Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-02

the gas and shut out the shivering land
scape and funereal clouds with the heavy
curtains Dinner.time came, and brought
with it semblance of occupation. and
when was half through my meal sud-
denly remembered Jingle, and sent
for him TO keep me company. He was
rot in the house. 1t flashed upon me
that l had not seen him after passing
johnson in the thicket, and dispatched
the coachman to call him in; but only
echoes answered the cry. He had EVIL
IDENTIFY remained out in the grounds with
the policeman, and / dismissed the sub
ject from my mind, finished my dessert
and went back to my library fire. No
word had come from Belts, hence was
safe for tonight, at all events, and
breathed freer, and stretched my legs and
dozed until ten O'Clock in comparative
comfort. Then, rousing myself, l lit
lantern and went out the door and along
the side piazzas to speak word with
johnson, who, Belts had arranged, was in
any case to keep a watch under the COW
cred carriage-way.
He ,cas not there l did not understand
it. Had he got drunk, or had Belts taken
him aways Perhaps, however, he was
still lettering at the edge of the grounds;
accordingly, walked out on the lawn
and swung my lantern two r three times.
Then, as Il was bitter cold and was begin.
ming to snow, turned In, and, finding
that il was almost eleven O'Clock, | or
dered Saunders to close the house and
send the servants TO bed, and to bed /
went myself.
But as soon as the light was out and
my head touched the pillow was fresh
ly impressed by the mystery of Johnson's
disappearance, and accordingly got up,
opened my pistol.case, took out two re-
volvers, and putting them and a sword
cane within easy reach / returned to bed.
Deuce take this suspense said, as
again lay down. az sha'nt sleep a
wink" But after tossing few times and
assuring myself / could not close my
eyes / fell asleep--at least, after time
| was awakened by bright light shining
full in my face GOOD Godm i cried
out loud, "they've come tonight" For
three men, with black cambria masks
concealing their faces, stood over me,
each pointing a pistol at my head.
please to get up, Mr.. Powers" said
one of them, in cool, civil way; please
TO put ON that dressing-gown and those
slippers. You shall not be harmed In the
least il you will only be quiet and obey
directions" | got up and pat on dress
ing.gown and slippers. Then one of the
| men caught my arms, drew them behind
| and manacied them; another gagged me
| with one of my own silk handkerchiets;
and thus rendered harmless, / was led
down stairs, where my household, in va
rious stages of night-attire, gagged and
| tied back 10 back, were awaiting me in
the dining.room. / was put into an arm
chair, and fastened TO IL by feet and hands,
| then was left alone to stare about me.
Maddened, desperate though l was, when
] discovered that the sixth of the prison.
ers was johnson, the detective, | recog-
nized him with keen sense of the ride.
ulous, and only wished that Betts-whom
was mentally matchmaking with
curses not loud but deep-were In his
place, and tasting some Of our humilia-
ton.
Besides the three masked men who had
mastered me and brought me down, there
were five others in the dining-room. Two
were left as sentinels over us, and the rest
I ut once feff to work IN way That meant
business. A small, active man mOtioned
toward the sidebOard. IL was wheeled
aside, and, stepping forward, he pressed
the sliding panel and disclosed the closet
where the silver in daily use was kept,
and the shelves were ut once stripped and
the contents piled on the table.
The bedrooms upstairs were next visit
| ed, the locks of drawers and wardrobes
| wrenched apart, and the contents thrown
pell-mell on the floor for the chief expert
| to decide on what should be carried of
| The upper rooms Quilted, they came down
with their spoils, which they piled high
| before our eyes on the table, and then,
| leaving us again alone with our sentincls,
they went through the entry into my libra
| ry.
1t was dark hour. / leaned back my
| head and closed my eyes, and felt that
| fate was cruel TO me. Only one consola.
| ton illumined the blackness Of my de.
spair-my wife had carried her jewels to
| town with her, and was spared the hui
initiation of telling her had lost them
| for her through my idiotic faith in Belts
There was long silence now, which was
followed by three muffled explosions that
shook the house like an earthquake, and
almost simultaneously was heard the noise
of scuffie, and opened my eyes to see
| the room filled with policemen, and hear
pistol-shops exchanged, while our two
sentinels were thrown down, disarmed,
and pinioned before my eyes.
In less time than IL taxes me TO describe
| 1t the situation had been reversed, an d
now Belts, the detective, appeared In the
door at the head Of his posse OF men, who
| brought in eight Of the captured burglars
| two Of them wounded and bleeding pro-
| fusely, while the rest showed signs Of
having maintained stout resistance; all
had los: their masks in the melee, and
disclosed sullen and brutal yisages.
"How are you, Mr.. Powersr inquired
| Belts, coming forward and releasing me
81 hope you're not hurt. beg your par
don for taking possession of your house
in this way"
"Why did you make me think / was
safe for tonight, Betts"
Because" he replied, with a shrug
/" discovered you were just little upset
at the prospect, and felt afraid OF you"
He ran his eye over the group beside me
and when he saw johnson he grinned, and
going up TO him knocked his manacles
off. !" You're pretty detective, you are, y
said he, "to be caught and tied up by the
very fellows you were In waiting forp
Belts" / gasped, suddenly, You
| haven't got the little one"