The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-18

money was. Then / knew that, however
would take things. 1t was an awful shock.
l wonder why did not scream and run, but
kept still. / went back upstairs and locked
myself into the chamber and sat down on
the edge of the bed to think. 1t did not
seem TO me that ii was of any use for me
to stay downstairs and watch Samuel did
not think he could find out the secret drawer
without any help / could not stop his TAX
ing the money IL he was determined. Then,
too, / reasoned that II he did not find 1t
that night there would be time enough for
inc to hide II tomorrow. and father and
mother were coming home next day.
my dress and lay down. Before daybreak
had my plans all made. tried to treat
morning, and l guess l DID. After break
fast carried pitcher ofSwater into the
parlor as If | were going to water the
plants. Then lighted a match and touched
it TO one of the candles on the Christmas
tree to make it appear as IL had only
wanted to see how it would look, and then
/ touched it to the tree, and it blazed up.
l waited until 1 dared wait no longer, and
then ] dashed on the water and screamed
running in. Samuel first. He rushed for
more water, and the fire was out in min
ute, but the tree was badly singed, and the
children began to cry.
Nov, don't you cry" said Samuel. 'Tn
go this minute and cut another tree.
So Samuel started off and Charley with
him, and then l made F1ory and Janey go
upstairs. You two have just got to go up
stairs and stay there while fix a surprise"
ment with US children. Flory and Janey
laughed and ran off upstairs in a minute.
1 set some molasses on to boil. Then |
got the money out of the secret drawer and
made six little parcels of 1t, rolled as tightly
as l could and wrapped in letter paper.
Then, as soon as the molasses was boned,
] made popcorn balls Luckily, | had
enough corn popped. When called the
girls downstairs | had two plates of corn
balls. The balls in one were of extra size,
with strings attached, all ready to hang on
the tree. and in six of them were hidden
the little rolls of money. The balls in the
other plate were smaller, and those were
to be eaten at once.
When Samuel and Charley came home I
gave them some of the little corn balls, and
when Samuel had set up the tree l hung
on the others. Then L thought the money
was safe, but | wondered all the time what
l should do if Samuel should come to me
and ask ME right out where the money was,
for did not want to tell a lie.
That night all went upstairs as usual,
but did not go to sleep. 1t was not very
late when / heard Samuel moving about be-
low, and presently he came to the foot OF
the stairs and called me.
1 went to my door. My heart was beat
ing SO hard 1t seemed to choke me. What
do you want?'' I made out to say as softly
"Come down here minute, said Sam
uel, and l went down to the sitting room
uel He tried to smile, but he was very
pale and looked as if he was as frightened
as 1 was. l trembled so l could scarcely
stand. / was so afraid he would ask me
II only want to ask if your father left
some money in the house when he went
away" said he, looking away from me as If
he were ashamed.
Eyes, he did," said I. 1 had to or tell
well" said Samuel in a queer, shaking
voice, :" I would like to borrow that money
for a little while. / need some money right
away, and as long as your father amt using
II would rather have you wait and ask
like it if lent his money"
Il will make it right with your father,
said Samuel. did your father tell you
..Yes. he did. answered. 1 had to or tell
lie trembled for the next question.
where did he tell you it was?" asked
I'm the chest in the dark bedroom" said l.
That was the truth, and it did no harm
whereabouts in the chest!
I'm the secret drawer"
father tell you how to open it?'
/ said he did.
wei, you just come in here and show
me how to open it, said Samuel
1 went with Samuel into the dark bed
room and showed him how to open the
drawer 1 could see nothing else to do. |
stood back while he opened it. wondered
if it would be wrong for me to cry out II l
were astonished when he discovered that the
money was gone. Then all of a sudden |
heard a. sound that made my heart jump
with joy. / heard sleighbells and then
fathers voice shouting to the horse Father
has come" said l.
Samuel made one leap and was gone, rush
ing through the kitchen and out the back
door.
l ran and unboIted the south door, and
there were father and mother, come home
faces / just broke down and sobbed
and sobbed. and told them all
about it in such queer SnatcheS
that they thought at first ] was out of
my mind. Father said afterward that he
never heard such tumble of popcorn balls
/ 1vo,x Cow TTeI- an
father fairly understood what had hap
pened he lighted the lantern and searched
out in the barn and the sheds to be sure
premises, but he did not find him. Father
said that he knew the man; that he be
longed to a good family but had been sort
of shiftless and unlucky.
When we were all settled down again for
the night and | felt so safe and happy with
feeling troubled about poor Samuel out IL
the storm. | hoped he would not die of
cold and be found dead when the snow melt
ed in the spring. There was quite severe
snowstorm. That was the reason why
father and mother had reached home so late.
They had been obliged to drive slowly on
account of the gathering snow.
We were just sitting down to our Christ
mas dinner next day when we all stopped
and listened. Then the sound came again,
and we were sure that somebody was out
in the. storm calling family for helm:
1T is the man. said mother do go
quick as you can" Mother had been worry
ing about Samuel all day. She said she did
not want him TO neriSh IT he had tried to
wrong us, and father had been all around
the farm looking for him. He thought,
however. that he had gone down to the viii
lage the night before
We opened the door. and we could hear
the calls for help quite plainly. Father
pulled on his big boots and started out. The
storm was very thick. Soon we could not
see father, but we could hear his shouts and
the faint cries in response, and then we saw
father coming back half carrying Samuel j.
Wetherhed.
Samuel was pretty well exhausted, besides
being frightened and ashamed when he
he was back in the house of the man he had
tried to rob. He tried to stop on the fresh
old OF the outer door. spent he was. II
guess you-don't-know, he began, but
father interrupted him. Come along in!'
cried father in a hearty way that he has.
''You have been good to my children, and as
long you DIDN'T do what you set out to
there's no use talking about it,
Samuel was pretty well exhausted. He
had spent the night in an old barn on the
other side OF the mountain and had been
fioundering about in circles all day. trying
to find the road. However, he was able TO
eet some Christmas dinner with us, though
he hesitated about that, as he had done
about entering the door. and all of sudden
he dropped his knife and fork, bent his head
down over his plate. and we saw that he was
CRYING though we tried to take no notice.
Samuel stayed with us that night ana
YVES present at the Christmas tree. though
he seerred very sober and dashed his hand
across his eyes a good many times when
,,o,,oe xrac calIed ont nd he got his little