The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1908-01-30

sasu hau Deen pried up and the melo-
deon taken out, brass button of
jacket was also picked up in the snow.
Melodeons at that time had legs and
pedals which could be taken off, un-
like the later cabinet and parlor Or
gans Of which they were the prototype.
With its legs removed, the body Of the
melodeon resembled a box three feet
and a half long by two feet wide and
a foot in depth Nor was it SO heavy
but that one could lift 1t easily and
draw 1t away on a hand-sled.
No snow had fallen for a week or
more; the roads were we'll trodden. 1t
was impossible to track the thieves,
or do more than guess which way they
had gone, Not only had they taken
the melodeon, but they had searched
all the desks in the house and cap
tured every copy of school Songs"
1t would be difficult to describe what a
wave of indignation and excitement
swept through Number IL that night!
Naturally, we suspected the Number
boys from the first; but of course
they could not steal our melodeon and
install II at their schoolhouse without
being detected. Indeed, we could not
imagine what good it would do them
to take It. Six of US went over to the
Number schoolhouse that very night
and looked In We could see no sign
of the melodeon On our way back
we called at the Darnley farm and
asked Newman and Rufus If they
knew anything about 1t. They only
laughed at us. We could learn moth
ing whatever from them.
The news spread rapidly. We made
inquiries everywhere. Even the young
est scholars and little children over
in Number were cajoled and ques-
toned as opportunity offered, in the
hope Of picking up clue. The teacher
in that district, too, as well as several
Of the older persons, took the matter
up, and questioned the boys closely.
But not a thing could be learned
So may as we'll relate here what
had happened, although the facts did
not all come out until twenty years
later.
Our suspicious concerning the Num-
Der 0 boys we're well-founded; but Of
the four who had come to our musical
entertainment that Friday evening,
only one of them Newman Darnley,
was concerned in the capture Of the
melodeon. The three others knew
nothing about 1t.
On that Saturday afternoon New
man had gone to mill four mics from
home, with grist Of corn and barley
His road lay through Number II and
beyond it, AS It was late in the day,
he had to wait dis turn at the mill
till evening, and meanwhile he fell in
with a erony Of his, named Alfred
Battellow, boy whose habits were far
from good. To pass the time they
called at a rather disreputable grocery
near the mill. and had drink of hard
cider.
Newman did not get away from the
mill till after nine o'clock in the even
ing; Alfred set OFF with him. On their
way they stopped at public house
known as Tibbetts' Tavern, TO talk
with the drivers Of two teams which
were conveying supplies to a lumber
camp up in the great woods near the
boundary, and had put up at Tibbetts
for the night These supplies formed
bulky loads Of boxes and barrels,
slowed on two long sleds which stood
In front OF the tavern.
The schoolhouse in Number IL was
at the forks OF the road. half mile
from Tibbetts, and It was after leay-
ing the tavern, on their way home,
that the two, feeling fit for some prank
Matched the plan of taking our melo-
deon and hiding it in Que Of those
loads Of supplies bound for the lum-
ber-camps
The scheme presented itself to them
as an enormous joke. They drove
home with the grist; but after New
mans parents and the rest of the
household supposed that the two had
gone to bed, they sailed forth again,
procured box, hammer and nails,
and taking a hand-sled, returned TO
the sehoolhouse BY this time the
night was we'll advanced. No one was
asfir on the highway. They broke in,
cot out the melodeon. boxed it up
along with its legs and the school
sones. then hauled Il 70 the tavern.
nv this time everyone at Tibbetts
wes sound asleep; and the two boys
found little difficulty In oyerhauling
one Of the loads enough TO slip the
box inconspicuously inside it. This
done. they sneaked away home vastly
acl1led over what they deemed ire