Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-12-07
An Unwelcome Visitor.
4 THRILLING SKETCH.

for several days, and / had little
of value in my room, preferred
to risk that little and leave my
window open, although of easy &C.
cess, rather than undergo partial
sufocation. Ifan unlimited guest
made his appearance, and | did
awake, l could feign sleep and
/ let him take whatever he might
find.
"This class of visitors" rea.
soned with myself, "donot gener.
orally commit personal violence,
if they can accomplish theft and
make good their escape withoutit." !"
These were my reflections every
night as l undressed and threw
myself on my bed, leaving my
castle open to the enemy. | had
been asleep one night about an
hour, when | was awakened by the
falling of asmall china ornament.
Starting slightly and opening my
eyes, saw the gas burning, and a
tall, broad-shouldered man with
his back turned towards me, his
face looking over his shoulder to
see whether the noise had awakened
me. Our eyes met, so that my
plan to feign sleep would have
been useless. My sell-possession
did not, however, forsake me
What followed illustrates the val
ue of presence of mind
Opposite the side Of my bed,
and about eight feet from it, was
the door Of my room, two OF three
feet from which were the stairs
leading to the lower hail. The
burglar must nave used ladder
in ascending the roof, from which
he entered the window. 1t was
some thirty feet from the ground,
and isolated. Ny plan was not
only to escape harm, but to effect
his capture. / knew the police.
mans beat, and he would pass in
a short time.
Sitting bolt upright, then, as l
opened nv ewes and saw the bur-
gIar looking very unpleasantly at
me, / said, rubbing my eyes
drowsily-although, to tell the
truth, | never felt more wide a.
wake in my lie: "Hello, John,
what are you looking for? Can't
you come into my room without
making such a confounded noise?"
The fellow taken somewhat
aback at being addressed in this
way, said, in a low, but rnena-
cling voice, and pointing a revolver
at me:
"Sllut up! what DO you take
me for 2"
Il took you for John!" I re-
piled, with a well,assumed non.
chalance. "But ! didn't suppose
he was after anything valuable in
my rom, except one thing, and
by the way, if you are not the
unluckiest fellow in the world"
"How's that2" growled my
visitor. -..s 49, r~
"Well, I have a very good
watch; but if you want tc get it.,
you must pay visit to the watch
makers after you leave here, for
| lad what / considered the bad,
but what now seems the good for
tune, to break the spring yester-
day, and left it for repairs"
"You're a precious cool one !
he said, evidently astonished at
my Indifference.
whats the use OF my getting
excited or attempting to resist you3
You are armed, and you see | am
not. And if you had no weapon,
your fighting weight must be at
least thirteen stone, while mine is
not more than nine and half. |
have no idea of interfering with
you. If the room were filed with
diamonds, / would not lift my
finger to save them. Take all
you can find /; | am going to sleep
so don't make any more noise.
"Hold on p said the fellow;
where's your keysP"
81 suppose you want to make as
much of a haul as you can" ]
said; $50 look in my pants hang.
ing over the bedpost there, and
you'll find my pocket.book with a
few stamps in it."
1t was nearly time for the po-
Iliceman to pass, and l paused to
listen. | must, in a few moments
put my plan into execution.
A glance quick as lightning
showed me that the key of the
door was on the outside.
My listening expression did not
escape the sharp and practiced eal