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 make such a fool of yerself? It'll git all over town, and I shall be mortified to death. Jest like a woman, to git frightened!" "If _you_ hadn't got frightened, and made a fool of _yourself_, yelling fire, 'twouldn't have happened!" retorted Mrs. Ducklow. "Wal! wal! say no more about it! The bonds are safe." "I was in hopes you'd change 'em for them registered bonds Reuben spoke of." "I did try to, but they told me to the bank it couldn't be did. Then I asked 'em if they would keep 'em for me, and they said they wouldn't object to lockin' on 'em up in their safe; but they wouldn't give me no receipt, nor hold themselves responsible for 'em. I didn't know what else to do, so I handed 'em the bonds to keep." "I want to know if you did now!" exclaimed Mrs. Ducklow, disapprovingly. "Why not? What else could I do? I didn't want to lug 'em around with me forever. And as for keepin' 'em hid in the house, we've tried that!" and Ducklow unfolded his weekly newspaper. Mrs. Ducklow was placing the dinner on the table, with a look which seemed to say, "_I_ wouldn't have left the bonds in the bank; _my_ judgment would have been better than all that. If they are lost, _I_ sha'n't be to blame!" when suddenly Ducklow started and uttered a cry of consternation over his newspaper. "Why, what have ye found?" "Bank robbery!" "Not _your_ bank? Not the bank where _your bonds_"---- "Of course not; but in the very next town! The safe blown open with gunpowder! Five thousand dollars in Gov'ment bonds stole!" "How strange!" said Mrs. Ducklow. "Now what did I tell ye?" "I believe you're right," cried Ducklow, starting to his feet. "They'll be safer in my own house, or even in my own pocket!" "If you was going to put 'em in any safe, why not put 'em in Josiah's? He's got a safe, ye know." "So he has! We might drive over there and make a visit Monday, and ask him to lock up----yes, we might tell him and Laury all about it, and leave 'em in their charge." "So we might!" said Mrs. Ducklow.