Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-08

shaking and hollow that it awakened
Ruth, who chung to her, sleepy and
scared.
This time she had answer.
"We will do you no HARM" voice
spoke cut Of the darkness, IF you give
up that money you've got" And then,
before Mrs. Ferguson could muster
courage and breath to speak, another
voice, out of the room apparently, added
III a rough under-tone, And tell her to
look sharp about it, tOor'
"T5oo of them! o God help mel" she
whispered TO herself, and Ruth began to
break into screams and sobs.
Keep that brat quiet" angrily NUT
tered the voice on the landing, and don't
keep US here all night
Now surely if ever a woman was in a
miserable plight, Mrs. Ferguson was
that woman. Not house nearer than
the Hollands, full quarter of mile off;
no soul near to help, for lane, who work
ed hard by day, slept hard by night, and
slept, moreover, in a queer little room at
the very top of the house: all alone
worse than alone, utterly helpless, and a
woman who confessed to the usual fem
mime share of cOwardice.
| Still she drew her breath, and there
| y
then, for few brief moments, she thought
thought with all her mind and soul
was there any way for her out OF this?
And her reason told her there was
none.
Come" said the voice in her own
room, I'm a good-tempered chap
enough, but my mates in a hurry: don't
provoke him. Look alive, and tell US
| where to find the swag-mOneyw
She groaned and shook, and all her
limbs turned cold, as the voice drew
nearer and nearer; and at the last words
heavy hand was laid upon the bed
| Then, further to torment her, came the
thought that once this money were gone,
there would be none to 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 her lips
clammy and cold, while the beating of
her heart was like the quick tolling of a
bell-louder, louder-till it deafened her.
"I'll find way to make her speak"
growled the second voice. Here's an
other kid in the room" Then, in one
instant, a thin streak of light shot across
the landing, and the next
Mother, mother, MOTHER!" shrieked
| ROsie's voice; and at that sound Ruth re-
doubled her cries. and the unhappy moth
er sprang up, clasping one child, mad to
protect the other.
Silence, you fool!" said the man by
her, speaking harshly for the first time.
you'll drive that fellow yonder to do the
child mischief, if you won't do as | tell
you. Keep down, won't your" For she
was struggling wildly to pass him, to get
across to the room to Rosie-Rosie, whose
cries were sounding strangely stihed.
Look here, if you don't give up this
game, by the Lord, he'll knock you on
the head, if don't" And clasping one
wrist like a vice, the man 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 fear
ing whom she might see; but there was
little enough visible of the burglars face
a wide hat, a thick reddish beard, and a
loose rough gray coat were all she saw.
Now" said the man, 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 SILVER from
head to foot anew. Bundle 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 landing,
into Rosie's room.
ooh, my childp' cried the poor woman,
and essayed to run to the little bed where
lay the small figure, pinioned down by the
heavy grasp of q taller, darker man than
her own captor.
Hands of, missus," grOwled the jailer,
while Rosie, uttering cries of mingled
fright and joy, writhed and twisted like
an eel to slip into her mothers arms.
Hands off now! Just put the 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"
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.
dren's pitiful cries, their wild, frightened
sObs
AS she passed out, ''Gay I?o she asked
catching at shawl which hung over q
chair They assented, shortly, and she
wrapped it round her shivering figure
and prepared to take them to where theil
booty lay. She led them down the first
short fight Of stairs to the door which, as
we have already said, was partly over
hung with curtain. This door opened
into a room which had been used by Mr.
Fergusson's predecessor as an oratory In
a deep recess, at the further end, had been
placed a small altar, upon which had
!, stood tall, bright crucifx. But now the
room was bare and almost empty The
dOOrs-for there were twO-fastened with
a spring on being pushed to, and could
only be opened by hand accustomed to
the task, and they also were furnished
: with heavy bolts on the outside; one door
) opened on the landing the other, a small
Ter one, in one side of the recess at the
further end, led into bedroom.
Here, as the kitchen clock below struck
the hour of three, stood the strange trio
the muff1ed, disguised men, the trembling,
T white-faced woman.
But one of them carried light; the
other had left his lantern outside.
Now" said the darker OF the men.
"here's the room you say. We can finish
this business pretty quick" and he
added, with rafting oath to his comrade
that they'd been kept too long by half
already
The small safe, let into the wall, was
directly before them; below it four draw
ers reached down to the floor; in the
lower of these, at the back of it, Mrs
ferguson had laid the key.
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 making a noise,
and babe their unwilling helper " shut
| A cln Fa1+ I,a oTarl -0h