The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-10-04

just struck ten. 1t was possible that
Stewart was still at the station. at work
on his report for the month. If he
could only call him up!
9TH try it." decided Billy.
He took a quilt from the bed and
dropped it lightly over the register.
"That'Il keep the sound of the instrI-
ment from getting down to the man.
he thought
Then he got out of bed noiselessly and
tip-toed across the room to the table
on which the instrument stood.
His hand shook as he touched the key
of the sender, so fearful was he that
Stewart would have left the office. He
sent the cali and waited almost
breathlessly for reply.
Presently click, click, click, went the
machine. and Stewart answered him.
a burglar here" he said to the sta
ton agent, over the wire. Send men,
quick. No time to lose. Hurry"
"All right" came 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 run 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.
He's hunting about for something
TO eat" thought Billy, land don't know
just where to look for it, so he has to
keep looking till he finds it. hope 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 | 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
priaH tN'Thoro'r y.-ba L.,
got in. He's in the pantry now" .
The man in the pantry heard him, as
well 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 bolt for the garden fence.
and two or three shots were fired at
him. One of them took effect. and with
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 clothcshne. 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
that class of MOTTO be-depended-o
persons, and feeling rather insecure
as long as he had the use of hands
and feet, they determined to be on
the safe side.
I'll 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 box in which Mr.. Mason
kept his valuables was found in the
tiower-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 tne village with them,
and he was lodged in Jail for safe
keeping.