The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-07-12
Outwitting a Thief.
A ROBBERS ADVENTURE.
6eVOU won't be afraid to stay alone
to-night?" said my husband, as

Il
\ to-night?" said my husband, as
he kissed me, and wished me good-by.
"No," l answered, 81 don't think l
shall be afraid but, at the same time,
| should feel better satisfied if you were
in the house, Or the money out of it"
He laughed and said, am sorry to
leave you, dear, but l don't suppose there
is any danger, though l fear it is pretty
generally known that the long-looked for
money to pay off the men arrived to-day.
Perhaps shonld not tell you this; but"
he said, patting me on the cheek, you
are brave woman, and thieves are always
towards"
So, with another kiss, he left me. We
had been settled at Miltown, in Canada,
for about six months; they were running
a new line of railroad through the town,
and my husband was chief engineer of the
party. Nliltown was pretty little place,
but somewhat scattered, so we had no
immediate neighbors; but upon one side
was an apple orchard back, and in front
of us, open spaces, and upon the other
side the church, large wooden building,
whose white back arose perhaps thirty
feet from the side of our pretty little cot
tage, which | believe had formerly been
the parsonage. l tell you this, so that
you may better understand the rest of
my story.
After my husband had left, I called
Maggy, my maid-of-all ll-work, and told her
! -, tl,o Iyi+ahon and looly
the back door, meanwhile doing the same
myself to the back of the house. My
husband everthoug ghtful, had brought me
home a new book and once absorbed
in its columns, forgot that | was alone
with only Maggy, a raw Irish girl of per-
haps sixteen, and with considerable
sum of money in the house The even
ing passed quickly away; and much to
my surprise, as finished the last sketch
in my paper, / heard the clock strike
twelve. 1t was time for bed, thought ;
for | knew it certainly was useless to
wait up for my husband who having been
called away on important business, would
probably be unable to return until the
next day so | went to the Kitchen to
rouse Maggy, whom | found nodding
over the fire, afraid to go up stairs until
| went.
Come" I said, Maggy, l am going
to bed now."
had scarcely spoken the words, when
heard cautious footstep in the front
piazza. l listened. Had my husband
come home? Again 1 heard it, and then
the door-knob softly turned [ took of
my slippers, and went noislessly to the
front door and listened; the steps sound
ed again in the piazza, and then | heard
them in the crisp snow, as they went
round the house.
$50 you are going to try the back door"
thought. Well, you won't get in
there, for we are safely locked up,
know"
But the next moment / thought with
horror of the windows that faced the
back of the church, which had no fasten-
ing of any kind. Maggy was white with
terror, and commenced wringing her
hands and crying;
"Och it's murdered we are intirely !"
she exclaimed.
"Cease your noise, you IDIOT" l said,
more forcibly than elegantly.
| must see about those side windows
for | well knew the next trial would be
there, and that it would be an easy mat
ter to reach them, as they were not far
! from the ground. AS l again entered