The Portland daily press., 1874-05-09

,ad GONE down to zero but he disguised his |
contempt, and went ON to tell me that he had |
dispatched one of his men, johnson by name, |
% nv place to make reconnaissance, undef
,retense of trimming my evergreens. Upon
his mans report, and upon two or three 9TH
II open questions which ne did not think 1t
worth while to explain, depended his pro-
yramme for tonight. If by any possibility
here was likelihood of my house being en-
tered at once, was to know it by dinner
time, that might be prepared for the burg
ars. was meantime to 60 home quietly.
and spend my time in my usual manner, so as
TO excite no comment among the servants,
and receiving no word from Belts l was to
rest satisfied, and consider my house safe for
another twenty-tour hours.
l went home according to directions, and Z.
set about spending my day in my usual way,
but the house was so still, and seemed SO de-
serted, found it almost impossible to read or
even to sit quietly in chair, for more than
five minutes at time. So called the little
dog, Jingle, and set out for walk about the
feeling some curiosity to get
glimpse of the detective johnson. 1t was
black December afternoon, a shivering wind
in the tree-tops, and leaden clouds promising
snow before midnight. The bare ground was
frozen hard, and few dead leaves eddied
about in gusts that rose and fell at uncertain
intervals. heard the sound of an ak through
the sombre stiffness, and Jingle frisked for
ward and barked at a man hacking at the frs
in the shrubbery. l addressed him regarding
his work, and he winked back his apprecia-
tioD of our mutual sharpness, then went
on, rec onnoitred few minutes longer, and
again turned in. The day seemed endless,
and was glad when Saunders lit the gas,
and shut out the shivering landscape and
funere clouds with the heavy curtains. Din
ner-time came, and brought with it SEM
blance of occupation, and when | was half
through my meal / suddenly remembered
Jingle, and sent for him to keep me company.
He was not in the house. 1t flashed upon
me that had NOT seen him after passing
johnson in the thicket, and dispatched the
coachman to call him in but only echoes an
swered the cry. He had evidently remained
out in the grounds with the policeman. and
/ dismissed the subject from my mind, finish
ed my desert, and went back to my library
fire. No word bad come from Belts, hence |
was safe for tonight, at all events. and I
breathed freer, and stretched my legs and
dozed until 10 O'Clock in comparative comfort.
Then, rousing myself, lit a lantern ard went
out of the door along the side-pizzas to speak
word with johnson, who Belts had arrang-
ed, was in any case to keep q watch under
the covered carriage-way.
He was not there. did not understand
it. Had he got drunk, or had Belts taken
him awaye Perhaps, however, he was still
lettering at the edge of the grounds; accord
ingly / walked out on the lawn, and swung
my lantern two or three times. Then, as it
was bitter cold, and was beginning to snow,
/ turned in, and, finding that it was almost
II O'Clock, ordered Saunders to close the
house and send the servants to bed; and to
he'd went myself
But as soon as the light was out, and my
head touched the pillow, was freshly inn
pressed by the mystery of Johnson's dsap-
pearance, and accordingly got up, opened
my pillow case, took out two revolvers, and
putting them and sword cane within easy
reach, I returned to bed.
''Deuce take this suspensev' said I as
again lay down. II shan't sleep wink"
But after tossing few times, and assuring
myself 1 could not close my eyes, fell asleep
at least, after time, was awakened by q
bright light shining full in my face.
''Good GodP' cried out aloud, they've
come tonight" For three men, with black
cambria masks concealing their faces, stood
over me, each pointing pistol at my head.
'sPlease to get up. Mr.. Powers" said one
of them, in a cool, civil way, please to put
on that dressing-gown and those slippers.
You shall not be harmed in the least if you
will only be quiet and obey directions"
With three pistols aimed square in my eyes,
any man will be doce, ] suppose; at least l
got up. and put on dressing gown and slip
pers. Then one of the men caught my arms,
drew them behind, and manacled them; an
other gagged me with one of my own silk
handkerchief: and thus rendered harmless.
was led down stairs, where my household,
in various stages of night attire, gagged, and
tied back to back, were awaiting me in the
dining-roOm. l was put into an arm chair,
and fastened to it by feet and hand, then was
left alone to stare about me. Maddened,
desperate thought was, when l discovered
that the sixth of the robbers was johnson,
the detective, recognized him with keen
sense of the ridiculous, and only wished that
Betts-whom / was mentally matchmaking
with curses not loud but deep-were in his
place, and tasting some of our humiliation.
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 at
once fell to work in way that meant bust
ness. A small active man twas it our Marie p
motioned toward the sideboard. 1t 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 at once stripped, and
the contents piled ON the table. 4
The bedrooms up stairs were next visited,
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 off. The upper rooms
being Quilted, they came down with their
spois, which they piled high before our eyes
on the table, and then. leaving us again alone
with our sentinels, they went through the
entry into my library.
1t was dark hour. I leaned back my
head and closed my eyes, aid felt that fate
was cruel to me. Only one consolation ill1-
mined the blackness Of my despair-my wife
had carried her jewels to town with her, and
was spared the humiliation of telling her I
had lost them for her through my idiotic faith
in Retts. There was long silence now,
which l understood but too well; it was fol-
lowed by three muffled explosions that shook
the house like an earthquake, and almost 81
simultaneously was heard The nois of scufie
and opened my eyes to see the room filled
with policemen, and hear pistol shots ex-
changed, while our two sentinels were thrown
down, oisarmed, and pinioned before my
eyes. .a.....
l looked and listened, mentally stunned,
without clear comprehension of the meaning
Of the uproar, for, with the noise of the fire.
arms, the clang of manacles, and the beat of
heavy feet, the tumult was somewhat terrify-
ing. r
In less time than it takes me to describe it,
the situation had been reversed, and now
Belts, the detective, appeared in the door at
the head OF his posse of men, WAC brought
in eight of the captured burglars. two of
them wounded and bleeding profusely, while
the rest showed signs of having maintained
stout resistance; all had lost their masks
in the melee, and disclosed sullen and brutal
visages. -sH5-
"How are you, MI. Powers?" inquired
Belts, coming forward and releasing me; 81
hope you're not hurt. beg your pardon 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, IT
discovered you were just little upset at the
prospect, and felt afraid of you." He ran
mis- 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 ale, said he. 'to be
caught and tied up by the very fellows you
were in waiting for"
Still, Belts was in too high good humor to
be angry even with the Inundated johnson.
Meanwhile I was peeping into the faces of
the thieves, fearing to find Marie among
them.
Belts, I gasped, suddenly, "You haven't
got the little one.''
de gave tigerish cry, and glared from one
10 another of his prisoners