The Argosy for February — page 186: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

560 still. He had heard a noise down-stairs. In his nervous state it had scared him. ‘Then he braced himself, with the assur- ance that it was only Pop prowling about, and started on again. He reached the kitchen-door, and was about to open it when he heard another noise that chilled him. He felt that somebody was in the house. Being a coward, Bill made a hasty retreat for the bedroom, putting his faith in Mary’s courage. But as he started up the steps he stopped still, his heart in his mouth, and cold sweat bursting out all over him. “ Get out! Get out of here!” cried a loud voice, in a compelling tone. He heard a scramble in the kitchen. Then the sound of breaking glass. An- other voice broke on his now astonished “Run for it, Jack!” was the cry. “They'll pump us full of lead!” “T’ll make my getaway,” was the an- swer. And then another crash followed, and Farmer Brown realized vaguely that two men had flung themselves” through his kitchen-window. His heartalmost stopped beating. Dimly he heard the cry again. “Get out! You're a fool! Get out of here! You're a fool.” Then he realized. It was Betty’s voice. : “What ef I’d gone into that kitchen with them thieves there?” he gasped to himself. ‘‘ They’d hev killed me sure as fate.” Taking the steps four at a leap he reached the landing above. There his wife appeared in her night-dress, with wide, startled eyes. “Come on! Come on, Mary!” he cried, getting behind her and pushing her. forward. “I scared ’em out. Il made ’em run. They was thieves.” A flickering smile passed over his 29 THE ARGOSY. wife’s countenance, but she said nothing, as she led the way down the stairs. A lamp was lighted, and Betty was found safe in her cage, pruning herself and calling aloud: “Pretty Betty ! satisfied voice. Bill Brown stepped to the broken win- dow, through which the two thieves had crashed. He looked out. A black form lay beneath it. “Look here, Mary!” “"They’ve killed Pop.” Mary looked, and again she smiled, as she found that the dog, the watch- dog, lay below, and beside him a big chunk of meat, that she realized must have been poisoned. ‘Pop was certainly a good watch- dog,” she sneered. “ Yes,” Bill Brown began. slowly; “but they got the best of him. Poisoned meat, I. guess.”’ ‘'That’s what it was,’ his wife told him. ‘An’ probably ef you’d fed him oftener he wouldn’t hev took meat from strangers.” “Well, I thought he was useful, but I. guess he weren’t much account after all,” ruminated Bill Brown. Then he stepped back and _ inspected the window through which the burglars had made their getaway. “ Dog-darn it,” he cried, “ why couldn’t they have gone through the Pretty Betty!” in a he door? It'll cost me two dollars to get that fixed.” “Stingy! Stingy! Hallo, stingy!” cried the bird. Bill Brown looked up at Betty. There was more pain than anger in his eyes. His wife jumped in between him and the parrot, thinking that he would carry out his threat. ‘Don’t worry, Mary. I guess you ken hey Betty. She ain’t no account. But she may prove useful to you some day.” FRIENDS. Anb what can. Time hurt me, I pray, with, If he insures Such friends to laugh regrets away with As you—and yours? Herman Charles. Merivale. cried. Gomichoo (e(@) } = :