The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-02-22

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knew not. She had lived there sev
en- years and slept in the house many
a night without the doors being even
shut. Now they we're locked and
bolted. She could not think of go
ing to bed. She was likewise, too
nervous to work. She put the mon
ey in her dress pocket, and clasping
both tightly in her hands, she sat We
ry still, gazing anxiously into moth
ingness, and listening 50 intently
that silence became q fearful ming
Hing of discordant sounds in her
ears.
An hour passed. It had been an
age to her.
4 am glad that I am not rich, >
she whispered as the clock struck
eleven. "What a task it must be to
watch ones goldr,
Presently she heard a sound. It
was not the rain, for there was a per
feet Iull in the storm. 1t could not
be a neighbor, 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. Tt seemed as
if 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. 81 have moth
ing with which to protect myself in
case that I should be molested to
night. 1t was really an oversight in
him"
Again she heard the sound 1t
seemed to come from the bedroom.
1t was surely the raising of sash
Then there vas the sound of move
ment as though some one was en-
tering that way.
Fear nearly paralyzed her for a
moment. But she quickly rallied,
and, taking up the lamp, proceeded
to investigate the matter.
She had scarcely opened the bed
room door, when she staggered back-
ward with half suppressed scream.
Two men in hidceus disguises we're
already in the room and a third rut-
fan was in the act Of crawling
through the window.
Involuhtarily she cIutched the poell-
ct which contained the money, think
ing meanwhile how she should pro
tect 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
asked in a faltering voice.
ave want the five thousand dol
lars which you have in keeping for
your husband" said one Of them.
They knew then that she had tin
her possession.
"You can get money from me-"
she said decisively. u have no
money"
Pretty little hb,7 he responded
with a rough laugh. awe viii just
look into your pocket and see"
In her eagerness to preserve her
treasure, she clutched the pockets Of
her dress in both hands, thus un-
consciously betraying its wherea-
bouts.
She turned pale when the knowl
edge Of her thoughtlessness was re
vealed to her.
you can't have it! you sha'nt
have il" she cried, knowing well all
the While that they would have it in
spite of her.
I'VE viii seer' exclaimed one of
the men, grabbing her in his arms.
She struggled desperately, but was
soon over powered and the money
taken from her.
Then, womanlike, she began to cry.
Let US go now" said one Of the
robbers. You take the spondulix
and git, and I viii fix her tongue in |
a way that it will remain quiet for
ono hour at least"
"Don't hurry" put in another; 81
am darnation hungry, and we can
ust as well take a bit here as not.
The others demurred but he con
sinued: ''Set to work, old gal, and |
get up some supper. You've got a
ire and some boiling wafer, and we /
want cup Of tea. To work, / say!''
Mrs. Jacobs knew that a refusal
you'd only subject her TO more in
aad she arose to do their
bidding.
She put some more plates on the
able, along with such food as she
lad cooked, and then proceeded to
make the tea, wondering all the while
f there was any way to regain pos
session of the money, and dreading
Ter husbands anger and dismay on
lis return, should she fail to do so
AS she took the tea canister from
he pantry shelf, she caught sight OF
. bottle labeled arsenic. Her hus-
'and had purchased it on the previ-
,us day, in order to destroy the rats
which were becoming troublesome,
,ut as yet had used no portion OF it.
Here was a chance OF relief, and |
he seized it eagerly. Opening the
,otte she put few grains into the
ea-Pot along with the tea, Of which
I =