The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-05-08

, "Who is that ?"
MY husband" said !, "but pra,
don't hurt him."
us he not gone to town, then ?" criet
the ruilian, with an oath of disappont
ment.
Hes going at twelve" replied / "h,
Is, indeed"
"If you tell him, woman" said tn,
burglar hoarsely, "if you breathe bu
one word of my presence here, il will
be the death doom of you both :" Et
had slipped into the alcove and drawn
the bed back to its place in an instant.
My husband entered Immediately af
terwards, and even while he was in the
room, heard the awful threat repeated
again through the thick curtain behind
me.
"lf you but whisper it, woman, |
VIII Kill you where you lie. Promise
not to tell him."
II WILL" said l, solemnly, 81 promise
not TO open my lips at all about the
ma ter.v
frank leaned over the pillow to kiss
me, and observing how terrified I
locked, said:
You have been frightening yourself
about robbers again, suppose, you sill
ly girl"
mot |, Frank" returned | as cheer
1ully as could. 81 have little head
ache;" but said with my fingers so that
he could plainly read it in the freight,
For Gods sake be quiet! But there is
certainlya a man behind the headboard." +"
Frank was rs bold as lion, and had
nerves like iron, although he was so
tender hearted and kind. He only an
swered:
where is your sal-volatile, dearest ?"
and went to the mantle-picce to get it.
l thought he never could have under
stood me, he spoke with such GOODNESS
and unconcern, until ! saw his fingers
reply as he took up the bottle. "All
right, don't be afraid"
And then was not afraid, or at least
not much; for knew should not be
left alone one instant; and | thought
that my Frank was match for any
two such men in such case only he
had no weapon.
"He has life prcserver," said / with
my fingers.
" Your fire is getting rather low, now
Georgy," observed he, as he took up
the poker (ah, he had a weapon them
81 must leave you good blaze before
60"
He fixed the fire and left the poker in,
but without taking eyes off me or the
bedhead.
"I'll just ring the bell and see wheth-
er Thomas has got the portmanteau
ready. Mary" continued he TO the
maid that came to the door, "send
Thomas up" Then when she had gone
on that errand-"By Jove! / never
gave him that key. Where is it, Geor
gy? have not n moment to lose. fit
is in your dressing case with the rest.
| shall be an age in looking for it.
Might ask you to get out of bed for an
instant and show me where it is!r
He said with his fingers 'Jump! ="
and jumped, you may be sure, quick
enough, and was inside the dressing
room with the door locked in half a
second.
Come in, Thomas" said Frank.
Come in," for Thomas was modcstIy
hesitatngat the chamber door. "rhere
is some backguard got into the house,
and behind the bed there. he makes
the least resistance, I'll kill him with
this red hot poker"
At these words the bed was pushed
slowly outward, and the burglar, with
out his Grape mask, and his face as pale
as ashes, came out from his hiding
place. Frank knew him as bank
messenger, who had been out of employ
mcnt since the fire, on suspicion of his
honesty.
son, sir, have pity on me-" cried he.
"l'm an unlucky dog! If it hadn't
been for II snceze should have ten
thousand pounds in my pocket 10y this
time.n
"Oh, you came after that, did YOU:
have in your pocket before we have amy
more conversation" said my husband
c0Olly.
"Did your lady tell you that too ;and
yet stood by her and never heard her
utter a syllable" "cried the villain in ac-
cents OF astonishmcnt, as he delivered
up the weapon to the male servant.
81 never spoke word" cried |
thought the drcssing-room key-hole,
for did not tcare to have the man think
that had broken my oath, nor, to say
the truth, was | anxious TO make a
deadly enemy of him in case he should
ever be at large again.
"lhen it is Il judgement upon me,
and it is no good to fight against it,"
said the miserable wretch.
"Not in the least, and we will go to
the police Office at once.n
So Off went the burglar in their Gus
tody leaving me safe and sound, after
all. And now, do not you think there
is some use in learning everything,
even so small a thing rs the deaf and
dumb alphabet?
A NEW DODGE IN THE CLOTHING
BUsINEss.-An Atlanta correspondent
of the Chattanooga AmericdR Inion
writes:
Some of the Atlanta merchants are
shrewd. | hear Oft good thing perpe-
trated by one of them, which was rela-
ted by him to a New York drummer
The merchant aforesaid is in the ready
made clothing business, and he told the
gentleman from New York that when
customer came in, after letting him
try on several coats, he would say to
him that he had Il cost which he had
given a gentleman to take home the
night before, but he was not satisfied
with it and returned it, Perhaps it
s..l.t l.. 4 =