Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-29

quite able to take charge of things
Either they had taken him alon
when going away from home or sha
left him with friends living in tn
city But now it was different
was almost man, and within tw,
inches of his fathers height!
That night, before going to bed
Arnold took care to look after tn
locks on the windows and to see t.
the furnace He gave the housemai'
and the cook permission to 60 to thei
respective homes to remain owe
night But be on hand early In tn
morning" he warned them. For 20,
must keep the house In order while
mother is away. You may give tn,
place a good cleaning during the mex
week."
After coming his lessons till II
O'Clock he retired to his own room or
the second floor, the windows o.
which overlooked q broad front porch
Cant have my windows closed" he
said, remembering his mothers warn
ing about the window locks. "But III
keep dads old hunting gun beside my
bed to brighten away the spooks that
might come peeping in"
- Then Arnold fell asleep, dreaming
pleasant dreams. It must have been
2 o'clock in the morning, when he sud
denly awoke with the feeling that
someone was moving about in the
spare-room. which joined his own
room, and whose windows overlooked
the same big front porch. He sat up
cautiously. not making the slightest
noise when moving about. Then he
listened fntently. Yes, there was no
mistake, there certainly was someone
moving about in the guests room!
Arnold slipped out of bed and crept
to the closet in his own room. There
he dressed himself more quickly than
he had ever done before. And when
he issued forth he would have deceiv-
ed his own parents as to his identity,
for he was in a policeman's uniform,
even to the bright star on his breast.
And he had q small, toy revolver in
his hand, though 1t was quite evident
that the hand which held the weapon
shook a bit.
''I'll creep out through my own win
dow" he said mentally, "and from the
porch I'll get my man as he comes
out" And he did not act a moment
900 soon, for hardly had he reached
he porch, hiding himself by standing
close against the wall where a dormer
above cast a deep shadow,
hen a neavy, dark form crept down
he hall from the guests chamber
md stood silently beside Arnold's
loor. Then, SO softly that it made not
he slightest noise, the dark form,
which was that Of man, opened Ar
lold's door and peeped in. Arnold had
,een wise enough to spread the covers
# his bed smoothly, and to place the
pillows up in a manner to suggest that
10 one was occupying the room, In
he bright daylight the bed would
lave shown the signs of having been
quickly spread, but in the almost i'm
darkness of the room 1t
ooked as though it had been carefully
made up, and had not since been dis.
urbed.
The housebreaker went softly about
he room, turning the light Of his dark
antern on a chest of drawers in the
orner. He went through the drawers,
hiding very handsome scarf pin and
:uff buttons, Arnold's pride in jew
Try. These he put into heavy bag
over his shoulder. Then he
Visited the other rooms on the second
1oor, and went down stairs, taking
of what family silver re-
NAMED out of the safe deposit vault.
But he did not seem to like his down
stairs haul, and went upstairs again,
going into the bedrooms with a hope
Of finding more jewels. He got a
splendid silver toilet set from Mrs.
Beatty's room, also long gold chain
which she no longer wore and which
lay in her jewel box on dresser.
Several other trinkets swelled his
store Of stolen things, and then, de-
Gliding there was nothing more to be
found worth carrying out, he decided
to depart by the way he had entered.
II might go out by the back door," he
unused to himself, ''for there seems to
be nobody about. But there's nothin'
like practicin' the porch stunt when
ever you git the chance. SO down the
porch path I travels" So saying, he
went to the spare room and stepped
out through the window upon the
porch. And as he turned to loosen the
sash curtain from his coat, for it had
caught there in some way, Arnold saw
his opportunity. With a quick leap
be was at the fellows back, his toy
weapon against his neck. Glands up"
be cried.
The burglar half turned, and seeing
the policeman's uniform, shrank back
against the wall and let fall his own
revolver which he had carried in his
right hand. Then, without a word he
threw up his hands. "Now, don't you
STIR said Arnold, keeping the revolver
against the fellows neck. "Or on
comes your head
The burglar stood very still, his back
towards Arnold. ''Ill call to the peo-
pie in the next house, and If you move
while I'm doing it, well, you'll never
know what happened" Then, in a
lusty voice, Arnold called, Help!