Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-09-22

rying her prank any further, nor did l. |
Mrs. Middleton proposed that on the |
night appointed for the robbery the |
gate should be locked and the police be |
called to protect the premises. Mr.. |!
Middleton was in the city and not eX-
pected at home for several days. /,
being the only man present, ventured
to suggest to Mrs. Middleton that the I
man would not be so gullible as to
trust himself in the hands Of a stran-
ger and nothing would come of it, but
the lady declared that she believed
many robberies were committed by
connivance of the servants and this
was a case in point.
After the matter had been duly dis
cussed by all except its perperator,
who had maintained a modest silence.
Georgia as soon as she got me alone
told me that she believed the man was
jailbird who had escaped or had end
ed his term and that she had completely
deceived him. She asked me to assist
her in carrying out her scheme. I told
her that the police would be only too
glad to be interested in it with a view
to capturing the man red handed
volunteered to sound them and learn
what they would rrefer to do.
1 did so and was told, after giving
them Georgia's description of the man,
that he was probably Red Mike, who
had recently been discharged after do
ing a term in state prison. They beg
ged me to secure them an opportunity
to trap him. I suggested that they put
a guard around the Middleton grounds
and take him as he entered, but they
said that by this course they would
have no charge to make against him,
whereas if he were permitted to enter
the house and was caught there carry
ing away property he could be sent
back to prison for another term.
When I reported these facts to
Georgia she asked me to grant the re-
quest of the police, but declared that
the matter must be kept from her
mother. l did not like to be mixed in
a matter of discrimination. but Georgia
said it could be managed with her
mothers knowledge of it. I finally left
her to do as she pleased. She deter
mined to communicate with her father,
who, returning from the city, after
hearing the story and giving his daugh-
ter the usual scolding upon one of her
unusual FRANKS, decided to give the
police the opportunity, if it occurred,
| to get in a criminal who was bent on
making a dishonest living.
! On the night of the expected bur-
| glary we amused ourselves as usual
| till about II o'clock, when we all went
to our rooms, agreeing that all lights
should be turned off at II. The rob-
berry was to be committed at 1. 1
turned off my light at the appointed
time and sat in the dark in my clothes.
My room overlooked the clubhouse
where the ladder that the burglar was
to use was kept, and the window
through which he was to enter was on
the same side Of the house. Shortly
before l o'clock began a watch upon
the clubhouse, but when ten minutes
after the appointed time had elapsed
and all was quiet I made up my mind
that it was. Georgia who had been
fooled instead Of the criminal
At seventeen minutes Of 2, when ]
was about to give up the watch and
go to bed, [ saw figure stealing to the
clubhouse. The door had been purpose
~ left ajar by the police, who We're il
a room overlooking the clubhouse.
saw the figure carrying something
which | presumed to be the ladder.
though it was too dark to discern what
it was, and by his motions I knew that
he was raising one end against the
house. Then I saw him slowly mount
the rounds.
I had left my door open SO thai /
could look into the hall and now wen,
to take position at the door. It Wis
not q minute, though it seemed l0nGeI.
after this change that the electric !...ilt:
on that floor were turned OF. tn1 i.u
lice sprang from the room they O~c,.
pied into the hall and thence into til
room the burglar had entered. / IA,
to the door of the room they were il.
reaching it just in time to see tie
seize the man and take from hiIl :,
box, which one of them opened. i,
was filed with pebbles.
The household was up and about. ~
!
was led out through the hail lie ijl.ssel
US all. When he came to Georgia
saw him start for he saw her, l1vt iii
cooks apparel, but dressed as Il lady
He scowled at her, but with EoN. T.
man on either side of him and n,,..,.
cuffed he had no opportunity fo: re
proaches. So he uttered no word
Georgia, having played her prank
now regretted that she had been ilstru
mental in returning man to prison
and began to urge her father to ust
his influence to prevent the rasca
being prosecuted. But Mr.. Middleton
told her that the matter was not il
his hands. The police had caught the
robber red handed and had the neces
, sary evidence to convict him.
Nevertheless. Georgia did not give up