Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-24

>he psfSeated Affpst 10 enter. Blu
Earesa wss OIL an ordinary tat
what shs diG wsIGo box Mop>s's EAR
souHdis ssaia. 81 few times Ia 81,
b. her o-ber children were asleep -
Jack 1T answer tyed thag thst were
4h-H. frightened B, some noise in IA,
chicken house. ~ seampered back 1,
liz hoJS~ with Nirsy m close pursuit
1iop>s Was >ooaI asleep uH1cr me
stute. lut Entekj Vas unease abeul
u-s family. and j. meweu 80 ioadis
under elsndiatbefS window that h..
fore dss 'isht he blessed and went out
% see what was fhe matter Then
hearing noise nd the chicken house
lr Weat out thers. To his surprise
ana aala2emenJ tlfrs Was a lishI in
the ca.e6su housed Looking thru the
Little high window grandfather saw 4
mJn a uoush who4 lived on The noun
'5iRside. ana Who bad been suspected
of stealing many sses. hut had never
~Dcen caught ia the set. lie Mas TRYING
10 tor,e the door open.
Hobo. called out grandfather.
chicken th,ei, ~ Keep quiet IN
hsse. Young man. have u gun here.
So grandfather k,at guard tlll DAY.
usht brought the ii bed man cut. when
he tnirl's hands Were tied and he
Mas taken 10 the village aad turned
over 10 the Constabk.
Grandfather Told all about II at
breakfast and tNpe arose IN Com
stances heart.
Grandfather. | b0n't believe you
would have caught lhe thief If Eureka
had moi Awakened you by her cry
ug
Pooh Pooh" sai III grandfather Il
should have been awake very soon
and have found hing
Il believe Eureka knew and called
you ON purpose" DECLARED loyal Con
stance, And ande think il is is
Crue. 10 give her and the kittens away
when she found the athief."
Wen, little lawyef If you canproye
her case. You shall Keep them" said
grandfather. And then he told grand
mother he would start AT half-past
nine. and asked her TO have bag or
basket ready for tha cats.
Constance did NOD know how she
could prove il; SO be called The XII
ems 10 have Jewell hour with
hem. Only Mopsy Was to be found.
Then Constance Mad an idea. and
she ran OUT 10 the thicken house to
see il it was correct As she started
10 open the door. With Mopsy under
her feet she called 10 srandfathee.
who was in the wagon house.
Grandfather came and opening the
door. Constance led him inside - or
rather Eureka led lie way. and with
JOYFUL bound jumpfd to the corner
nest and purred lovingly to the three
lonesome kittens.
Constance beamed. fGrandfather, did
you put hose kittens here?"
"Me?' he laughed 81 haven't ever
touched EN-"
Were they in the Kitchen when YOU
went TO bed"
Yes, answered gtndfather.
WAS the chicken lpuse door locked
when you went to bel?"
Yes answered grandfather. III al.
ways u.s."
Then" said Constance. with a dig
hiaed AR, Il say that Eureka carried
nose kittens out hep and found the
donr open with your Thief inside. and
| say that she must have shut the
door and caught him N for YOU. for he
would nj nave done himself. would
he? And Eureka sacrificed her own
comfort, TOO, by SHUT BIZ herself away
from the three kittenh"
Grandfather laueheE til he nearly
cried. You're lawyd. sure enough
ne satd. Ana your c}se is proved by
.clrcumstantial evidend. | suppose no
one Dut the lhlef and Eureka can tell
me real tale. You sh4l keep the cats,
Connie. ii you will tk to keep them
out of mischief"
At the trial of the chicken thief he
confessed that after Sealing for years
IL Upset hlm a great DIAL to be caught
by a cat, for he had SEEN Eureka ana
Mopsy fight, and the door had locked
before be could get ID il.
Connie shur Eureka up in the corn
crib. and forced her II catch mice. by
not feeding her, and Eureka became
so fond OF the sport Of mouse catching
mat beefsteak and hbit hunting in
The pantry lost all chdFm for her.