The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-09-27
His hand shook as he touched the key

-E#E#.T N"S NY
of the sender, so fearful was he that
Stewart would have left the office. He
sent the "call" and waited almost.
b~reathlessly for u reply.
Presently click, click, click! went the
machine, and Stewart answered him.
"a burglar here" he said to the sta
tion agent, over the wire. "Send men,
quick. No time to lose. Hurry!"
"All right" back the reply.
The village was about half a mile
away from the Mason farm. Billy cal
culated that it would take at least IS
minutes to get men together and get
them there. By that time the burglar
might be gone. But they would be so
close on his track that they might be
able to u him down.
He listened again.
By and by the man moved away from
the corner where the bureau stood and
went out of the room. Billy judged by
the faint light that fingered in it that
the unwelcome visitor had gone into
the pantry, just across the kitchen
from the sitting-room door.
He was soon convinced that he was
right in this surmise, for. he heard the
sound of crockery coming in contact
with other crockery. {
Hes hunting about for something
to eat" thought Billy, "and don't know
just where to look for it, so he has to
keep looking till he finds il. Ihope he'll
come across the doughnuts and mince
pie mother left for me, and will like
them so well he'll keep at them until
some one gets here"
Billy crept over to the front window,
raised the sash softly and listened.
I'm sure I hear some one down the
road he said. He listened again.
By this time Billy could distinguish
the forms of several men at the gate.
He threw up the sash and leaned out
of the window.
Go round to the kitchen door," he
cried. There's where he must have
got in. He's in the pantry now"
The man in the pantry heard him. as
we'll as the men at the gate, and Billy
heard him scurrying across the kitchen
floor and out at the kitchen door.
But he was not TOO late to make his
escape. The men from the village
came around the house Just as he
made a bolt for the garden fence,
n two or three shots were fired at
him. One of them took effect, and with
a groan and some terrible oaths, he
fell among Mrs. Mason's petunias and
hollyhocks.
Five minutes later they had the
thief securely bound, hand and foot,
by Mrs. Mason's %clothcsllne. The
shot had struck him in the leg, and
quite disabled him, but the party
from the village had no intention of
letting him get away, and, being I'M
used to dealing with burglars and
thai class of not-to-be-depended-on
persons, and feeling rather insecure
as long as he had the use of hands
and feet, they determined to be on
the safe side.
TIL bet he don't, get them knots
loose very easy" declared the man
who did the tying. 81 guess there
hain't much danger O. his gittin'
away"
The tin bcx in which Mr.. Mason
kept his valuables was found in the
fiower-bed, where the man had
dropped it when the pistol ball had
struck him. Some articles of old
fashioned jewelry and trinkets of some
little value were found in his pockets,
and turned over to Billy. Then they
took him to the village with them,
and he was lodged in Jail for safe.
keeping.
You may be quite sure that Mr.. and
Mrs. Mason was greatly excited when
they found out what had happened.
"Why, I had over 5000 in that box!"
cried Mr.. Mason. "I've been saving it
up to make a payment on the wood
lot with, next week. I cont know
what I'd Lave done if the man had got
off with it,"
snow, what do you think of my
'foolishness?'" cried Billy. eff it
hadn't been for our telegraph you'd
have lost your money, as sure as you
live" .sn
II wouldn't wonder if you're right
about that" answered Mr.. Mason.
Billy's father went to town the next
week, and when he came back he had
something for Billy.
cts brand new" he saiG, as Billy
unwrapped the box, eager to see the
contents of it. Nothing secondhand
about that, my son." lin
ooh, M gracious" cried Billy, his
| eyes almost as big as dollars with sur
prise and delight, as the last paper
fell off, disclosing a telegraph outfit,
bright with enamel and gilt ornamen-
tation. isn't it a daisy? I say, IA
ther, you couldn't have brought me
anything I'd rather have had than
this. It's a good deal nicer than the
one the operator has down at the sta
ton"
"Glad you like it," said his father.
"You've earned it. I hope all your
'foolishness' will turn out as this one
has"
The thief never came to trial in
Brownsville. It was discovered that
he was an old offender, who wa. want
ed in several other places for serious
misdemeanors, and he was turned
over to the proper authorities, and I
believe he is still in states prison.
Perhaps, had it not been for Billy
Mason's "~fooiishness' he might still
be at large.-Ledger Monthly.
Some Chinese Riddles.
Chinese boys are very fond of ask
ing riddles, and some of the juven lie
prodigies of ancient days are repre-
sented as having been very clever in
composing these enigmas. A few,
somewhat similar in form to many