The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-06-19

and called, but she made no answer,
Her first impulse was to set the house
afire; her next was to go down and
brain Jonas; her third was to write
some sad verses to be left behind to
make folks feel all cut up. In the end
she climbed out Of her window in the
dusk of the evening and slid to the
ground. Her father had come up
from the field, and Sarah lodged him
and Jonas and took refuge In the
granary of the barn.
It seemed to the girl that there
were forty things to be mad about and
to sulk over. She sat down on the
floor in a corner of the little dark
room and tried to plan. 1t was hard
to find a way out Of her troubles. She
was ready to defy her father, and
she didn't so much mind the box on
the ear, but there was Jonas. He had
been scared stiff. She felt like pound
ing him with club.
1t was when husband, wife and
hired man sat down to supper that
Sarah Jane had a crying spell all by
her lonesome. Not quite, however
She had score Of rats and mice for
company and sympathizers. She was
still weeping when she heard the men
folks come out after supper. Two
minutes later something happened to
burn up her tears. Some one enter
ed the barn with soft footsteps. 1t
wasn't her father, and it wasn't Jonas.
Who, then, could it be?
It was almost pitch-darK In the
barn, and the man had to feel his
way. 1t was the fact that most farm
barns are constructed after the same
plans that enabled the stranger to
head for the granary. He got down
could follow his approach every foot.
1t could be no tramp, or he would
have sought the haymow. He came
along almost inch by inch, and when
he had gained the granary he rose up
and lifted the cover of the oat-bin and
left something inside. Then he stood
listening. Sarah Jane held her
breath for ten seconds and then ut
tered a scream that jumped him a
foot high.
The intruder ran for the door, and
was just in time to meet Jonas out
side. The hired man didn't waste
time wondering where he was at. He
reached out and seized the other, and
they went rolling over the ground
The farmer came up, and his wife
came out, and Sarah Jane found her
way to the door and kept up a-scream.
ing; but Jonas had che fight all to
himself In time he won 1t, but not
before he had been cut twice with a
knife. When they had the fellow
trussed and tied they took a good
look at him and found him a stranger
and a mighty ugly one, too. He
claimed to be a tramp looking for
lodgings, but the package he had left
in the oat-bin settled that.
He was one OF the trio who had
robbed the county treasurer's Office
twelve miles away, in broad daylight
and had been lodging and hiding for
hours. There was $4,000 in the pack
age, and there lay one of the robbers
anu anu oiIiIiS
for the constables. Jonas had been
been pretty badly knitted, and as soon
as it was known Sarah Jane cried
out:
Father, you go after the 'squar' at
once"
For WHY"
THAT he may marry Jonas and
me-"
So it came about that it was Jonas
very own wife that bound up his
wounds and fed him chicken soup I'm.
til he could 60 back to pork and
beans. When he could talk business
he said to the farmer:
1--WE got bill agin' you for $4,000"
What for?"
For marrying Sarah Jane two or
three years before we was ready"
Copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)