r
the bear eating something and cracking bones with his teeth; and
Bartholomew said that the Indian out in Colorado told him that the
bear was particularly fond of dog-meat, and could relish a dog almost
any time.

At last Bartholomew thought he would try strategy. He procured a huge
iron hook with a sharp point to it, tied it to a rope and put three
or four pounds of fresh beef on the hook. Then he went up the ladder,
opened the trap-door in the roof and dropped in the bait. In a few
moments he got a bite, and all hands manned the rope and pulled,
when out came Scott's bull-dog, which had been hiding in the garret.
Bartholomew was disgusted; but he put on fresh bait and threw in
again, and in about an hour the bear took hold, and they hauled him
out and knocked him on the head.

Then they entered the house. In the hall the carpet was covered with
particles of dead setter, and in the parlor the carpet and the windows
had been shot to pieces, while the furniture was full of bullet-holes.
The bear had smashed the mirror, torn up six or seven chairs,
knocked over the lamp and demolished all the crockery in the pantry.
Bartholomew gritted his teeth as he surveyed the ruin, and Mrs.
Bartholomew said she wished to patience he had stayed in Colorado.
However, they fixed things up as well as they could, and then Mrs.
Bartholomew sent into Partridge's for Charley and the youngest girl.
When Charley came, he rushed up to Bartholomew and said,

"Oh, pa! where's my little baby-bear?"

Then Bartholomew gazed at him severely for a moment, looked around to
see if Mrs. Bartholomew had left the room, and then gave Charley the
most terrific spanking that he ever received.

The Bartholomew children have no pets at present but a Poland rooster
which has moulted his tail.

CHAPTER XV.

_LOVE, SUFFERING AND SUICIDE_.

Peter Lamb, a young man who is employed in one of the village stores,
some time ago conceived a very strong passion for a neighbor of his,
Miss Julia Brown, the doctor's daughter. But the Fates seemed to be
against the successful prosecution of his suit, for he managed to
plunge into a series of catastrophes in the presence of the young
lady, and to make himself so absurd that even his affection seemed
ridiculous. One summer evening, when he was just beginning to make
advances, Miss Brown came over to see Peter's sister, and the two
girls sat out upon the front porch together in the darkness, talking.
Peter