as no satisfactory explanation could be given, all again retired, to await further devel- | opments in the morning.
 Every one was up betimes. Mrs Hay | wood-who had discarded her ghostly | habiliments and robed herself in gar ments more fitting modern matrOn-was l greatly concerned for fear l shoud take | cold as we ran through the dewy grass of the orchard examining the horses l tracks and batting the colt who had so l narrowly escaped capture.
 We were still at a loss to account for | the strange occurrence. Later, how l ever, as Fan and I were coming from | the garden, casting wary glances about, | as though expecting to see something | start up from behind the wall or spring | at us from the currant bushes, I sudden | ly grabbed her arm. "Listen, don't you hear COW mooing in the woods at the foot of the noun | tain?"
 Fan strained her ears in vain for a moment and then triumphantly ex- claimed: "Fan," l said, impressively, those vil- Hans have got a den up in the mountain .'' No sooner were the words out than, 1 seiz d by vague terror, we took to our heels and ran as though legion of horse-thieves were in hot pursuit. We reached the kitchen quite breath
 less, with hardly pea left in our pan,
 and it was some minutes before we could
 communicate our intelligence. On hear | ing it, Miss Elizabeth Haywood imme- diately recollected that, as she was
 drawing water at the well few hours
 before, she had smelled smoke and burnt l 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 awaited
 the return of Ed, who had repaired to
 the store, the Del phi of the community, to consult with Mir Peters, the propri-
 etor--a man of deep wisdom, whose oracular judgements and predictions
 were needed with deference that would
 honored Apollo himself.
 By this time every one Ot us had heard
 cattle lowing on the mountain; all had
 snifled the air with success that even
 skeptcal Miss Jennie acknowledged that
 she scented "burnt flesh' [what sup
 ported the theory that horse theives had
 a preference for burnt viands 1 am un- able to state.) We settled it beyond a
 doubt that the dark character of last
 night was one of an organized gang who
 were probably camping in some cave on
 the mountain; this one had been sent
 out to forage for provisions.
 What a pity the detecting society" had wasted that money sending to Phil adelphia, when the sly rascals were hiding ri ght under our noses until the excitement should die down!
 Of course that was Dr Andrews chest
 nut he was riding. In fact, the only } point of disagreement was the COW, Miss
 Jennie obstnately insisting that it be- longed to Deacon Brown, while the rest of us were sure it was the property of , Farmer Jones. 1 will acknowledge that
 felt good deal elated at having been the first one to hear the mooing, and l 3 fancied Fan rather envied me the dis tinction. Still, I will say in self-justifi-
 cation. that I tried not to feel too puffed z up.
 At last Ed returned. He listened to
 our accounts with a complacent smile of l superiority and then deliberately crushed l our neat little fiction with few bare 5 faced facts that he had learned from MT Peters, who had them straight from 9 Deacon Brown.
 F It had happened that Mis- Deacon 7 Brown had had company to tea last night, and among other luxuries she had - made some delicious coffee. The deacon . had indulged pretty freely in the bever-
 age, and, unused to the stimulant at that
 hour, it was into the night ere, Natures 8 soft nurse'' closed his weary eyes. l While restlessly tossing and turning, he r suddely heard his collie start up, growl- e ing and barking with 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 D two stole out, armed with horse-pistol ? and a shotgun, and secreted themselves a in the deep shadow of the fence. l Presently COW issued from the gate
 way, Carlo snapping at her heels, fol
 lowed by the man and horse. The deacon e sprang forward, caught the startled Q horse by the bridle and pointing the s pistol at the man sternly demanded who
 he was and where he was going at that . time of night. Muttering some unchar-
 itable hopes concerning the future abid. l. ing-place of the inhabitants of the peace I full valley, the man sullenly told his l. brief tale.
 d The priest at W-bad purchased the f COW in New York and had hired him to } bring it up on the night boat and drive l it home. And he, guiltless man, know. s ing nothing of the perturbed state of the : countryside, had attempted to take ad e vantage of the moonlight and deliver hel a that night. He ended with weary
 sigh, adding that this was the tenth time D he had been challenged since he had left n the boat, and asking how far he had tc travel.
 s The deacon. who had listened sympa . thetically, stified the reproving voice o1 r conscience, as out of commiseration fol z the feelings of the hapless cow-driver he
 willfully computed the seven good miles d to be, sswal, bout six an half" Then e loosing his hold of the bridle, he had al v lowed him to proceed on his harassed
 way, calling after him the comforting e assurance that lit want so very ful
 when prutty nigh there.'
 - Strange to say, after learning these
 incidents, our nostri1s were no longer of e tended with the odor of burnt flesh; we
 heard no more lowing on the mountain
 and I grew so omagnanimous that would ? willingly have given Fan all the credit t of having heard the first moo. Yet such
 was the awful depravity of my nature t that instead of rejoicing that the neigh :. bors had lost none of their live stock l and that fellow-being had been ex-
 onerated from the guilt of which he had been suspected, fear in my secret heart z was feeling of disapp ointment that the I horse had not been stolen and his rider I been proved bona-fide horse-thief
 [Troy Times.
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