The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-07-10

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doors. Of course, don't know that
they're the same-man, his wife and
a mess of hungry children
"Guess you've hit the nail on the
head" ]" responded Edward Heiner.
cts no work and deal of wander
with 'em. Guess they know the
premises of everyone in Mecca by this
time, prowling round as they do"
II haven't wanted to speak of it
BEFORE" interrupted Mrs. Cramer,
with seeming reluctance and real
pride, "but I've kept my eye on 'em,
and that's the conclusion I've come
to. I've seen 'em troop past our out
side cellar door too often not to
think -
Edward Heiner scratched his head.
"That beats me !" he calculated.
Nov, I'd not thought of that, but
if it's so, it explains" He paused.
"But then, l may be mistaken" He
closed one eye, turned the other cell
ingward, and could not be induced to
say more.
Before the lapse of an hour Mrs.
Cramer had telephoned the partial
history of the Peasleys far and wide
in the neighborhood.
"You can put two and two together
always" she telephoned, with what
the drummer knows about 'em and
what Edward Heiner and we have
seen with our own eyes,"
A day later Edward Heiner STROLL
ed into the office, chewing a straw,
every line of his face telling of infor-
nation yet to be revealed.
"What is it? asked Uncle Billy
Loss, to whom Heiner's face was as
an open book.
Heiner looked attentively into his
hat, and transferred the straw into
the opposite corner of his month.
Finally he spoke, his eyes fixed on
his postofice box: 'tLast week 1
had six cords of wood piled up be-
hind the hen-house. We haven't
used stick of it"
"Well?" His audience crowded
more closely.
To-day I measured it, and it fell
short cord ''
The audience gasped, and were all
speaking at once when Mrs. Cramer
arrived. She opened the door and
her mouth simultaneously.
"Things have come to pretty
pass" she announced, "when we have
to put everything under lock and key
Didn't 1 tell you I've noticed the
Peasleys looking cellarway? Well,
last night 1 wanted some pineapple
for supper, and I went down the eel
lar to bring up can, and there wasn't
can left, not one, and l hadn't used
those pineapples near up ]"
A long drawn exclamation from the
assemblage rewarded Mrs. Cramer's S
announcement.
Then Miss Mehitable's voice cut
in: "How many more cans are you
sure you ought to have, Nancy :"
eat least a dozen !" retorted Mrs.
Cramer, impatiently. Then to her
xt-door neighbor she added, in a
lower tone, "Dear me ! How disa.
greeably Hetty can speak, can't sheP'
This was the beginning of trouble
for Mecca Summit. Each day fresh
thefts were reported in the postofice.
IT had thirty hens month ago,
declared Luke Cary, "and last night
after they'd gone to roost counted
and found just twenty -fve-yes, only
twenty-five I don't wonder that
Peasley tribe can live by tramping
our fields. We've got to get rid oi
them somehow"
"I tell you what I'm going to do l''
exclaimed Miss Mehitable, suddenly
emerging into view from behind the
post boxes.
"Well?" Everyone looked at her
expectantly.
She glanced about thoughtfully.
"No, come to think, I won't tell till
it's done. It's generally better to dc
things first and tell of them after
wards"
A disappointed protest arose, but
Miss Mehitable closed her lips firmly
and sat down in front of her desk,
merely adding: "As for us, we have
not missed thing or locked up a
thing"
Several days later Uncle Bill had a
different tale to tell, while Mehit able
kept silent, but looked worried.
''I've been rummaging around
some" proclaimed Uncle Billy, joy
fully-Uncle Billy had felt actually
chagrined at being behindhand in the
matter of losses and finally thought
to look after our pork. We don'i
use much this time of year, and ]
hadn't thought of it in long time.
Now we always keep it in a big
earthenware crock on a swing-shell
in the east cellar. l know" with
emphasis and glance directed at his
niece, "that the crock was there wher
1 fixed the shelf two weeks ago, and
now," with another glance toward
Mehitable, "I'm sure it amt there
or nowhere else in the cellar, for I've
hunted high and low. Of course
I'm not saying who has made of
with that crock of pork"
"Of course not" laughed Mrs
Cramer. "All you can do is to put
two and two together !" Then
sweetly, "Hetty, have you hunted
for the pork ?"
"I've not had time to make a thor
ough Search" admitted Miss Mehita
BILE.
Something" declared H lin er
"must be done. We must rid th'
place of those thieves. l object t
helping support an able-bodied fam
ily."
$50 do l." came in a chorus, Uncl
Billy adding, "That pork of ours wa
the finest we'd ever had. I'll mis-
it powerfully in beet greens. but thel
Its gone.
"Along with my wood" said Hei
ner.
"And my cans of fruit"
GA..1 ~