The Van Buren press., 1898-11-12


tloasly around the corner of the house,
Fred, Fred!" she eq lied. in a timid
voice, what is the maser?e
"l'te got him!" replied her brother
Aau at the same inatant Miss Maud
caught sight of the busglar's heels,
20 h-h!" she screamed, and started to
ram home.
fat Fred called hst back, and told
her to bring him a piece of rope as
quickly as possible.
She vanished at onee, and then Mike
appeared en- the scene.
Speedily breaking in upon all the old
lrishman's eXelamations of wonder
Fred briefly explained how he had cap
tured young Englishman in the very
act of entering the house by force, and
that as soon as the fellow was bound
he was to guard him until constable
could be summoned.
An indade that | will, sur!" an
swered Mike, cheerfully. can veg say
he's afther bein' an Englisman? Och.
sure an now ould Ireland can pay back
a bit ay the grudge she owes ag'in 'em!"
No, Mike, | don't want any violence
used if II can be helped. The fellows
quite young, you see, and may be re-
formed yet. But here comes my sister
with the rope"
And Fred dextrously caught the
clothesline Maud threw him at a safe
distance, where she had taken up a
post of observation in company with
Mrs. Appleby; who was full of commits
seration for the prisoner, coupled with
entreaties to her son to be careful and
not break his back with the Nindo~
sash.
"Now, Mike, you hold his legs while
| raise the window and slip this moose
around his body"
"Oh, do look out, Fred" cried Maud
at this point, "or it will catch about
his neck and hang him!"
"An' shure, 'tW oud only be bit afore
his toime," declared Mike.
Fred continued:
"Are you ready, there? Hold him
tight now"
And the window shot up, the moose
went in, and the next moment Fred and
his prisoner were brought face to face
"Why, how very respectable-looking
lie isl" whispered Maud to her mother
"What a shame!" said Mrs. Appleby
81 wonder if he cant be sent to a sort
of reformatory school, instead of tc
jail2"
And, indeed, the burglar was quite
a handsome youth, very neatly dressed
But how angry he was to think he had
been caught,
"What authority have you here,
would like to know?" he demanded OF
Fred, slashing about him at such a rate
that the latter had hard work TO keeI
him Hnder control. 81 tell you I'm q
friend of the familyl"
$50 am T." put in Fred, "and fol
that reason l don't want you to gel
away. 1t seems TO me, though, that
for a friend you have a rather queer
way of visiting-coming down wher
nobody's been at home for week, and
then trying TO break in the house"
"But l was sent here for a gun, ant
told to open this very window"
"Ha, hal likely story!" laughed
Fred. "Here, Mike, hold this chaI
while | go for the constable"
"One moment first" interposed the
thief, in a more conciliating tone. "It
you'll Just unbind my arms a second,
think 1 can show you proofs of what
assert. It's a letter which I'm pretty
certain I put into one of my pockets
yesterday"
(Which one?" asked Fred, 81 prefer
to take it out myself"
"As you please" replied the other
"My inside coat pocket, right hand"
Sure enough, there was letter there
and Fred loosened his hold trifle wher
he perceived the address in Tom WI
sons handwriting:
MR.. SHERMAN BROWN,
NO. - west 1 llI y -SAA "a e'NAtShi
New York City.
"See what 1t says inside" continued
the prisoner, calmly.
And to his utter CONSERVATION, FREQ
read as follows;
"Mv Dear Sherman: Awfuly sorry In
not going to be at home; but I'll lend yol
the gun with pleasure II you'H take th'
trouble TO go down to our house at Lax
Beach and get 1t yourself. I'd SEND you I'M
kew, but father doesn't think It's saie u
nut II In a letter. However, with your sun
fingers you can easily squeeze your han'
through one Of the shutters ana Hlt tn'
latch. Nothlng's nailed up. The gun stahu' 4
in n corner of the dining-room, Whlch Il
In the wing on the side next the WOODS
would write more, but am scribbIng thi'
while on the cars so as to mall 1t at th'
next stop. Your everlasting old ehum,
'''-'' tom WILTON"
II was now Fred's turn to be the vac
tim and I think he suffered more dur
ing his attempts TO explain matters
han sherman Brown had under the
window sash. ,-al
But the young Englishman (for sueh
he really was) took the awkward HIS
take very good-naturedly'
Mike was promised first choice o. o.
cast-off garments at the Appleby's Il
he would keep quiet on the subject IL
the village, and after Fred had era"leo
in and secured the gun Sherman was
nrevailed upon to lunch with him.
Before the afternoon train Iell lo5
the city, the two had become very goGJ 'Il
friends. sherman protesting himseli
happy to have made the acqua'n'stbSs ,bs
Of one so faithful 10 his trust AT 'he
same time. both boys would have oeen
better pleased if Tom had not forgot 7'.,
ton all about the watch he had asked
Fred TO keep.-Golden Days.
~ IHfP.