The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-11-11

habitants began to be vexed by the EVIL
dent presence of a mysterious thief. 1t
hunter brought in brace OF grouse or
rab bits and left them exposed for little
while, they disappeared. II a string OF
trout were caught and left anywhere, ev-
en- for moment, they were lost. Gar
dens were robbed of their vegetables,
blankets, tiannels and groceries disap-
peared from the stores. The Losses be-
came almost unbearable at length ;every-
body was aroused and on the alert, but
no thief could be discovered, though the
depredations still went on. This contin-
ued for days, until the people became
desperate, and many threat was made
that when the thief should finally be
caught, in disposlng Of him the grim sat
isfacrion of the frontier should be fully
enjoyed. Ola lack was especially fierce
In MS denCnciatIons.
One morning u horseman dashed init
the town, his mustang coming in on d
dead run. Refining up III front OF the
principal saloon, he sprang tom MS
horse, and TO the people who came rush
lug To leG what was the matter he tx
planned that half q mile from town.
around the bend OF the hill, in the old
deserted cabin, ne had found the widO~
Of the man killed weeks before by Lne
Indians; had found her and a nest Vi
babies, and none of them with sutticl-
snt amount of clothing, apparently.
When his story was finished men ana
women, half the population OF the place,
MADE rush for the cabin. Ii wa: cor
cealed from view of the road by growtG
of thick bushes, but they found the poor
woman there, and four little children.
The woman seemed like one dazed by
sorrow and despair. When questioned,
she replied that she had been there five
weeks. "But how have you livedT'
asked dozen voices in concert. Then
the woman explained that she and her
children would have starved had it not
been for a kind old gentleman who
had brought her everything that she re-
quired. Indeed, "she added, she brought
me many things that did not need, and
which felt that ought not accept, but
he over-persuaded me, telling me that l
did not know how rich he was; that his
supplies were simply inexhaustible."
When asked to describe this man, she
began to say, "He is a heavy-set old
gentleman, wears blue clothes, his hair
Is as white as snow, but bis eyes are
black, and --" But she was not allowed
to 60 on, for 20 voices, between weeping
and laughing, cried "Old Zackv'
The widow was taken to the town, a
house with all It's comforts provided for
them, and there was thenceforth no more
trouble from the ubiquitous thief.
Living on charity himself, with the
wreck of life behind him and nothing
before him but the grave, which he was
Swiftly nearing, this great-hearted old
heavenly hummer aud Christian thief,
had taken care of that family, and had
done it because, despite the dry Tot and
the whisky which had benumbed his en-
ergies, mis- soul, deep down, was royal to
| the core.
L HI IL GudL Bt uhu IOObSo blAC bOVAA
TO minister to the woman and her babies,
but in the books of the angels, though il
is written that he was thief, In the same
sentence it was also added, land God
bless him. aud these words turned to
gold as even they we're being written.
When Old Zack was asked why he did
not make the facts about the family
known, after waiting u moment, he re-
plied:-
You see, I've been tossed about .
powerful sighg ia my time; have drunk
heaps Of pad whisky have done q great
many no-account things and not great
many good ones. Since l waa boy !
nave never had chick or kin of MT
own. met the woman ana her babies
up BY the cabin; they was most pin
full sight as you ever seen; and besides
the oman was just about 20 60 stark
mad with grief and hunger and anxiety
and WEAKNESS. / seen she must have
quiet, and that the anxiety about her
children must be soofhed some Way.
Then did some of the best lying you
ever heard. got her TO eat some sup
Der and waited until the whole outfit
was asleep. Then / watched 'em little
while, and then got Gurus to know
what kind Of provider would have
made for family had started out in
life different. and that was all there was
about it,
LIS it . wonder, then, that when the old