Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-12-09

bed. That was his chance. He jumped
down on the grass and ran foo his bear
trap and set It just inside the gate and
ten minutes later was winding up the
clock with an innocent expression OF
countenance calculated to deceive the
cat.
''Now. why did father linRer be.
hindT' asked Jennie of herself as she
went upstairs. and. poking her head
out of front window. she saw him
engaged In some nefarious business on
the path-something that she investi-
gated fifteen minutes later and drag
ged 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 doz-
en- new hoes that night would not suf-
fee 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 doze
with new theory. II 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 man OF lightning had
cheated him out of $40 Ave 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 Scotia
what fur? he dreamily asked.
'T've got theory that Uncle Peter
has hung himself in the woodshed."
"Nonsense"
Don't say nonsense to me. ! never
had a 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 and buggy were not so far
away that she could not have made
them out had she been less occupied
with her theory. but as 1t was they
escaped her notice. The woodshed to
every well regulated house is in the
rear. 1t was so in the case of the
Scott home. To reach 1t old Mrs. Da
Wis had to leave the straight path. and
she hadn't made above ten steps when
there was a scream and n long drawn
yell to freeze the blood Of all hearers.
Uncle Peter heard 1t as he was begin
ming to dream Of broken hoe handles
and fat moles. and he jumped out OF
bed.
Old Mr. Davis heard 1t as he dozed
and wondered about theories, and out
of bed he came with his hair trying to
stand on end. Jennie and Mr.. Barlow
heard It and started forward with ex-
carnations of alarm. and thus II hap
pened that the four reached old Mrs.
Davis at about the same time. She
had been caught In the bear trap, Of
course. In leaving the path she had
stepped fairly into 1t. and as the jaws
came together she felt, as she said
afterward, that the last day had come
and she was ready to sail away.
There was an exciting time for the
next ten minutes. The poor old wom-
an was frightened half to death and a
good deal bruised by the teeth OF the
trap. and while she was being carried
across the road her husband was an
nouncing his determination to have
satisfaction under the law. Uncle Pc
ter realized that his theory had failed.
and Jennie and Mr.. Barlow had been
discovered conspiring. as 1t were. 1t
wasn't until the victim had been put
to bed. her hurts attended to by doc
tor and her husband calmed down by
a promise that the right thing should
be done that Uncle Peter turned on
the young folks and demanded:
"Well, what you got to say about all
this?"
Nothing. father" answered Jennie.
Nothing. Mr.. Scott" added the mer-
chant
"Waal. dunno as I have either"
observed the mole killer as he logged
into the house and left the others at
the gate to talk things over.