Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-11-23

and Merridew, instead of going home,
turned back into the house. He shot
the bolt and put out the hall gas, and
then crept upstairs to Hennessy's
dressing room, which looked over the
front garden.
One O'Clock came and with il few
passers-by from the last tram. The
--rden gate clicked aad Merridew,
looking through the half-closed win
fow-the dressing room was in dark
ness-saw a man walk unsteadily up
the path. 1t was Hennessy After five
minutes fumbling he managed to get
his key in the keyhole and uttered an
exclamation Of triumph On finding
that the door was bolted he changed
his note and Merridew shook with
laughter
He stumbled over the flower bed
and went round the corner of the house
10 the scullery window 1t was about
six feet from the ground and about two
feet square. but by standing on an in
yerted flower pot and going through
kind Of acrobatic performance it was
possible for a man very much in earn
est to get through. Hennessy had done
so before when the servant girl had abb
sent -mindedly bolted him out, and had
| Dragged about the feat afterward.
On this occasion he was half in and
half out OF the window wnen he was
seized from behind and hauled down
into a potato bed.
Got you this time" said the police
man. pinning him against the wall
VIII YOU come quietly or are you
going to make fool Of yourselt?'
Go away, you blockhead, said Hen
messy fercely This is my own house
and I've been locked out Knock at the
4 door and y0ull Gnd It Is so"
The policeman consented 70 knock
+ and after he had knocked six or seven
i times there was the sound of the bolts
and chain being unloOsed and Merri-
t dew opened the door.
Here Merridew. tell this fat-headed
Il mean tell this active and intelligent
officer that I'm not a burglar
Says he lives here. said the police
man, grinning. Beg pardon for knock
ing you up. sir
by Joye! Have you caught the beg
/ gar?" said Merrldew Well done, OH
Ger. Do you want any help TO take him
to the station?'
For Gods sake don't play he fool .
said Hennessy. Tell him it's all right
and make him let go
HIM" said Merridew. that would
I be playing the fool. my friend. Take
him away, officer This is the man |
saw hanging about. recognize his
truculent aspect"
At this Hennessy lost his head. He
/ twisted round with the suddenness OF
a catherine wheel and in another mo-
ment he and the policeman were en-
gagged in a catch-as-catch-can wrest-
/ ling match all over the cherished front
garden. For five minutes Merridew
could not tell which was policeman and
| which was Hennessy. Sometimes they
were wallowing in the garden path to-
gether. sometimes they were trampling
| the flower beds and shrubs 10 ruin,
| sometimes they were doing their best
to force each other through the wall
of the house. but all the time they
were devastating something At length
Hennessy upset the law into a holly
bush and the policeman, with a shrek,
let 60 Hennessy leaped the fence and
tore madly down the road.
The policeman did not linger in the
holly bush. He set off in pursuit like
a spurred racehorse, waking the echoes
with agonized blasts on his whistle.
Two other policemen appeared from
nowhere and joined in the chase, but
Hennessy kept ahead rounw several
turnings and al last. getting back to
his house. rushed through the hall into
the dining room and fell on the carpet
with a crash lie lay there. painting,
without strength TO remove the die
tionary which had taken him in the
small of the back and completed Mer-
ridew's triumph.
Mrs Hennessy returned from the
seaside TO find model husband. Hen
messy never comes down by the last
train now. He spends his evenings
renovating the front garden.