The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-06-30

1t was large room on the second floor,
with two French windows opening on a
broad veranda. The windows were draped
with long yellow silk curtains, between
which the moonlight family entered, dim
med by the shadow of the roof of the pi-
azza, and partly intercepted by the fringe
OF Woodbine which hung from it. NV
bed stood with its foot toward the win
dows, and with its head about half ward
from the wall, 1t was an old fashioned
structure, hung with silk like the win
dows, but slept with the hanging drawn
back and fastened to the head board =
The bed was SO large that no one ever
thought of moving it, except in those sea-
sons of household panic called house clean
ings, when the combined strength of three
or four men were called into requisition to
/ draw it into the middle IF the ROOM So
eiaborately carved was it that it went by
the name of Westminster Abbey in the
family. At one end of the room, al no
great distance from the bed, was large
safe, built into the huge chimneys of the
mansion, with door high enough for a
| person to enter standing upright. Here
was accustomed TO place, every evening,
! our silver plate on shelves which extended
around the sides, on which also were
placed boxes containing papers and other
valuables. Opposite the foot of the bed
| stead, between the windows, was mir~
ror, running from the floor almost to the
| ceiling. Like all other furniture in the
room, it was old and handsome. How
many happy faces i; had reflected in the
hundred years it had stood therei
The night was exceedingly hot, and l
! therefore left the window open, though
drew the curtains before l seated myself
| at the table in the centre Of the room,
lighted the candles, and began to read, in
order to pass the heavy time before the
| return of my husband.
After a while | heard the clock strike
nine, at which hour Dinah always went
! to bed. Her chamber was in the third
| story of the house. Remembering some
! household matter about which | wished
to speak TO her, started hurriedly up and
went into the entry to intercept her before
| she got up stairs, | had to wait about a
minute before she came, and our colloquy
continued three or four minutes longer.
When ] returned to my bedroom, some
what tired, / resolved to 90 TO bed, as at
that late hour in the country it was quite
certain that no visitors would call, and
my husband could let himself in with the
latch-key, which he always carried.
thought, however, l would try to keep
awake by reading, and accordingly placed
a light stand and the candles at the head
of my bed. ] then closed and fastened
the windows, undresSed, and got into bed.
The key of the safe placed, as usual,
under my pillow.
After reading perhaps half an hour, I
grew weary of the book, and, quietly lay
ing it down, remained for some minutes
meeitating with my eyes fixed on the mir
ror opposite the foot of the bed, IN which
/ could see myself reflected, together with
the yellow silk curtains behind my head.
| was thinking, not naturally, how pretty
| looked, and how happy was with such
a loving husband and such large sum of
money secure in our safe, when suddenly
| saw in the mirror a sight that made my
heart stand STILL A hand appeared be-
tween the curtains, drawing them slowly
apart, aud grasping cautiously the head
! board. 1t was a mans hand, large, and
coarse, and dark, as if belonging to a
mulatto, or to one greatly tanned by ex-
! posure to the weather.
My first impulse was to start from the
bed and scream for help. repressed it
by strong effort of will, and lay motion>
less, except that l partly closed my eyes,
keeping them only sufficiently open to
watch the mirror. AS quick as lightning
my mind took in the situation. In the
few minutes of my absence from The room,
while talking to Dinah in the entry, a
thief, a robber, possible murderer, had
stolen in by the piazza windows, and had
hidden himself either under the bed or
behind its draped bead. He was doubts
lessly armed, and if cried out, and at
tempted to escape from the room, he could
easily reach.the door before l could, and
for his own security would probably put
me to death. Dinah was so distant, and
too feeble and clumsy, to afford me any
assistance, and besides was by this time
fast asleep in the third story. The man
doubtless knew that my husband had that
day received large sum of money and
had gone off across the river, leaving me
alone, or nearly alone, in the house. He
had entered caring only for the money,
and anxious, above all things, to escape
undetected and unrecognized. If | lei
him know that l was aware of his pres
ence, l should expose myself to murder
and perhaps to outrage worse than mur'
der. My obvious policy was, to keeE
quiet and feign sleep thought also o
the money, and was not altogether willing
to resign that without an effort to save it
and to have at least some clew to th'
identity of the thief. confess, however
that this last consideration was not yer,
strong one, and am afraid that, if l coul'
have seen my way clear to an escape from
the room and the house, should hav