Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-06-26
"All right DEAR" said John, an

home he went, not stopping long
enough to finish up the recollections Of
the college fight.
At home he found his wife sitting
curled up on little settee looking
| very much as she had looked when
five years before he had begged and
entreated and kissed her into saying
"Yes" She was twisting her hand
kerchief into little wads and ropes.
and he knew by that that she was dis
tracted about something.
| 81 know you think Pm silly to feel
this way when it's not even twilight
yet. But know positively that some
body tried the kitchen windows while
1 was lying down, and just couldn't
| get over it. l always was afraid of
burglars and ghosts" And then she
| had a nervous chill.
John said nothing. He took out
copy of Spencer and lighted a cigar.
After a time the baby was brought
home and put to bed. Mrs. Trumbull
had recovered from her nervousness
and was peeking out from behind
window shade listening to a conversa-
ton that was going on in the court.
The servant employed by the family
| in the apartment just below the Trum-
bulls abode was in the fiat opposite
telling the occupants Of that place that
| she was unable to get into the house.
| 81 can't turn the key, and If you
don't mind, ma'am, I'll go through
| your window"
| The people didn't mind at all. They
even held the girls parasol and pock-
etbook while she clambered from one
window to the other.
Then came a crash. It was a ter
rife crash Had the girl fallen into
the court? No. The sounds that came
| from the floor below were unlike those
heard when Hendrick Hudson played
ninepins in the Adirondacks. At that
point came a shrek, such as the stage
heroine gives vent to when the villain
| gets after her with butcher knife. 1t
| was sickening. Mrs. Trumbull waited
half second, then stuck her head out
of the window, and with the help of
half a dozen other feminine voices
called: MARY! Mary! What's the
matter"
The reply was a volley Of sobs and
squeals winding up with: 1.-THE flats
been robbed"
Mr.. Trumbull was surprised to see
his wife with hair streaming down her
back and hands clutching the folds of
a bath robe, go scooting through the H.
| brary out into the hall and down the
| stairs.
In ten minutes she returned. Her
eyes were big and black and scared.
Her teeth were chattering, and her
| hands were busy with each other. She
| curled up on the divan and looked at
| her husband.
John, what do you think? The
| Smiths fat has-been- robbed and
there's hardly scrap of anything left.
| They came through the kitchen win
dow. They even took some Persian
rugs and Mrs. Smiths sealskin. And
the silver's all gone, and the house
| oh, you just should see it! It's knee
deep with the things that they've
pulled out of the dressers and ward
robes"
John continued to read his Spencer.
''That's too bad," he said.
Silence Of five minutes.
"John," she spoke very softly.
"Yes?" he asked, not looking up from
Spencer.
John, do you know I'd just be scared
stiff If you weren't here"
John smiled sadly.
"You won't go off on that hunting
trip, will your
"Well-ll-u," he drawled uncertain
ly.
81 just won't let you, now. They
might come in and take my old candle
stick, or the baby, or my grandmoth-
er's set of china. And-Im not bit
afraid when you're here. Honest, Pm
notr'
Johns chest swelled up. This was
something new. He threw Spencer on
the floor and went and looked at his
revolver. Then he tried the dining
room windows. After that he threw
his arms out and doubled them up to
see if his muscle swelled up as it did
when he was a lad at school.
He walked back and forth through
their bit of fiat and held his head up
high. Then he sat down beside that
little tyrant Of a wife and looked her
in the eyes.
She giggled Historically and ran her
fingers across his mustache, just as
she used to do when poor John was so
crazy with love for her that she could
have pulled out every hair of his head
and he'd never have known it.
Dear" John said softly, 81 never
knew before that there was any place
for me in this house, that 1 filed any
want here. But now / find that l am
useful, that am a burglar-scarer. God
bless that man that stole those things
| downstairs. It'll be hard on the. Smiths,
but it's mighty fine thing for me-"
And they lived happy ever after. Or
had for a week, as the burglary only
took place that far back.-Chicago
Times-Herald.
Whole Town of Fid dIe.M kers
The only place in the world where