The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-12-25

Vza&Mm\ 1o'nSi a new snawi
SfMs5tor Christmas. The
d@-~I 5ewe es threw off 81
watch, and on the day before Christmas
OLD Santa Claus had the watch and
shawl Sam and had sold apples, dis
posed of old plow-points, hoed corn for
the neighbors, gathered and sold hickory
nuts and worked various other schemes
to get that $12 shawl, and we had a right
TO feel elated and proud. We had the
articles hidden in the hay-mow at the
barn, and about once an hour we had to
go out there and take look at them.
1t was just growing dark on Christmas
eve when stranger turned in at our
gate and asked for lodgings. He was
weil-dressed, keen-looking man, and the
fact OF the village tavern being only two
miles away, ought to have set father to
thinking, but when the man said he had
rheumatism, father invited him in and
appeared to think it was all right. Not
so with Sam and l, however. We didn't
Ike the looks Of the stranger, and when
we discovered that he used profane Ian
guage and chewed plug tobacco we put
hlm down as bad man. There was a
bedroom off the parlor, and it was ar
ranged 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. The man
excused himself about 8 o'clock and went
to bed, and ten minutes later the watch
and shawl were on the table.
do you s'pose that Teller heard about
the watch and shawl?" queried Sam as
we got into bed
How could hep
Il dunno, but 1 believe he just came
here to steal EN-
| we talked the matter over for a few
minutes and then fell asleep, and the old
| clock down in the kitchen was striking IL
when Sam nudged me with his elbow and
whispered:
THAT fellow is robbing the house!''
"How do you know?'
| Because | can hear him moving about!
There-don't you hear that? We've got
to go downstairs and stop him from tax
ing that watch and shawl!'
We slipped out of bed and drew on our
trousers and socks. When we got down
stairs we found the parlor door wide
open, the room lighted, and the stranger
stood at the table with the watch in his
hand. We had crept down so softly that
he heard nothing. He was fully dressed,
and as we watched him he pocketed the
/ tlmeplece and removed the wrapper from
kthe shawl. Sans idea had been to raise
an alarm, but a sense of helplessness
| crept over him, and his teeth began to
chatter before mine did. The man turned
the lamplight almost out He passed
within a foot of us, unlocked the door
and softly closed it behind him. Sam
drew me across to the side window, pulled
! aside the curtain and said:
| Hes got the watch and shawl and is
now after the span of horses
The stables were in the basement of the
barn and half underground The win
| dows were very small and the door a
| stout one. Mis- door had no lock, but
fastened with Nasp and PIN We watched
| the man until hA opened the door and en-
tered the stables and then Sam said
"You stand right here and hold the
door little open for me-"
What are you going to do?"l
''I'm going to shut him in the stable.
Don't holler nor run away, for I'll be
back in a minute"
Out into the snow and cold dashed Sam.
| running like deer and as noiseless as
cat. He found the door shut, and it did
| not take him ten seconds to lift up the
hasp and slip the pin through the staple
When he came back we aroused father
and mother, routed out the neighbors.
sent for the Sheriff, and in about an hour
the door was. unfastened and the fellow
| invited to come out. He had strapped
| mothers new shawl on one of the horses
| for a saddle and fathers Santa Claus
watch was ticking away in his vest
| pocket. He was marched off to jail while
| the ROSTERS were growing for Christmas
Boys" said my father, when we had
| returned to the house-"boys / thank We
a thousand times over for this watch,
| which is something I've sorter wanted for
years, but let me jest tell We that We both
orter be taken out and licked fer not
| tellin' me about that robber till We had
| him safely locked up"
"And boys" added mother, with tears
| in her eyes, as she Rugged the shawl and
! us too, IT not only thank We as much as
father does, but l say We did jest right in
| not wakin' us up, I'd have had a fit and
| father might have tumbled down stairs,
and there's no tellin' who'd adjusted up
or who'd tumbled into the cisternv'
az SANS BROTHER.