Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1901-04-06
THE THEFT OF MRS. BROWN
BY Frederick X. Burton.

Dul II lew IllOnInS when lIltN HHu llltlE
first serious tiff. Mr.. Brown went to
business and Mrs. Brown SmOthCrCd her
tears. then went about doing the break
fast dishes. After that she proceeded to
clean the refrigerator. suddenly there
were heavy steps, and then two strange
rough looking men strding toward her.
Before She could utter so much as n
scream n coarse hand had been clappcd
violently over her mouth.
\ few minutes later the butchers boy
came in and found the Kitchen unocCu-
pied. He placed a roast on the table. \
number of other things were there
butter, Il can of milk, dish of fruit, half
a pie and a small canvas bag partly filled
with siIvcrwarc. The boy looked around
vacantly and went away again.
Meantime Harry Brown could not find
business duties cngrossing enough to shut
out from his thoughts the vision of a
fearful face. and he heard unhappy sobs
that went straight to his heart. At first
he told himself severely that the expert
cnCc would be a good lesson for her, but
before long he bluShrd with shame that
he should think of prcsuming to teach
such Il sweet little woman, whose frail
eXistcncc-thcrc were scarcely hundred
pounds of her altogcthcr-it was his duty
u tiltIlSIl anu IlIDlNtl llbHl hlSCplllIbIl
of every kind.
The luncheon hour was long in coming,
and during the interval Harry suffered
unuttcrablc tormcnts at the thought Of
how she must be suffering on account
of his stupid cruelty. He tried to get
away early, but fate was against him
there for matters came up that had to
be attended to and which nobody could
handle properly save himself Therefore
it came about that when at last he start
ed home it was fully half hour later
than his usual departure.
lie was in agony as he hurried along
the street, wondering how she would in
tcrprct his delay and feeling sure that
| she would believe that he still treasured
the ugly feelings of the morning. If she
could only know that he had been re-
morscful all the time!
Thus thinking, he dashed into the front
| door of his home. 1t gave him added an
| guSh and further self condemnation that
! she was not there to greet him. 1t was
| not possible that she still treasured the
resentment of the morning; it must be-
| then, that she believed he was angry as
ever. Poor little woman, He would
soon show her how rcpcntant he could be
"Lou"' he called anxiously as he step
| u''l iltp Ollc blIlIIS I'plH
There was no answer. 1t did not take
long TO explore every portion of the mod
est house, and, with more fears than he
| could count ut his throat, Harry returned
to the ground floor, going to the kitchen,
chcrishing lingering but faint hope that
his wife had gone into the garden.
No, she was not there, and the convic-
ton grew upon him that she had put
| into execution that oft made threat of
young wives and gone back to her moth
| er'S. The condition of things in the kltch-
en- seemed to Justify that theory; nothing
| put away, homework dropped as If the
little hands could not do one more stroke
for an ungratcful husband. Of sudden
llarry's fears took quite another turn,
| for he saw the canvas bag partly llled
with silVerware. lie knew the Signs.
| thieves had been at work. lhey had lett
their plumber. But what had they done
| with has wife! frightened her away
Harry ran to the nearest nelShbor $.
The good woman of the house there toil
| nm that she mad seen TWO men approach
ing and little later the butchers boy
| call. Then her attention had been alb