Year: 1868

and going toward it he began pull
ing out the drawers, and examining
t them eagerly.


Tom was almost speechless with
surprise and anger, but as the stran.


ger reached the lower drawer, and
kneeled down on the floor to dive in


to it, a sudden thought struck him.


Aunt Hulda's new dress was there


He had heard her tell Mrs. Sanders
that it cost a great deal Of money,
and Mrs. s. had answered that she
should take as much care of it as if
we're gold. This man had heard
aboutit, and had come to steal it.
No you don't Mr.. King. shouted
J the boy defantly, and with a sud-
den bound he alighted like monkey
on the back of the intruder, and be-
gan vigorous assault with heels
and fist.


With wild cry the stranger at.
tempted to get upon his feet. but
the boy fastened his hands in his
hair, and pulled so numerically
that he sank back again and rolled
over upon his side. In an instant
Tom freed himself, snatched the
precious parcel from the open drawer
and bounced out of the door.
The now infuriated mad-man was
soon on his feet and followed in hot
pursuit. If he could only have
gone out the front and have reached
the street, thought Tom. as he gave
one backward glance-but that was
hopeless, and he ran on across the
large yard. As he passed a clump
of lilacs, he dropped the package
behind it, determined to preserve
that from capture, whatever might
befall himself. On he sped through
an open gateway, and into q meadow
beyond, that sloped down to the
pond from which the village took its
name. Faster and faster still came
his pursuer, and the boy began to feel
that escape was hopeless. Just then
voice sounded from the road that
ran to the right of the meadow


There he is There he is now -
Be quick


Tom heard it; but it was easier
to run down hill than to turn in that
direction, and his enemy was close
behind him. He heard it too. and it
seemed to increase his fury. He
sprang forward with a bound, reach
ing the shore of the lake in almost
the same instant with the boy, and
catching up the light form, he tossed
it far out Into the water.
Toms last despairing glance, be-
fore he sank, was Of some one on the
fence, and then he knew nothing
more.
The escaped lunatic-for such was
the stranger--was speedily secured,
and the men who had been searching
fer him, ard who had witnessed the
termination of the case, swan out
and finally found and brought out
poor little Tom, white and still
They carried him home, and Aunt
Hulda was summoned to meet that
cold, motionless form instead of the
ruddy, mischeivous Tom she left.
Poor Aunt Hulda until that mo-
ment she had never known how she
loved her merry. saucy torment.


Quickly the report spread, and
there was hurrying to and fro. The
doctor came from his office, and
the poor mother from her home
The usual remedies were successful
at last, and Tom awaklng to con
sciousness, was lying on the lounge,
and anxious faces were bending over
him.


Did you get it, Aunt Hulda ? he
asked family.


What dearie !?


The dress that man wanted it. i
throwed it behind the lilac bushes--I
did, and the black eyes closed again.


Some one went out and brought
the dress into her, safe. She only
glanced at it with little shudder,
and looked back to Tom again
That night the mother and Aunt
Hulda kept watch together, and the
aunt found her heart growing tender
er every hour the whole night
throuh, as she watched the patients
faded face.


Master Tom was quite himself
again in the m orning, and able to
tell the whole story.


After breakfast, Aunt Hulda
said


Could you stay and keep house
for me little while longer, Marthy2
I want to-ruf, to Miss Jellaby's a
few minutes.


Martha consented, and Mrs. Stone
went on her way. She carried a
bundle with her, but she broughtnone
back. Martha noticed, and she
wondered little, but said nothing.
So you sold your dress to Miss
Jellaby, after all 2 was up there
and she told me about it, and might
lily tickled she is too, said Mrs.
Sanders coming in one morning, a.
few days later.


Yes, answered Mrs. Stone slowly,
looking up from the little dress she
was making, didn't really need it,
aud / have pretty mnch concluded
that things that is too good to use,
is little too good to have in this
world, so as she liked it, / sold it to
her.


When she saw its shining folds
pass into the Jellaby pew on the
following Sunday, and then glanced
farther down the aisle to where sat
Martha's neatly-clad little ones, and
then back to herself, she was we'll
content with her brown merino. AS
she recalled her wandering thoughts,
and caught the closing words of the
text, they sounded sweetly in her
ears


Neither moth nor rust shall cor.
rupt, nor thieves break through and