The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-12-19

1<t=~s-S- <S>sss-z9
save and buy father silver watch and
mother new shawl for Christmas.
Sam was is and two years younger,
and we were the sons of farmer
who couldn't afford luxuries. We
couldn't hope to do it all by ourselves,
though we did get enough together for
the shawl. Our uncles and aunts and
cousins Clipped in, and the jeweler
threw off 81 on the price of the watch,
and on the day before Christmas old
Santa Claus had the watch and shaw
and father and mother hadn't the slight
est suspicion of what was in store for
them. Sam and | had sold apples, en-
bezzled eggs, disposed of old plow-
points, hoed corn for the neighbors,
gathered and sold hickory nuts and
worked various other schemes to get
that S12 shawl and we had right to
feel elated and proud. We had the artl-
Giles hidden in the hay NOW at the barn,
and about once an hour we had to go
out there and take look at them.
1t was growing dark on Christmas
eve when stranger on foot turned in
at our gate and asked for lodgings, He
was n well-dressed, keen-lool<ing man.
and the fact of his being on foot and
the village tavern only two miles away,
ought to have set father to thinking.
Mother eyed him susplciously, butwhen
the man said he had rheumatism, and
that he expected to pay for his enter
tainment, father invited him in and APP
peared to think that II was all right
Not so with Sam and I, however. We
didn't like the looks of the man, and
when we discovered that he used pro-
fame language and chewed plug tobacco
we put him down as bad man. After
supper the man told father that he lived
In Cincinnati and had come to look at
q farm on the Six-Mile road. He made
an effort to be entertaining and agree
able. and though he succeeded with the
cid folks Sam and | couldn't give him
any credit.
There was a bedroom off the parlor,
and it was arranged that he should
sleep in there. Also that Santa Claus
should leave the gifts for father and
mother on the parlor table after he had
gone to bed. Sam and I would hang
our stockings in the kitchen. The man
excused himself about nine o'clock and
went to bed, and ten minutes later the
watch and shawl were on the table, and
mother had promised not even TO look
in. We hustled off to bed, and by half
past nine father and mother came up.
'Do You ,'pose that Teller heard
about the watch and shawl?" queried
Sam. as we got into bed.
Glow could hep"
81 dunno. but I believe he Just came
here to steal 'em. If he was goin' to
look at farm on the Six-Mile road why
didn't he get off the train at Grafton p
I'll bet you he robs the house ami clears
out before morning."
let's tell fatherl"
"He wouldn't believe Il, and II would
only scare ma"
We talked the matter over for few
minutes and then fell asleep. and the
old clock down in the kitchen was
striking - when Sam nudged me
with his elbow and whispered:
'That fellow is robbing the housel"
"How do YOU know
because I can hear him moving
about. There-don't you hear that
We've got 10 go downstairs and stop
him from taking that watch and
shawl"
I'VE dasn't,"
Eyes. we dasti TT 20 first. but you
come alongi Robbers always run ifi
they hear anybody. and maybe he'll get
scarf off before he gets the things"