Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1917-03-07
'(Copyright, by tho Bebbs-Merrill Com
panYl

downright BY the Ssny RS'0s-MsFrin Com
The chief officer had been eying him
closely. "Say!" he exclaimed. "Aren't
Fou Limber-Limb Grant?" The burglar
Erinned, but did not answer. by
Jove" shouted the officer. 1T is!
Call the girls down here" he ordered,
and when they appeared, gazing at the
burglar with mingled admiration, pity
and fear, he congratulated them with
considerable excitement.
'It's Limber-Limb Grant," he ex-
planned. 'There's a reward of five
hundred dollars for him. You'll get
the money, as sure as you're born"
Then he turned again to the burglar.
Say, Grant, what's a fellow like you
loing on such fifth-rate job as this?
A Methodist parsonage is not just in
your line, is it?''
Limber-Limb laughed sheepishly.
WELL" he explained good-naturedly,
Chicago got too hot for me. I had
to get out in hurry, and I couldn't
get my hands on any money. / had a
inc lot of jewels, but I was so pushed
couldn't use them. I came here and
Ioafed around town for while, be-
cause folks said Mount Mark was so
fast asleep it did not even wake up
long enough to read the daily papers.
heard about this parsonage bunch,
and knew the old man had gone off to
get more religion. This afternoon at
the station saw detective from Chi
cago get off the train, and knew what
that meant. But I needed some cash,
and so I wasn't above little job of
this kind. never dreamed of getting
done up by bunch Of preachers kids.
[ went upstairs to get those family
Jewels I've heard about, and one of
the little ones gave the alarm. al
ready had some Of them, so I came
down at oace. stopped in the dun
geon to get that money, and first thing
knew the door banged shut. That's
all. You're welcome to the five hun
dred dollars, ladies. Someone was
bound to get it sooner or later, and
I'm partial to the ladies, every time"
Mr.. Starr on Thursday morning had
taken the early eastbound train to
Burlington. Ee attended the evange-
iistic services at the tabernacle in the
afternoon and evening, and then went
next morning. When he finally ap-
peared the clerk came at once from
behind the desk to speak to him. Two
Or three other guests, who had been
lounging about, drew near.
We've just been reading about your
girls, SIR said the clerk respectfully.
TITS pretty nervy little bunch! You
must be proud Of them!'
my girls !" calculated Mr.. Starr.
Haven't you seen the morning pa
per? You're Mr.. Starr, the Methodist
minister at Mount Mark, aren't you?"
81 am! But what has happened to
my girls? is anything wrong? Give
me the papef!"
Five minutes later Mr.. Starr and his
suitcase were in taxicab speeding
toward Union station, and within eight
minutes he was en- route for Mount
Mark-white in the face, shaky in the
knees, but tremendously proud in
spirit.
Arriving at Mount Mark, he was in
stantly surrounded by an EXPLANATORY
crowd of station loungers. The name
of Prudence was upon every tongue,
and her father heard it with satisfac-
ton. In the parsonage he found at
least two-thirds Of the Ladies' Aid So
ciety, the trustees and the Sunday
school superintendent, along with q
miscellaneous assortment of ordinary
members, mixed up with Presbyterians,
Baptists and few unclassified outsid-
ers. And Prudence was the center Of
attraction.
She was telling the "whole story
for perhaps the fifteenth time that
morning, but she broke off when her
father hurried In and flung her arms
about him. ooh, papa" she cried,
"they mustn't praise me. had no
idea there was a burglar in the house
when ran down the stairs, and hon
estly can't see that much credit ia
due me-
But Mount Mark did not take it SO
calmly. And as for the Methodist
church-well, the Presbyterian people
used to say there was mo living with
those Methodists, since the girls caught
burglar in the parsonage" OF course
1t was important, from the Methodist
point Of view. Pictures Of the par
sonage and the church were in all the
papers for miles around, and at their
very next meeting the trustees decided
to get the piano the Sunday school had
been needing for the last hundred
years!
When the five hundred dollars ar
rived from Chicago, Prudence felt that
personally she had no real, right to the
money. 1--WE must divide It," she in
sisted, "for didn't earn it a bit more
M