The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-01-19

"I am glad that / am not rich," she
whispered as the clock struck IL.
"What task il must be to watch ones
gold ~
Presently she heard a sound. 1t was
not the rain, for there was perfect lull
in the storm. 1t could not he a neigh
Dor, for she lived in the outskirts of the
village, several blocks from any one,
and she was not likely to be called in
cases of sickness.
Again she heard it. 1t seemed as If
a window sash was being slowly raised.
Strange that she should have forgotten
to fasten them down!
"Why didn't John leave me his re.
volver?" she mused, "I have nothing
with which to defend myself in case
that 1 should be mole5ted tonight. 1t
was really an oversight in him."
Again she heard the sound. 1t seem.
| ed to come from the bedroom. 1t was
| surely the raising of a sash. Then
there was the sound of movement as
though some one was entering that
way.
Fear nearly paralyzed her for a mo-
ment but she quickly rallied, and TAX
ing up the lamp, proceeded to investi-
gate the matter. She had scarcely
opened the bedroom door when she
staggered backward with half sup
pressed scream. Two men in hideous
disguises were already in the room and
| thirJ r,tf4r 40, n tha oot of w
ing through the window. Involunta-
rily she clutched the pocket which con-
tained the money, thinking mean
while how she should protect herself
and it. Alas she had nothing but her
own weak hands with which to fight
the battle, and she well knew how
powerless they were compared, with
the strength of the enemy.
"What do you want here ?" she ask
ed in faltering voice.
1--WE want the five thousand dollars
which you have in keeping for your
husband" said one of them.
They knew then that she had it in
her possession.
"You can get no money from me-"
she said decisively. 81 have no mon
ey."
"a pretty little fib," he responded
with laugh. "We will just look in
to your pocket and see."
In her eagerness topreserve her treas
ure she clutched the pocket of her
dress, in both hands, thus unconscious
ly betraying its whereabouts.
She turned pale when the knowledge
of her thoughtlessness was revealed to
her.
"You can't have it you shan't have
it," she cried, knowing all the while
that they would have it in spite of her.
"We will see!" exclaimed one of the
men, grabbing her in his arms.
She struggled desperately, but was
soon overpowered and the money taken
from her.
Then, womanlike she began to cry.
"Let us go now," said one of the rob.
bers. "You take the spondulix and
git, and will Fl TX her tongue in way
+ that it will remain quiet for one hour
at least"
Don't hurry" put in another; 81
am darnation hungry, and we can just
as well take bite here as not"
The others demurred, but he continu
ed: "Set to work, you old gal, and gel
us some supper. You've got fire and
some boiling water, and we want a cur
of tea. To work, l say!'
|
would only subject her to more indig
, mites, and she arose to do their bid
ding.
She put some more plates on the ia
, BILE, along with such food as she hat
! cooked, and then proceeded to make
the tea, wondering all the while if there
, was any way to regain possession of tn,
!, money, and dreading her husband
anger and disnay on his return shou Id
she fail to do so.
AS she took the tea.canister from thu
pantry shelf she caught sight of bot
tie labelled arsenic. lIer husband haC
purchased it on the previous day, il
order to destroy the rats which wer,
: becoming troublesome, but as yet HI
had used no portion of it.
Here was a chance Of relief, and sh
l. seized it eagerly. Opening the bottl
she put few grains into the tea-po
along with the tea, of which she CAV,
good measure, in order to destroy tn
taste Of the arsenic.
1 A few minutes later the robbers wer
Y s;t NJ 40 tnb oi ~
ping their death.
: "They may kill me-" mused tn
faithful woman, "but the money viii
= be found and my husbands hone
: saved.'
q After few minutes, one by one tn
: robbers complained of being sick.
81 verify believe the jade has poison
o ed US, said one, and the next momen
he fell with deep groan to the floor
|. 81 know that she has poisoned us,
a cried another, "and her own life shal
IT pay the foifeit."
He sprang from his seat and starte
II towards her, revolver in hand, but fe
v ere he had reached her.
"Jane," exclaimed the third, "yo
:. have saved the money, but you hay
murdered me !"
4 How strangely familiar sounded IL
;, voice! Forgetting all her old fear
"a the new, Mrs. Jacobs sprang forwal
and knelt by the side of the dying ma
~ Noue tried to harm her now, for q
were powerless to do so.
.. She pulled the disguise, hideous n
! gro face with large grinning mout
:, from the face of the last speaker. Oh
- look-then came scream which ech
,o ed through the house like peal
~ thunder.
"a The dying man was her own hu
=, band.
80 But little more remains to be told
- the sad story. The money was p'
~ served, but the heroic woman is N