Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-04
"The First Foot
[By Robert Barr.l

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| The house was chaos. One lamp
/ burned, a cheap made in Germany al
(, fair, which gave but sufficient light 10
lshow the hopeless disorder of the room.
! The furniture stood about at all I'M
/ possible angles; pictures, instead OF
being neatly arranged upon the walls,
rested on the floor, leaning their faces
| against the wainscot. as things IN
grief; books, loosely tied with coarse
string, were flung here, bundle OF
fiireirons huddled there. Chaos indie
scribable
| But Stuart Brazier was methodical.
philosophic soul, the very type of the
satisfied and satisfactory suburban
dweller. He had glanced at the dis
lheartening scramble OF furniture and
ornaments without the least little dis
couragement. Tomorrow, not tonight,
he would begin to set things to rights.
The June night closed in, and Stu
art Brazier sat in his comfortable
chair. smoking and turning matters
over in his mind He was glad to be at
length in the first detached house he
| had ever possessed; he thought of its
Ispacious lawns, spacious for London
suburb, and of the grounds well pushed
in from spying neighbors. He was
glad too, that he had sent his wife and
little girl to NIargate, where. in brac-
ing air. they would know nothing of
the discomforts of moving day. The
Idust and the turmoil of the morning,
the heavy boots trampling on uncar-
lpeted stairs, the sight of men strainng
| in their determination not to injure
heavy furniture, the sounds of ham,
mers and falling things the whole
picture of turning out of one house
and going into another had got upon
| his nerves just a little, and now that
he sat at rest he felt disinclined to stir
himself But write to Margate he
must. His wife would look to receive
a letter from him the first thing in the
morning, telling her all about it; as
surfing 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 Braziers was
that small tin box which contained the
wifes valuables. Its contents were
richer than are usually found In a
suburban villa, for both Stuart Brazier
and his wife We're connected with peo-
| pie who could we'll afford to remem-
| Der in a pleasant and substantial way.
birthdays. and did remember them.
| AT length Stuart Brazier stirred HIM
self. He refilled and lighted his huge,
homely pipe, gathered miscellaneous
! collection of brio a-brac off the round
/ table, and sat down to write. He wrote
cheerfully, telling all about the small
events that make up a moving, and,
strangely enough. had just finished
these words: Like tinker, am
happy In my squalor; all yearn for
| is company, and / wonder who will
first foot our new house," when his
ear caught the sound of footsteps COM
| ing boldly up the gravel path which
| led to the front door. Brazier listened,
and then quickly glanced at his watch.
Ten o'clock" he muttered to himself.
TOO late to be the last post Now,
who the deuce is coming, and what
does he want? Perhaps one of the
movers has left something behind"
! AS the crunehing sounds grew nearer,
| Bra2ier made out that there must be
more than one person approaching his
| door, The windows of the room in
| which he sat We're wide open, allowing
| him to hear with great distinctness.
| Outside, the night was pitch dark, oc-
casionally illuminated by heat light
ming which blotted out moon and stars,
| the whole world seeming to pant in
| the clammy heat of threatening rain.
Within a few yards of the front door
| the visitors paused, and the next in
slant Brazier heard the high pitched
voice Of a woman say:
| Dpt,, spra fbara'c rObharo In fcol ~
in my bones"
"Be quiet, dear; do shut up" roughly
commanded the voice of a man.
How can 1 be quiet, if burglars and
hous ebreakers are rulnpling and tear
ing my"
"Oh. shut up. You'll be in Mysteries
the first thing, you know. You'd better
stay out of arms way. Go back there.
to them bushes. and keep still"
Il wouldn't leave you for worlds; in
| deed and indeed 1 wouldn't. would
die of fright; know would"
well, then, keep your cad shut, and
I let me and the constable do the talking
or anything else
/ Brazier grinned and started for the
door, taking the miserable light with
him. Before he hal picked his way
thru the furniture to the hall, the front
bell was rung violently. lie placed the
lamp on the hall table, and, finging
open the door, asked:
We'll, what's up?'
! whats up indeed! How have you
| got into this house?" demanded some
one. he could not we'll see who.
"By promising to pay rent, principal
ly,' Brazier replied, good naturally.
realizing that mistake had been made,
q mistake thatwould turn out all right
for him in the end. Peering into the
darkness. he saw that the party num-
bered three: man. woman and
constable. The man had in his hand a
large Gladstone bag. which before re-
plying to Brazier's little witticism, he
proceeded to place upon the grass.
well, by 'eavens. you're cool Gus
toner you are. What are you doing in
my 'ouse?"
I'm not in your house"
Its a lie you are!" exclaimed the
man. in a passion "You thought to