fSMHF 11 IP II IN 1 illllilp
riiAXK moiittmeu, )
Editor and l'ro2rictor. C
AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER TermH! JX r
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"Vol. IV.
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The Bank Robbery !
A GOOD STORY.
' ' TT is not of the least nso to argue tlio
X question, father. Tell ino plainly,
yes or no, and I will bother you no moro
about it.''
I cannot indulge you in this, Harry. In
deed, yon should believe mo when I say we
cannot afford it."
Mr. Houghton leaned his head heavily on
his hands as ho spoke, and seemed to dep
recate the displeasure of his handsome, im
patient son.
"Very well, sir," said the youth of nine
teen, his hand quivering as he arose with
the anger ho scorned striving to keep out
of his words and tones. "I hope you will
never bo sorry for the trifle you have refused
mo to-night. I shall make the trip to Lake
George, next week, nevertheless, if I havo
to sell grandfather's watch and chain to get
the money."
A half groan came from tho hidden face
of Foster Houghton, and a reproachful " O
Hairy," from his mother, whoso eyes had
bocu filling with tears as sho sat silent dur
ing the stormy interview. But tho boy was
angry and in earnest, and ho twisted the
chain in his waistcoat to give emphasis to
tho threat. As he took his cloak and cap
from the closet, lie continued :
"You need not sit up for me, or leave the
door unlocked. I am going to Tinborongh
with the fellows to a strawberry party, and
as there will be a dance, ami the nights are
short, I shall wait for daylight to come
homcif I do not stop and catch a nap at tho
Valley House before starting.
"Who is going from Elmfield?" inquired
the father, moro from a desire to show an
interest and win the boy from his moodi
ness, than from curiosity.
" Nearly everybody of my set. said Har
ry, with something of studied coldness,
"Arthur Brooks and Tom Boxham and
Frank Pottengill and Harrison Fry, if you
want the whole list."
His father turned sharply away, but the
mother spoko appealingly:
"If you would cut off your intimacy with
Harrison Fry, now and forever. I think
there are few things your father would re
fuse yon. I have seen his evil influence
over you ever since ho camo back from tho
city. Ho was a bad boy and will be a bad
man."
" Liko myself and other wicked uconlo ."
said tho boy, looking at his watch, "Harry
Fry is not so black as he Is nainted. But I
am not so intimate with him as you fancy.
As to father, I do not think his treatment
of mo gives him a claim to Interfere w ith
my friendships." '
Henry Houghton shot his shaft de:iber-
ately, for he knew his father's sensitive na
ture, in which it would rankle cruelly:
and in a moment ho was off, bounding
through the low open window, and running
with fleet steps down the sidewalk toward
the common.
The family circle thus divided was that
of the cashier of tho Blue Itivcr National
Bank of Elmilcld. Foster Houghton was a
man past middle age, and older than his
years in appearance and in heart. lie had
petted his only son in his childhood enough
to spoil most boys, and now made the bal
ance even by repressing tho exuberance of
his youth with a sharpness sometimes no
more than just, sometimes querulous and
unreasonable. The boy's grandfather, old
Peleg Houghton, who died a year before at
ninety and over, had almost worshipped
him, and on his deathbed had presented his
own superb Frodscham watch to the lad;
and both father and mother knew he must
be deeply moved to speak so lightly of part
ing with it.
"I fear Henry is getting in a very bad
way," said Mr. Houghton gloomily, after a
pause in which the sharper click of iiis wife's
needles told that her thoughts, were busy.
"He goes to tho other church too often to
begin with. Ho smokes, after I have re
peatedly told him how tho habit hurt me in
my boyhood, and what a fight I had to
break it off. He is altogether too much in
Harrison Fry's company. Ho has been
twice before in Tinborongh, driving home
across country in tho gray of the morning.
And this project of going alono on a week's
trip to Lake George is positively ridicu
lous. " Very likely you are tho best judge, my
dear," said Mrs. Houghton. She always
began in that way when sho meant to prove
him otherwise. "I fully agree with you in
regard to that reckless young Fry. But as
to Harry's going to the Brown .church,
and his visits to Tinborongh, I think the
same cause is at the bottom of both. Grace
Chamberlain has been singing in the choir
over therOjthis spring, and now sho is visit
ing her aunt at Tinborongh. And astothat,
sho is going with her aunt's family to Lake
Georgo to spend July, and I suppose they
have expressed a wish to meet him there.
