Part 6 (1/2)
”I am,” said Mrs. Hopkins, shortly, ”and you have been.”
”I!” protested Sam, innocently. ”Why, I was sound asleep when you came in. I don't know what's been goin on. Is it time to get up?”
”What have you been doing downstairs?” demanded Mrs. Hopkins, sternly.
”Who says I've been downstairs?” asked Sam.
”I'm sure you have. I heard you.”
”It must have been somebody else.”
”There is no one else to go down. Neither the deacon nor myself has been down.”
”Likely it's thieves.”
But Mrs. Hopkins felt convinced, from Sam's manner, that he was the offender, and she determined to make him confess it.
”Get up,” she said, ”and go down with me.”
”I'm sleepy,” objected Sam.
”So am I, but I mean to find out all about this matter.”
Sam jumped out of bed, and unwillingly accompanied Mrs. Hopkins downstairs. The latter stopped at her own chamber-door, and tried to open it.
”Who's there?” asked the deacon, tremulously.
”I am,” said his wife, emphatically.
”So you locked the door on your wife, did you, because you thought there was danger. It does you great credit, upon my word.”
”What have you found out?” asked her husband, evading the reproach.
”Was it Sam that made all the noise?”
”How could I,” said Sam, ”when I was fast asleep?”
”I'm goin to take him down with me to see what mischief's done,” said Mrs. Hopkins. ”Do you want to go too?”
The deacon, after a little hesitation, followed his more courageous spouse, at a safe distance, however,--and the three entered the kitchen, which had been the scene of Sam's noisy exploits. It showed traces of his presence in an overturned chair. Moreover, the closet-door was wide open, and broken pieces of crockery were scattered over the floor.
A light dawned upon Mrs. Hopkins. She had solved the mystery!
CHAPTER V.
SAM COMBINES BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE.
”You came down after that pie,” she said, turning upon Sam..