Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-10-23

| further, but when she got upstairs she
| took a cautious look from the window
and saw a big dog rolling in a flower
bed in the front yard. This was doubt
! less the would be burglar Mr.. Bowser
| had seen as he came in, but she didn't
| seek to enlighten him. An old hair
brush and a "get OUT sent the dog
over the fence in a hurry, and she
went to bed feeling that Mr.. Bowser
would have his troubles for his pains.
She had no sooner passed upstairs
than he brought up his club, slipped
the catches on the front windows to
give the burglar a show and then sat
down behind one of them to wait.
When he got tired of sitting, he tip
toed up and down the parlor, followed
by the cat, who couldn't make things
clear From 10 to II o'clock Mr.. Bow
ser was on the strain. A score OF times
he spat on his hands and grasped his
club for blow, but score of times
he was deceived. At a quarter past IL
he softly assembled the stairs to find
Mrs. Bowser asleep and all quiet, and
he descended to say to himself:
"He's more crafty than | expected,
or else he thinks he can't reach the
windows. I'll give him better show;
| I'll quietly open the front door and
give him a chance to walk in"
The door was opened, and Mr.. Bow
ser took seat on a chair in the hall
and watched and listened. The voices
of the crickets f1oated in to him as they
romped over the grass, and now and
then a belated pedestrian went by with
faltering step, but midnight came and
went, and the would be had not bur-
glared. Then the cat purred herself
to sleep, and the watcher began to
doze. He was thinking to himself
what 'sjar" he would inflict on the
intruder as the fellow came skulking
in when his eyes closed, he leaned
back against the wall, and in two min
utes he was snoring as regularly as
machinery. Then came a tramp who
had been moved on from bench in
I'll park three blocks away as he was
tt ing to beat the public out of bed.
he was looking for an alley and a
shed when he caught sight of the open
door. He reasoned that the Open Door
society must have it's headquarters
there, and he softly entered the yard
and assembled the steps. He was eau
i tious by nature, but those SHORES reas-
sured him. and after bit he looked in
and made out Mr.. Bowser and his
club and his cat 1t didn't occur to
him to wake the Waterman up and ap-
ply for lodgings. He was no man to
make other people trouble. He simply
advanced with catlike tread and re-
| moved Mr.. Bowser's watch and chain
and then took coat and hat from the
| hail tree. He was a man Of honor as
well as good walker. He had turned
away when he remembered the club,
and he did not go without it, although
he had to take it from between Mr..
Bowser's knees.
It was after 1 o'clock when Mrs.
Bowser woke uL with a feeling that
something was wrong. She got out of
bed and descended the stairs to inves
tigate, and she had closed the door
and lighted the gas when Mr.. Bowser
suddenly woke up and exclaimed:
"Ah, You crafty chap, but I've got
you now"
''Yes, you have" replied Mrs. Bowser
as she stood off and looked at him.
sWhats-what's the matter"
"Where's your watchw
"G-one, by thunder! Hand it back