Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-22

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 That's good idee," says Abner. "If they won't be safe now," says he, you mowt jest as we'll turn 'em loose and let 'em run from Dan to Beershe- by," says he.
 ""And more than that" says Caleb, "I'm gointer to set the bar trap right in front O the cabin door," says he.
 "'Poor old Abner he winced with a. twang O the rheumytiz, and when he got over it he says to Caleb:
 That's another good idee," says he. "Only don't set the trap in front O the door. Set it under the window. If the thief comes he'll be sure you've got the door locked and he'll go to the winder to climb in," says Abner. "set the trap under the winder," says he.
 Caleb said he would, and along in the afternoon he started with the trap for the cabin. On the way there he got another idee. He wouldn't set the bar trap at the cabin. He'd rig up a dead fall door that'd come down with a bang and ketch on the bottom the minute The thief opened the real door to the cabin and stepped inside.
 Then he'd pail the winder down and as the dead fall door couldn't be opened from the inside, he'd have the thief snug in the cabin and his leg wouldn't be all smashed by @ trap. Caleb rigged up setch door.
 "'The work took SO long that Caleb didn't git back home till way after dark, and his sufferin' old father had gone to bed, so Caleb didn't disturb him to tell him about it.
 '"'Next mornin' bright and early, Caleb went over to the cabin to see if anybody had been circumvented in try in to walk off with sheep or two O hisn, and sure enough the dead-fall door was down.
 "'"Ha, hal" says Caleb. "I've got the sheep-stealin' citizen, have IF"
 "'He yanked the ketch of the door open and rig the deadfall. Josiah, who do you s'pose walked out O the cabin? Caleb's poor old father!
 "'Now, most fathers, after being treated like that, would have been 50 tremendous mad that they'd have made the fur fly around there, and no mistake, but sufferin' old Abner wasn't mad. He was jest hurt.
 "'His poor old heart was banged. He looked in sorrow at Caleb, and he says:
 "'"Caleb,'' says he, "I'd never "a thunk it of you. An only son, tool" he says. And trappin' for his poor old father as sheep thief! "If you didn't want me around no longer, Caleb," he says, stI'd "a gone fur, fur away, if you'd only give me hint. But, no mat ter. You needn't git no warrant. I'll go give myself up. You've cooked the evidence ag'in me, all right, and my gray hairs1l go down in sorrow to the county seat and rest in the jail"
 Caleb he jest bellered and bellered, to think that Abner should imagine for a minute that he s'pected him O bein' a sheep thief.
 Faint so much what you've done to me, Caleb" says poor old Ab- ner, "but what'll Jimmy say? will Jimmy be likely to take up with the son of sufferin' father that you've gone and made out to be sheep thief? She won't do it, Caleb! In ainin' at your poor old father I'm afeerd that you've put the ball under your own foreshoul- der, Caleb" he says.
 This made Caleb feel worse and worse to see what terrible thing he had gone and done, and he begged of his sufferin' parent to tell him what he could do to undo it.
 "'"Well," says Abner, the tears run nin' down his cheeks, 'T can't never feel the same to'rds you as uge' to, Caleb" ]" says he, "but seein' as you're con- science-struck, I won't disgrace you by exposin' what you've done, provided you give me $1o0 in cash and pay my stagin' to Sprout Hill, over in Jersey, where I've wanted to spend my closin' days, for long time back" says Ab- ner.
 And Caleb, sorrowin', done it. And he never sot no more traps for sheep thieves. And the funny part of it was that he never lost no more sheep nor chickens, which he said was more than he deserved, after treatin' his poor old father the way he did, when he had got up and gone way over to the cab in in the night, sufferin' as he was with the rheumatiz, to watch ag'in the comin' O. thieves and chase lem away. not wantin' 'em to git in the jaws O the big bar trap that he thought was sot under the winder.
 "'Caleb and Jimmy got married, but see what narrow escape Caleb had from losin' her, jest by trappin' for sheep thieves!
 "sOf course says I, there 'hadn' no setch danger in your tryin' a bar trap in your chicken coop, if you want I says; but bar traps clutches tre- mendous hard, and there's them a liv- in neighbors to you that,-well,' says, | you've heerd my little recollection O the Knob country, and if you want to set a trap, why set 1t! That's alll' I | says.
 ''Josiah sot and thunk g. spell, and then went home-I hain't spoke to old Jason nor mentioned his name in bet ter than four years, and here he goes and summonses me to be the defend ant in a. suit for islander he's brinoin' ag'in mel Must be that somehow he must a heerd somthin' or other and | l IA