Grace Chamberlain is a very pretty girl. you
know, and Harry is liko what you wero at
his ago."
" Bless my soul, Mary," said tho cashier,
"then why didn't tho boy tell mo what ho
wan driving at ? Chasing across the coun
try after a pretty face is foolish enough, at
his age, but it is not so bad as going to a
watering pkieo merely for tho fashion of it.
like some rich old nabob, or professional
dandy. Tf Harry had told mo he wanted to
danglo after Grace Chamberlain, instead of
talking in 'that desperate way about the
watch, I might havo taken it differently.
There is a charm on the chain with my mo
ther's hair that I wouldn't havo go out of
tho family for a fortune."
Just hero tho door-bell rang as if a power
ful, nervous hand was at tho handle. Mr.
Houghton answered tho ring, for their ono
domestic had been called away by a mes
sage from a sick sister, and tho mistress of
tho house was getting along alone for a day.
So when her quick car told tho visitor was
ono to see her husband on business, sho
quitted tho room to set away tho milk, and
lock up tho rear doors of tho houso for tho
night. . -
Tho caller was Mr. Silas Bixby. Ho
would havo been a sharp man in Elmfield
estimation who could predict tho object of
one of Silas Bixby's calls, though thero
wero few doors in the village at which his
face was not frequently seen. Ho was tho
constable, but ho was also the Superintend
ent of the Sunday school, and tho assessor
of internal revenue in tho district, to say
nothing of his being tho agent of two or
three sewing machine companies, and ono
lifo insurance company, and the correspond-,
ent of the Tinborongh Trumpet. He owned
a farm and managed it at odd hours. He
gave some of his winter evenings to keeping
IVoav XSlooinliold, Pa., pvil
a writing school, with which he, sometimes
profitably combined a singing school, with
profitable concerts at tho end of the term.
He was clerk of the fire company and had
never been absent from a fire, though some
of his manifold duties kept him riding in
his light gig through tho neighboring
towns a great deal of tho time. Ho had
raised a company and commanded ft, in tho
nino months' army of '02. Ho kept a little
book store on tho corner of the village
square, and managed a very small circula
ting library, with tho aid of the oldest of
his ten children; and ho was equal partner
in the factory at the Falls. Mr. Houghton
did not venture to guess on what errand
Mr. Bixby came to seo him, and showed
him to a chair in tho twilighted sitting
room, with a face composed to decline a re
quest to discount a note, or to join with in
terest in a conversation on tho Sunday
school, or to listen to a report on the new
fire engine fund, with equal caso and alac
rity. Mr. Bixby looked about him to see that
nobody was within hearing. "You'll ex
cuse me, I know, 'Squire, if I shut the
windows, hot as it is;" and before his host
could liso to anticipate him he suited tho
action to tho word.
" It's detective business, It's a big thing.
Do you know I told you, Mr. Iloughton.tho
first of the week, that there was" dangerous
characters about town, and nsked you to
keep your eyes open at the bank. Will you
bear witness of that?"
"I remember it very well, Mr. Bixby,
and also that there has not been a single
individual inside of tho bank since that
day, other than our own townspeople and
friends."
"That is just it," said Silas, reflectively,
"They havo snrao accomplice who knows
tho neighborhood and whom wo don't sus
pect. But wo shall catch him with the rest.
Tho fact is, Mr? Houghton, tho Blue Riv
er National Bank is to ho robbed to-night.
The plot is laid and I havo every thread in
my hand."
Foster Houghton was ono of a class who
were habitually incredulous as to Silas Bix
by's achievements, as announced by him
self; but thero was a posit iveness and assur
ance about tho constable's manner which
carried conviction with it, and ho did not
conceal tho shock which tho news gave to
him.
