Produced by David Widger THE MAN WHO STOLE A MEETING-HOUSE By J. T. Trowbridge From “Coupon Bonds.” Copyright 1878, by James R. Osgood & Co On a recent journey to the Pennsylvania oil regions, I stopped one evening with a fellow-traveler at a village which had just been thrown into a turmoil of excitement by the exploits of a horse-thief. As we sat around the tavern hearth, after supper, we heard the particulars of the rogue's capture and escape fully discussed; then followed many another tale of theft and robbery, told amid curling puffs of tobacco-smoke; until, at the close of an exciting story, one of the natives turned to my traveling acquaintance, and, with a broad laugh, said, “Kin ye beat that, stranger?” “Well, I don't know--maybe I could if I should try. I never happened to fall in with any such tall horse-stealing as you tell of, but I knew a man who stole a meeting-house once.” “Stole a meetin'-house! That goes a little beyant anything yit,” remarked another of the honest villagers. “Ye don't mean he stole it and carried it away?” “Stole it and carried it away,” repeated my traveling companion, seriously, crossing his legs, and resting his arm on the hack of his chair. “And, more than all that, I helped him.” “How happened that?--for you don't look much like a thief yourself.” All eyes were now turned upon my friend, a plain New England farmer, whose honest homespun appearance and candid speech commanded respect. “I was his hired man, and I acted under orders. His name was Jedwort--Old Jedwort, the boys called him, although he wasn't above fifty when the crooked little circumstance happened which I'll make as straight a story of as I can, if the company would like to hear it.” “Sartin, stranger! sartin! about stealin' the meetin'-house!” chimed in two or three voices. My friend cleared his throat, put his hair behind his ears, and with a grave, smooth face, but with a merry twinkle in his shrewd gray eye, began as follows: