The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-04-29

II think So" said. "We've locked
the door on the outside"
! HELL get ont of the window" re-
marked Major Turner, with bloody
thirsty look. make row at the
door. I'll wait for him on the lawn"
which l believe he did, with double
barrelled gun.
There was rush up stairs. 1t was
rather funny scene. They all got
some kind of weapon except Mr.. Pix
ington and Dean Foulkes. The latter
strobe up with unruffled pomposity,
apparently prepered to combat the
foe in the mere strength of his official
capacity. Dicky stayed alone in The
smoking room and smoked on.
'Dicky," said, "are you afraid ?"
81 don't think I'm afraid of the
burglar" he replied; "but if those
idiots are going to fire about bed
room promiscuously, I'd rather be
here"
cast a withering look on him and
followed the others up stairs. l saw
Mr.. Pilkington up to the door and un-
lock it. while the others paused.
"You'd better surrender quietly"
he exclaimed.
He looked the ideal of quiet BRAY
cry.
'Let. the ladies go away" he went
on, when there was no answer. "We
must search the ROOM"
He walked boldly in and the others
followed. OF course there was no
trace of a burglar. We were awaiting
further developments with interest,
when that silly little Mrs. Frobisher
quieted her perturbed husband with
the truth. He imagined, think, that
a burglars sole object would be shoot
or steal Mrs. Frobisher. OF course
the game was rather spoilt, for we
might have had o good long burglar
hunt.
The men went again to the smok-
ing room. Major Turner said some
thing about lumbago when he came
in, otherwise they took the thing
rather we'll. Dicky merely remarked,
l believe: "Glad 1 didn't bother
about it,"
"Kittie, you win Mr.. Pilkington,
said Lena afterward, "though the Ma
ior was q good second. The burglar,
probably, would have got out of the
window, and the lumbago is in many
ways worse than burglar. He's dear
old thing. l shall make his cruel my
self if he does get bad"
"My man was on inglorious last"
said Mildred, triumphantly.
"What, Dicky?" asked Lena. 81
didn't notice him. What did he do2"
with n mastery inaction," an
swered Mildred, smiling maliciously
at me, che stayed in the smoking
room, mounting guard over the
cigars,
"Coward;ce," said Mrs. Foulkes,
who was immensely pleased at the
Deans behavior as the Church Mill
tant, "argues an entirely bad moral
disposition.
Several other people made several
other severe remarks about Dicky.
"We shall have to try him for cow
ardice," said Lena. "We might play
at that tomorrow night"
l went to bed, and left Lena arrang-
ing the details OF the game.
At breakfast next day poor little
Dicky got freely snubbed, and MIR.
Pilkington smiled with placid air of
heroism. l had to pretend to thank
him for winning the sweep for me.
Afterward l overheard him remark to
Mrs. Foulkes that "she mustn't be too
hard on the little beggar." Magma
nimity is the kind of quality that such
man revels in. Altogether 1 was
very much annoyed. Dicky didn't
seem TO mind in the least He merely
smiled when Lena told him of the
trial, and departed to the summer
house with a novel and a pipe.
l went out to talk to him soon af-
terward.
"Hullo? Miss Anstey," he said, as
came near, you'd better not speak
to me. Unclean, unclean."
"Shut up, Dicky," l answered.
"What does it all mean?"
"Oh, only that Pm a coward, Miss
Anstey," he replied with smile, "and
Pilkington is hero. Have they got
him laurel crown yet?"
Don't be silly" 1 said. "What
did you do it for?"
"I am to be tried tonight, he an
swered, "aud you mustn't attempt to
extract admissions from me. By the
way, who is the learned prosecutor? p"
"Miss Waring."
"The Lord hath delivered Do
you ever bet?" he chuckled.
"I've backed you for good many
gloves already, Dicky," said.
"You've taste for backing outsid-
ers, have you, Miss Anstey?" he ap-
swered. "Well, it would spoil it for
you if told you; but don't hedge.
There's only one thing more I'm pray
ing for
couldn't extract anything less or
acular from him except that he was
reading Kipling to cultivate taste
for spurious bravery. He strolled
across the lawn soon afterward with a
large white feather in his buttonhole,
and went out for long walk.
At dinner Dicky was quiet and said
very Ii tie. But he whispered to NE.
lily to make Miss Waring angry.
The thicker she lays it on, the better
it'll be-"
Mildred" said atterward,
'Dicky's got something up his sleeve. "
"Has be?" she said anxiously.
"What is it?'
UHis arm " | ansWere1