The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-05-22

W : = une Dug. linen see twas Clara
Hopkins, scarf pretty nigh to death.
Oh, Cap'n Err says she oh.
Cap'n Err
row?
Burglarsr says she. maxim fast
to my arm. .Burglars!
4 had to laugh. couldn't help it.
Burglars at 10 o'clockY says. Did
they come to supper
But they're there, she says. 'Ev-8
erybody heard 'em, Bradley and all
I couldn't b'lieve twas burglars
even then, but knew if Brad Nicker-
son took any stock in it somethin' was
UP. And the poor girl was tremblin'
like Peleg Myrick's pup.
All right, Clara says l. Let's 90
in and shake hands with EN-
So in we went When we struck
the dllin' room there was Brad in the
middle of the floor lookin' pretty toler-
bic foolish, with Prissy moored to his
coattails and Tempy with Glove
hitch round his waist. All hands look
ed s'prised to see me, but no more N
was to see them. What is this? says
I. Living statuesY
Brad, he kind of grinned Well
says he, the ladies thought they heard
some one in the kitchen, but guess
Thought we heard emf busts out
Prissy. Why, you heard 'em your
selfr
"And now Brad, he held up his
hands, poker and all. All right, all
right! says he. Now that were re
enforced maybe we'd better go out and
interview 'em. They might die Of old
age If we stay here much longer
$50 he winked to me and the feet
got under way Me and Brad led off,
like couple Of tugs, and the women
folks strung out behind, like coal
barges, holdin' on to each others
wrappers and breathin' hard
I'VE opened the kitchen door and
sailed in-that is, Brad and / did. The
coal barges got in lump, SOS to speak,
In the doorway and stayed there.
There was a lamp burnin' side Of a
pan of dough on the table, but, jest as
I expected, we was the only humans In
sight
Looks ns if the burglars had got
tired of waitin' for us and got mad
and gone home,' says l. Don't know
what they broke into the kitchen for,
anyhow. I've heard of feller's steal
In redhot stove, but
BRAD looked puzzled, sort of. I
sartinly heard something movin' out
here he says. Most likely twas
stray cat, and it's hidin' around some
where's
'But jest then comes whistle-a
squeal, l mean-from the barges.
Tempy's headlights were poppin' out
of her head, and she was p'intin' a
shaky finger at the floor There was
big muddy footprints all over it,
"Well, own up was set back two or
three rows. Somebody had been there,
that was sartin. I've seen cats with
double paws, but no cats made them
prints.
"'Humphp says l, and Brad agreed
with me.
81 was standin' right in front Of the
door of the closet where the old maids
kept their pots and pans. And jest
then inside that closet bust out the
most outrageous racket ever you
heard Bifity, bang. thump! And
then coughin' and sneezin' like forty
packs of thunder crackers.
Il amt narvous man, gin'rally
speakin', but | got up and moved sud
den. didn't exactly run. but | kind
of glided over to the sink. Leastways
I was backed up against it when | re
membered to take an observation.
The women grabbed each other and
screeched. Brad, he turned sort of
yeller round the gills, but he was the
coolest one in the bunch
1.-The bangin and barkin' and sneez-
in in the closet kept right up to time.
Whoever it was, he wasn't shirkin'
his work none to speak of.
".Come out of thatH yells Brad.
maxim dive for the door.
''Afore be could reach it that door
few open of itself. Out comes some
thin doubled up like a jackknife. 1t
kind of paved the air with its flippers
and dove head first for the sink. I
give it all the room it needed-didn't
want to be selfish.
'Hoo-rash-oor remarks the thing
as if it meant it too. Then it showed
its head into the water bucket.
The whole congregation was con-
siderble shook up. Nobody felt like
risin' and addressin' the mourners
The critter at the water bucket splash
ed and gurgled for minute. Then it
turned round. It's head and face was
all streaks of red and brown, and the
water was drippin' off its chin. Who
was it? You'd never guess in a mil
lion years!
II swan to man if it want Ez Tit
comb!
"'Oh, it's the cap'nv squeaked Tenn
py and went down in a heap.
'Hoo-rash-oop says Cap'n Ez, sort
Of openin' tho conversation.
81 xs,uc I