.
Ducklow aboard, and set out in vigorous pursuit of the slow two-wheeled
vehicle.

"Stop, you, Sir! Stop, you, Sir!" shrieked Mrs. Ducklow, having
recovered her breath by the time they came up with the chaise.

It stopped, and Mr. Grantley the minister put out his good-natured,
surprised face.

"You've robbed my house! You've took"----

Mrs. Ducklow was going on in wild, accusatory accents, when she
recognized the benign countenance.

"What do you say? I have robbed you?" he exclaimed, very much
astonished.

"No, no! not you! You wouldn't do such a thing!" she stammered forth,
while Atkins, who had laughed himself weak at Mr. Ducklow's plight
earlier in the morning, now laughed himself into a side-ache at Mrs.
Ducklow's ludicrous mistake. "But did you--did you stop at my house?
Have you seen our Thaddeus?"

"Here I be, Ma Ducklow!" piped a small voice; and Taddy, who had till
then remained hidden, fearing punishment, peeped out of the chaise from
behind the broad back of the minister.

"Taddy! Taddy! how came the carpet"----

"I pulled it up, huntin' for a marble," said Taddy, as she paused,
overmastered by her emotions.

"And the--the thing tied up in a brown wrapper?"

"Pa Ducklow took it."

"Ye sure?"

"Yes, I seen him!"

"Oh, dear!" said Mrs. Ducklow, "I never was so beat! Mr. Grantley, I
hope--excuse me--I didn't know what I was about! Taddy, you notty boy,
what did you leave the house for? Be ye quite sure yer Pa Ducklow"----

Taddy repeated that he was quite sure, as he climbed from the chaise
into Atkins's wagon. The minister smilingly remarked that he hoped she
would find no robbery had been committed, and went his way. Atkins,
driving back, and setting her and Taddy down at the Ducklow gate,
answered her embarrassed "Much obleeged to ye," with a sincere "Not at
all," considering the fun he had had a sufficient compensation for his
trouble. And thus ended the morning's adventures, with the exception of
an unimportant episode, in which Taddy, Mrs. Ducklow, and Mrs. Ducklow's
rattan were the principal actors.

At noon Mr. Ducklow returned.

"Did ye take the bonds?" was his wife's first question.

"Of course I did! Ye don't suppose I'd go away and leave 'em in the
house, not knowin' when you'd be comin' home?"

"Wal, I didn't know. And I didn't know whuther to believe Taddy or not.
Oh, I've had such a fright!"

And she related the story of her pursuit of the minister.

"How could ye