OLD MARTHA FOGARTY

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21812, 18 June 1936, Page 8 (Supplement)

OLD MARTHA FOGARTY

(By Pandora Thomas; 12 years)

A long time ago there lived in a house, a little old woman. She was very lonely because she was the only woman in the district. The only company she had was her old black cat Chukka and he was Dearly always asleep. Every morning Old Martha Fogarty made her bed. washed the dishes, , swept the floors and did a few other jobs about the house, while the cat lay asleep on the sun porch; here his mistress mended her clothes and did needlework in her spare time. Old Martha Fogarty kept her house neat and she spring-cleaned It every Saturday morning. One day when she was sewing on the porch, she heard a noise in the house. She thought it was only a mouse, so she didn’t bother to go upstairs to look. Suddenly she hoard a bang upstairs, and so startled was she that she dropped her sewing and flew up the staircase. Clump—clump—bang went the old stairs as fat Martha climbed up them. Her old brain couldn’t make out why the stairs hadn’t creaked when that somebody crept up them. Perhaps it had been a mouse, a cat or a ghost. Though Old Martha had never seen ghosts fhe believed in them. When she reached the top of the stairs, she went into her bedroom, knelt on her knees and looked under her bed Alas! nobody was there, but 'he thought she heard a sound in Chukka’s room. She crept into the next room, but nobody was there either. At last, tired out and worn

she went to the porch to do her sewing.

Old Martha Fogarty hadn’t been sewing long when she heard a knock at her wooden door. She seemed half afraid to open the door, for unless it was very important people didn’t come so far out into the country to sell their goods to her. Shaking all over she answered the door; but to her surprise nobody was there. Now as it happened, old Martha was a very good gardener and her garden was absolutely beautiful. Its fragrance was rare. After the mysterious knock at the door Martha and Chukka went for a walk in the garden. Chukka was hungry by this time so he went mewing round her skirts with a piece of forget-me-not in his mouth. The sun was still shining and Chukka and Old Martha stayed out in the garden for some time, trying to forget the horrible afternoon they had spent. Suddenly they saw a figure dart out from a tree. They ran after this figure, but by the time Martha and Chukka had reached the tree where they first saw him. the man was running over the fields, jumping fences and so on. Old Martha and Chukka kept up the chase until they saw him disappear. It was with happy hearts that Martha and Chukka trudged slowly back to their house. Martha and Chukka were soon safe in their home but they found their gold clock had gone and the chairs had been pushed on the ground and everything was topsyturvy. Soon, when Martha had made everything neat and tidy again they sat down and had a much longed for tea. After the dishes were washed and Martha and Chukka were by the

warm Are, a knock was heard at the door. Martha rose quickly to be sure nobody could run away and opened the door. She stood there gaping in surprise, for there stood on the steps two policemen. “Please, Mrs Fogarty, have you seen a thief out this way?” they asked.

“Yes,” replied Old Martha, “ho stole some things out of my house, then knocked at the door and ran away. I chased after him, but he was too quick for me.”

“In which direction did he run and how long ago?” asked the policemen, who seemed quite excited.

“He ran in the direction of Sneezeburgh, about two hours ago,” she answered.

“Thank you very much, Mrs Fogarty,” the policemen said, “we might find him yet.” And they were gone. The last words of the constables seemed very pleasing, for she thought she might get her gold clock and other articles back. And it was quite true; for a few days later a postman knocked at the door of Mrs Fogarty’s cottage with a letter.

When she heard the knock she was pleased, for she thought it might be a parcel containing her lost articles. As soon as she opened the door the postman handed her a letter and went. Old Martha was trembling a bit, for she had not received a letter since her husband had died. She tore open the envelope, for she was longing to read what it said. The letter read as follows: "Dear Mrs Fogarty,—

We are very grateful for the information you gave us on November 12, 1924. We have caught the

thief and he is now in prison. If you will write to us and tell us what you lost, we will be able to return them. We reward you with £5, which we have enclosed in the envelope—Yours truly, The Two Policemen.” After reading such news Old Martha Fogarty searched the envelope for the £5 note, with icy fingers. Sure enough, in one corner of the envelope there it was. Never in her life had she received so much money at once and she thought that she and Chukka surely deserved a treat after all the noises and frights of the day the thief broke into the house. Not long afterwards Old Martha went to Sneezeburgh and bought cakes and sandwiches and some meat for Chukka. They had such a delightful party. FALLING SNOW Oh, the falling Snow! Oh, the falling Snow! Where does it all come from? Whither does it go? Never never laughing, Never never weeping. Falling in its Sleep, Forever ever sleeping— From what Sleep of Heaven Does it flow, and to Into whaf Sleep of Earth, The falling falling Snow? —ELEANOR FAR JEON. EXCHANGE Ailsa Williams, Springbank, R.M. Rangiora, has Bournville coupons of No. 2 album to exchange.