Smyrna times., 1906-08-08
I'd to deceive

.. .;rher linger be-
.t-,I. l@n-. .in.e Df herself as she
y, ent Upstairs. and. pOking her head
out .. 4 frJlt window. she saw-him
engaged in some nelarious business on
the path-something that she investi-
gated fifteen minutes later and
dragged to one side on the lawn.
The merchant had been detained. He
had also forgotten that farmers re-
tired to their beds when the hens went
to rOost 1t was 10 O'Clock when he
came driving out Jennie heard him
coming and walked down the road to
meet him. Knowing her father as she
did, she knew that a present of a
dozen new hoes that night would not
suffice to soothe his injured feelings.
1t would be best to notify Mr.. Barlow
of this fact and turn him back and say
good night.
At about the hour mentioned above
Uncle Peter reused up out of a dOze
with new theory. 1t was to the ef-
feet that some lightning rod men
might come along in the night and
seek to arouse the house for lodgings
and step into that waiting bear trap.
He was about to get up when he re-
membered that a a>man of lightning had
cheated him out of $40 five years be-
fore, and he therefore decided not to
bulge. He had just come to this de-
cision when old Mrs Davis said:
Andrew. I'm goin' to get up and go
over to ScOtts.'
what fur?' he dreamily asked.
1--WE got a theory that Uncle Peter
has hung himself in the wood shed.'
NONSENSE
Don't say nonsense to me. l never
had theory yet that didn't turn out
right. I'm gOin' right over there, and
if you hear me yell out you'll know
what has happened"
She partly dressed and left the house.
Jennie and Mr.. Barlow and the horse
ard buggy were not so far away that
she could not have made them out had
she been less occupied with her theory
but as it was they escaped her notice
The wood she'd to every well regulated
house is in the rear. 1t was so in the
case of the Scott home. To reach il
old Mrs. Davis had to leave the straight
path, and she hadn't made above ter
steps when there was a scream and q
long drawn yell to freeze the blood OF
all hearers. Uncle Peter heard it as he
was beginning to dream of broken hoe
handles and fat moles, and he jumped
out of bed.
Old Mr. Davis heard it as he dOzet
and wondered about theories, and ou
of bed he came with his hair trying t.
stand on end. Jennie and Mr.. Barlow
heard it and started forward with ex
carnations of alarm, and thus it hap
pened that the four reached old Mrs
Davis at about the same time. Sh
had been caught in the bear trap, o
course. In leaving the path she hat
stepped fairly intoiit, and as the jaw
came together she felt, as she SAT-
afterward. that the last day had com
and she was ready to sail away.
There was an exciting time for th
, next ten minutes. The poor old woma
was frightened half to death, and
!, |
trap, and while she was being carrie
, across the road her husband was al
, nouncing his determination to have sa
+, isfaction under the law. Uncle Pete
realized that his theory had failed, an
Jennie and Mr.. Barlow had been di
= covered cOnspiring as it were.
wasn't until the victim had been pI
to bed, her hurts attended to by do
!, tor and her husband calmed down b
" a promise that the right thing shoul
be done that Uncle Peter turned on ii
, young folks and demanded:
well, what you got to say about a
this?'
Nothing, father" answered Jennie
. = Nothing, Mr. Scott" added the me
= chant.
:, wall. l dunno as l have, either" o
- served the mole killer, as he logged in
the house and left the others at Il
- gate to talk things over.