"Just you keep very cool, sir, and I'll
tell you the whole story in very few words,
for I have got one or two things to do be
foro I catch tho burglars, and I have prom
ised to look into Parson Pcttingill's barn
and doctor his sick horse. There is two
men in tho job, besido somebody that is
working with them secretly in tho village,
here. You needn't ask mo how I managed
to oveihcar their plans, for I sha'n't toll
You will read it all in the Tinborough 7Vwnj
jf!oftho day after to-morrow. They are
regular New York cracksmen, and they
havo been stopping at tho hotel at tho
Falls, pretending to bo looking at tho wa
ter power. They como hero on purpose
to clean out tho Biuo River National
Bank."
" Do they mean to blow open the safe ?"
inquired Mr. Houghton, who was pacing
the room,
"Just havo patience, 'Squire," said Si
las Bixby. I thought it best to 'prepare
you, and so let you up kind o' gradual.
They havo got false keys to your houso door
and to your bed-room door. They aro go
ing to como in at midnight or an hour after,
""'1 Kg you and your wife, and force you
at the mouth of tho revolver to go over to
the bank and open tho combination lock.
Your 'help,' they say, has gone off; and
they did not appear to be afraid of Hen
ry." "Henry lias gono to Tinborough," said
Mr. Houghton, mechanically.
" I presumo they know that, too, then,"
said tho constable. "They calculato on
forty thousand dollars In tho safe, govern
ment bonds and all. Their team is to bo
lo. 1870.
ready on tho Tinborough road, ai d they
mean to catch tho owl train, You they cal
culate to leave, tied hand and foot, on the
Bank floor, until you are found therein the
morning."
Foster Houston stopped his rapid walk up
and down the room, and took his boots out
of the closet.
" Fail- play, 'Squire," said Bixby, laying
a hand on tho cashier's arm as he sat down
and kicked off his slipper. " I've told you
the whole story, when I might have carried
out my plan without telling a word. Now
what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to order a stout bolt to bo
put on my front door immediately, and to
deposit the bank keys inthcsafcatFelton's
store."
" You will think better of it if you will
just sit still and hear mo through," replied
the visitor. " Don't you see that will just
show our hand to the gang who are on tho
watch, and they will only leave Elmfield to
rob some other bank and make their for
tunes. Moreover, the plot never would ho
believed in tho village, and such a way of
meeting it would make no sensation at all
in print. No, Mr. Houghton, you are
cashier of tho bank, and it is your business
to protect your property. I am constable
at Elmfield, and it is my duty to capture
the burglars. I propose to do it in a way
that the whole State shall ring with my
brilliant management of the matter, and
yours, too, of course, so far as your part
goes. The programme is complete and you
have only to fall in."
"Well, Mr. Bixby," said the cldergentlc
man, again surrendering to hiscompanion's
superior energy and determination of char
acter: "and what is the programme?"
" As far as you are concerned, simply to
remain passive," said tho rural constable.
"You aro to show no knowledge of expect
ing the visit, and after a proper display of
reluctance, you aro to go with the burglars,
with tho keys in your hand. If I were to
arrest tho rascals now, I should have no
thing to chargo them with, and could only
frighten them out of town. 'When the bank
is entered tho crime is complete. I shall be
on the watch, with two strong fel
lows I have secured to help mo who served
in my company, afraid of nothing, and not
smart enough to claim tho whole credit
when the job is done. When you aro fairly
inside tho bank we shall pop out from be
hind tho bowling alley, guard tho door.
Hash our lanterns in their faces and over
power them at once. It, sounds very short
now but it will easily fill a column in the
papers."
" Mr Bixby," said Foster Houghton, with
a good deal of delibeartivo emphasis, "I
have always thought you a man of souse.
I think so now. Do you suppose I am go
ing to stand quietly by and sco a couple of
ruffians tic a a gag in the mouth of my wife,
at her ago, when I know I can prevent it
beforehand?"'
"No, sir, I expect no such thing," said
Biby, not at all e.mbarrassed. "I expect
ed liko as not you would bring up some
such objection, so I havo provided for it
in advance. John Fletcher's wife is very
sick; they havo gono tho rounds of all tho
folks on our street, taking turns watching
there; to-night they camo to me and said:
' Bixby, cannot you find lis somebody to
watch?' and I said I knew just the one who
would ho glad to help a rncighhor. So I
will deliver tho message to Mrs. Houghton,
and you needn't havo a mito of anxiety for
her; up thero, she is as safo and comfort
able as if sho were twenty miles away."
