uld_ jest put your hand and see if they're all right; for
I've thought several times I heard somebody taking on 'em out."

Mr. Ducklow had been troubled by similar fancies; so, getting down on
his knees, he felt in the dark for the bonds.

"Good gracious!" he ejaculated.

"What now?" cried Mrs. Ducklow. "They a'n't gone, be they? You don't say
they're gone!"

"Sure 's the world!--No, here they be! I didn't feel in the right
place."

"How you _did_ frighten me! My heart almost hopped out of my mouth!"
Indeed, the shock was sufficient to keep the good woman awake the rest
of the night.

Daylight the next morning dissipated their doubts, and made both feel
that they had been the victims of unnecessary and foolish alarms.

"I hope ye won't git so worked up another night," said Mr. Ducklow.
"It's no use. We might live in the house a hundred years, and never hear
of a robber or a fire. Ye only excite yerself, and keep me awake."

"I should like to know if you didn't git excited, and rob me of my sleep
jest as much as I did you!" retorted the indignant housewife.

"You began it; you fust put it into my head. But never mind; it can't be
helped now. Le' 's have breakfast as soon as ye can; then I'll run over
and see Reuben."

"Why not harness up, and let me ride over with ye?"

"Very well; mabby that'll be the best way.--Come, Taddy! ye must wake
up! Fly round! You'll have lots o' chores to do this mornin'!"

"What's the matter 'th my breeches?" snarled Taddy. "Some plaguy thing
's stuck to 'em!"

It was Mrs. Ducklow's apron, trailing behind him at half-mast,--at sight
of which, and of Taddy turning round and round to look at it, like a
kitten in pursuit of her own tail, Ducklow burst into a loud laugh.

"Wal, wal, mother! you've done it! You're dressed for meetin' now,
Taddy!"

"I do declare!" said Mrs. Ducklow, mortified. "I can't, for the life of
me, see what there is so very funny about it!" And she hastened to cut
short Taddy's trail and her husband's laughter with a pair of scissors.

After breakfast the Ducklows set off in the one-horse wagon, leaving
Taddy to take care of the house during their absence. That each felt
secretly uneasy about the coupon bonds cannot be denied; but, after the
experiences of the night and the recriminations of the morning, they
were unwilling to acknowledge their fears even to themselves, and much
less to each other; so the precious papers were left hidden under the
carpet