The Worthington advance., 1898-10-27

HAPPleOys anu the lions occupied aQ-
joining cottages at Lake Beach, and
thus Fred and Tom always set off their
Fourth of July firecrackers together
The former seemed to- know how tc
do almost everything, from construct
ing a big kite to sailing a boat; so
when the Wiltons decided to take a
tortnlghts trip to the White noun
talns, and were compelled to shut uI
their house meantime. as the servants
unexpectedly left in a body, it was
quite natural that Tom should ash
Fred to keep an eye on it.
"You remember how angry that Eng
lish coachman was when father dis
charged him last week?" he hurriedly
explained, just before the train left
"Well, he might hear in some way
about our all going off, and, although
1 don't suppose he'd risk breaking ir
himself, lie may send a friend of his
down from the city, you know. Sc
keep"
But at that moment the cars moved
off, and Tom had to run for them.
Fred, however, fully comprehende
what Was required OF him, and re-
solved to prove himself worthy of the
trust.
His mother being widow, he hao
for the past two years been "man oil
the house at home, and, indeed, hi:
height and weight combined were cal
culated to keep small boys very re
spectful in his presence.
AS soon as he had seen Tom safely
gain the rear platform of the last car
Fred walked back to the cottages
which stood apart from the other
houses in the village, the Wilton's be-
ing bounded on one side by a wood.
There was neither fence nor hedge
to separate the grounds from the Ap
plebys' and after making sure that
every shutter had been closed, FREQ
strobe back across the lawn to his owr
piazza.
'"They might almost as we'll be open
though" he reflected. "as all one has
to do is to slip his fingers through the
Stats and lift the latch. They ought tc
have nailed them up as they do in the
winter; but stop! I don't believe {
man could get his hand in. So I won
worry about that point of approach
Three times every day Fred walked
around the cottage. which alway!
stared back at him with the same
closed, inhospitable air, and at thu
end of week he concluded that tn,
wrathful coachman must have forgot
ten all about the Wiltons and Lake
Beach. However, he still kept up hi!
careful daily inspection of the prem
ises, thereby winning from his mothe,
and sister the title of "the youns
guardsman."
One day, just before lunch, he caugh
up the baseball bat he always carried
on these occasions, and started on hi
noon patrol. AS he crossed the divid
ing line between the grounds, he dis
tinctly heard shutter slam in the di
rection of the Wiltons' dining-room
and quickening his steps, he rounded
the corner Of the wing in time to Sc,
tie body and legs of a man dangling
from window on the ground floor, hi
head and arms being already inside.
"Caught in the act!" exclaimed Ere d
under his breath, as he dashed forward
and fear!essly grasped the BURGLAR
coat with one hand, dropped the sasl
with the other, and vhen held his maj
down under it with both.
The robber screamed and kicked Wig
orously, but Fred paid no attention
to the former and skillfully managed
to avoid the latter; however, now tha
he had captured his man, like a goot
many other people similarly situated
he did not know what to do with him.
He could not stand there holding hi
prisoner under the window for an in
definite period, and yet he did not like
to release him, for fear he should prove
to be stronger than himself; as it was
he had the rascal at u decided disad
vantage, and Fred finally decided tt
keep him there while he shouted fol
help.
But on whom should he call? There
was no man about the place, except
now and then an old Irishman, who a t.
tended to the garden, and in an emer
gency like the present he was scarcely
to be depended on; nevertheless, he
was better than nobody, so the young
guardsman began to shout: "Mike
Mike!" with all his lungs, at the same
time pressing down the sash little
tighter on the thief, who, as FREQ
could now make out, was youth not
much older than himself, and very
slim.
''That Englsshman hasn't forgotten
after ALL" mused Fred, between his
cries for the gardner; land mas beer
sharp enough to send some one with
smaller hands than his own, too. But
why he should have chosen broad day.
light for his attempt passes me, al.
though, to be sure, he may have
thought, and with some show of sense
that nobody'd be on the lookout fol
burglars then. wonder If couldn't
manage this young fellow by myself
But, no, must have somebody here to
bring a rope, help me bind him, and
stand guard while see if there's such
thing as constable over in the vii
lage." 5a....r. -
During all this time, the poor chap
under the window had kept on kicking
and crying out:
'Oh, I say, let me up, won't you?
What do you want? I'm no thief, I tell
you. Just let me explain"