New-York tribune., 1903-01-02

The house chaos. One lamp burned. a cheap
made in Germany affair, which gave but sufficient
light to show the hopeless disorder of the room.
The furniture stood about at all impossible angles;
pictures. instead of being neatly arranged upon
the walls rested on the floor. leaning their faces
against the wainscot things in grief: books.
loosely tied with coarse string. were flung here.
a bundle of fireirons huddled there Chaos in
describabe.
But Stuart Braser methodical philoso-
phic soul the very type of the satisfied and salts
factory suburban dweier. He had glanced at the
disheartening scramble OF furniture and orna-
without the least little discourag cement. To-
morrow. tonight he would begin to set things
to rights.
The June night closed in. and Stuart Brazier sat
in his comfortable chair, smoking and turning
matters in his mind. He glad to be at
length in the first detached house he had
possessed: he thought Of its spacious lawns
spacious for London suburb and Of the grounds
we'll bushed in from spying neighbors. He was
glad, too, that he had sent his wife and LITTLE girl
to Margate, where, in bracing air. they would
know nothing of the discomforts of a moving day.
The dust and the turmoil of the morning. the heavy
boots trampling uncarpeted stairs. the sight
of straining in their determination not to
injure heavy furniture, the sounds of hammers and
falling things. the whole picture Of turning out of
one house and going into another had got upon
his just Ntle. and nov that he sat at
rest he rest disnclined TO stir himself. But write
to Margate Se must His wife would look to re-
CelVe letter from me nfSI lnlnS III tnS
ing telling her all about It; assuring her that no
precious family god had been broken. and that her
jewelry box was quite safe. After their little girl,
the chief care OF the Brazers was that small tin
box which contained the wife's valuables- Its
contents were richer than usually found in a
suburban villa for both Stuart Brazier and his
wife connected with people who could well
afford to remember in pleasant and substantial
way birthdays and did remember them.
At length Stuart Brazier stirred himself. He
ref1lled and lighted his huge homey pipe gathered
a miscellaneous collection of bric-a-brac on the
round table, and sat down to write. He wrote
cheerfuIy. telling all about the small events that
make up a moving, and, strangely enough hau
Just finished these words: Like a tinker. am
happy In my squaor; all yearn for is company,
and I wonder who will first foot our new house?
when his ear caught the sound of footsteps coming
boldly up the gravel path which led to the front
door. Brazier listened, and then quickly glanced
ct his watch. "Ten o'clock" le uuttered TO hin1-
self TOO late to be the last post Now, VINO the
| deuce is coming, and what does he want? Per-
hans one of the movers has left something behind
AS the crunching sounds grew nearer. Brazier
| made out that there must be more than one per-
| son approaching his door. The windows OF the
room in which he sat wide open. allowing him
to hear with great distinctness. Outside, the nsh'
| uyas Mitch dark occasionally Illuminated by neat
| lightning which blotted out moon and stars the
whole world seeming to pant in the carany neat oi
| threatening rain Within few yards OF the 1ront
| door the visitors paused, and the next iiiSeai'
! Brazier heard the high pitched voice OF woman
| say: l., -
"I,n SIRE there's robbers In; feel 1t In my
| bones
BE quiet dear: do shut up, roughly con'lnahueo
the voice Of man.
Glow can be quiet II burglars and houseDreaK-
| ers are rl1rnpling and tearing my
| ooh shut up You'll be in Mysteries nrst thlng
YOU know. You'd better stay out OF arm Wy
| Co hack there, to them bushes. and keep still
| sr 7vouI6n't leave you for worlds; indeed and In
| dead 7 wouldn't I would die OF fright. know
would
| "WeIl then, keep your ead shut. and let me ano
the constable do the talking or anything else
| rr.z,Ar er;nDed and started for the door, taking