The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-04-03

meet the people with-the people who
had saved it week by week, day by day,
all the past year! Heavy drops ran
down her shaking form; her hands
turned numb and hez4<ps clammy and
/ cold, while the beating of her heart was
like the quick tolIing of bell-louder,
louder-ril it deafened her.
"I'lI ind way. to make her speak, p
growled the second voice; 'here's anoth-
er kid in this room" Then in one in
slant a thin streak of light shot across
the landing, and the next
"Mother, mother MOTHER" shrieked
Rosie's voice; and at that sound Ruth
redoubled her cries, and the unhappy
mother sprang up, elasping one child,
mad to protect the other.
"Silence, you fooly' said the man by
her, speaking harshly for the first time.
you'll drive that fellow yonder to do
the child mischief, if geu won't do as
I tell you. Keep down, won't your She
was struggling wildly to pass him, to get
across the room to Rose-Rosie whose
cries were sounding strangely stitled.
''Look here, if you don't give up this
game, by the Lord; he'll knock you on
the head, if l don't" And clasping one
wrist like a vice, the mai held her fast,
while with the other hand he turned on
the light from a small lantern slung at
his side She lifted her eyes slowly, as
if fearing whom she might see; but there
was little enough visibleof the burglars
face-a wide hat, thicl; reddish beard,
and a loose, rough gray coat, were all she
saw
'fHush, hush," she murmared to Ruth.
"Mother will send them away; don look
at him." And she turned the baby's
face towards herself; then raising her
trembling voice, "Rosie, my darling,
your mother is coming!" But Rosie did
not answer her. 80 my Godp' she pant
ed, and looked up wildly.
"Mate," said her eaptor, loud enough
for the other man to hear, "take yonr
hand off that child's mouth if you are
MT in a hurry to be strung up" The
strange muffled sounds upon this broke
out again into the old cry, 40, mother,
motherW
"Now," SAID the man, Zone good turn
deserves another. You're plucky enough
for a woman, but ! can't waste all the
night talking to you;" and then he gave
her look that made her shiver from
head to foot anew. "Bs,ndle those two
brats of yours into one bed, and come
and get US what we want"
She seemed powerless now, and her
very soul tainted within her as she crept
after the tall dark figure over the land
ing into Rosie's room.
"Oh, my childr' cried the poor wo-
man, and essayed to run to the little bed
where ley the small figure, pinioned
down by the heavy grasp of taller,
darker man than her own captor.
GLANDS off, missus," growled the Jail
er.
Glands off, now! Just put that other
one in here along of this one, and I'll
take and turn the key on 'em both, while
you take us yonder to what we're lookin'
after."s
No choice again but to obey; two pas
sionate kisses and low "God keep you,"
and between the two men she was march
ed from the room, followed by the chill
drens' pitiful cries, their wild, frightened
sobs.
She led them down the irst short flight
of stairs to the door which, as we have
already said, was partly overhung with
curtain. This door opened into room
which had been used by Mr.. Ferguson's
predecessor as an oratory. The rectory
had been built in the time of the late
rector, and built, consequently very
much to suit his tastes.
One more popularity of the room to
note: the doors-for there were two
fastened with spring on being pushed
to, and could only be re-opened by
hand accustomed to the task and they also
were furnished with heavy bolts on the
OulSlOc3 OllC dOOA OPOiACd OIl Vic
the other, smaller one, in one side of
the recess at the further end, led into a
bedroom which had been Mr.. Ferguson's
predecessors, and whencel he could go in
and out of his favorite oratory at any
hour of the day or night. as it pleased
him.
Here, as the kitchen clock below
struck the hour three, stood the strange
trio-the mufied disguised men, the
trembling white-faced w2man.
But one of them carried light, the
other had left his lantern outside.
"Now," said the darksE of the men,
"here's the room, you say; we can finish
this business pretty quick"
The small safe, let INTO the wall, was
directly before them; below it four drSw
ers reached down to the -four; in the
lowest of these, at the back of it, Mr..
Ferguson had laid the sTg.
She pointed silently to the drawer,
which they at once dragged out, with
too much strength, for they jerked it
quite out on the floor. One of them
suddenly turned particular about max
ing a noise, and bade their unwilling
helper "shut that door," As she felt the
spring catch securely beneath her hand
there suddenly flashed upon her a
thought hope-awayrpf escape for
herself, a way of saving yet that fatal
money.
From the look the men had cast
around the room Mrs. Ferguson was
sure they knew nothing of their where
| abouts.
"Shut that door," the man had said,
and never so much as cast look towards
where was the other door, completely
concealed in the shadow of the recess!
Every pulse beating wildly, she glanc-
ed furtively across the room; through
the tall, narrow, church-like window
yonder she could see the moon strug-
Cling through thick clouds, and she