While her husband yet hesitated Mrs.
Houghton rc-ontejed tho room; and Bixby,
quick to secure an advantage, was ready at
themoment with his petition."
" Good evening, Mrs. Houghton. Been
waiting very pationt for you to come in. I
called to seo if you felt able and willing to
set up to-night, along with John Fletcher's
little girl. The child don't get any better,
and Mrs. Fletcher is just about sick abed
herself with care and worry."
IVo. 1G.
" You know I am always ready to help
a neighbor in such trouble," said tho lady
graciously, with the prompt acquiescence
which people in the country give to such
calls. "And now I think or it, Mr. Bixby,
I have another call to make on your street.
I think I will walk up with you, and so
get around to Fletcher's at nino o'clock.
My husband has several letters to write, so
he will not miss me."
Foster Houghton sat in a sort of maze,
while fate thus arranged affairs for him,
though they tended to a consummation
which was far from welcome to his mind.
His wifo went out for her smelling salts,hcr
spectacles, and her heavy shawl; and Bixby
snatched the brief opportunity :
"I havo told you everything, 'Squire, that
you need to know. Keep your mind easy,
and your head cool, and tho whole thing
may be done as easy as turning your hand
over. Remember, it is the only way to
save the bank, and catch tho men that may
havo robbed a dozen banks. Do not stir
out of the house again this evening, or you
will excite suspicion, and ruin the game.
Between twelve and two you may expect
your company; and rely upon me in hiding
close to tho bank. Mum is the word."
For Mrs. Houghton was descending the
stairs.
"Como in again when you come back.
Bixby, can't you?" said tho cashier, still
loth to close so singular and hasty a bar-t
gain.
" Not for the world," replied tho consta
ble. " It would expose our hand at once,
and spoil the trick, Now, Mrs. Houghton
I'm proud to be tho bean to such a pretty
young belle."
And so, with a word of farewell they were
off, and Foster Houghton sat alono in the
houso with his secret.
He was not a coward, but a man of peace
by temperament and training, and the en
terprise in which ho had been enlisted was
both foreign and distasteful to him. How
many incidents might occur, not set down
in Bixby's programme, to make the night's
work both dangerous and disagreeable ! His
very loneliness made tho prospect seem
doubly unpleasant. A dozen times as lie
sat musing over it, ho put forth his hand
for his boots with intent to go out and
frustrate tho robbery in his own way, re
gardless of Bixby's schemes of capture and
glory. As many times he sat back in his
easy chair, thinking now that he was bound
in honor by his tacit agreement with the
constable, and again that the wholo story
was nothing but the fruit of the officer's fer
tile imagination, and that only tho inventor
should make himself ridiculous by his cre
dulity. Now he wished his wifo were at
homo to mako tho waiting moments pass
moro quickly, then that Harry wero there
to give tho aid of his daring anil tho stimu
lus of his boyish enthusiasm and courage.
And sometimes tho old man's thought
wandered in spite of tho excitement of the
hour, to his boy, dancingaway tho night at
Tinborough. Ho recalled his anxiety over
his son's dissipations, his associates, hi
extravagant tastcs.the look of hard defiance
in his face, but an hour or two before. His
heart yearned over tho lad in spite of his
wild ways, liko David over Absalom, and he
resolved to try tho mother's method, and
imagine excuses, and replace harshness with
indulgence, hereafter. Tho village bell
clanged out from tho steeple close by, and
Foster Houghton dropped the thread of Ins
rcvery with a start, and went back to the
reality again. Clearly ho was getting too
nervous. Ho must do something to shaku
it off.
"I'll get Harry's revolver," he thought,
with little purpose what ho should do with
it; and ho took tho lamp and went up t
tho boy's empty room. The draworu wen'
thrown open In a confusion which offondwl
the cashier's neat prejudices acquired in t.h
profession. Ho knew whoro tho pistol is'
kept, but its box was empty. ' - ' '
(.CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.)