Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-07-17

the man. "The lady he was to mar
ry and her friends will be down to
morrow. Meanwhile my instruction.
are that you shall watch with him
and allow no strangers to enter tn.
house. There are valuables here,
am told, and Mr.. Van Motifs lawyer
must take possession of them, and
seal them up before strangers have
access to the rooms"
"Oh! dear, DEAR" cried old Maggie
"That it should come to this. eyes
I'll watch alone. I'm not afraid, bu,
oh, dear!"
Then she shrank back and let two
men carry horrible coffin into the
parlor.
They came out with their hats off,
and the other man held his also in
his hand.
Il regret to leave you all alone in
the house," he said.
81 don't mind that" said old Mag.
gle, "but it's terrible, terrible"
"If you'd like me to stay" said the
man.
"No," said old Maggie. "pve no
fear of living Or dead folk. You can
go.
Then she locked the door and went
into the parlor, and putting the can
die on the mantel, looked at the cof-
fin through her tears.
"He was good enough to me-" she
said; "poor Mr.. Archibald! And
this comes of wanting to marry at
this time of life, and gallivanting on
railroads. l wonder whether ne is
changed much. I'll take a look, :"
and Maggie crossed the room and
lifted the lid over the face of the en-
closed body.
"I'll take a look" she said to her
self again. "I'm not afraid of dead
folks"
In minute more Maggie dropped
the lid again, and retreated shaking
from head to foot. She had seen
within the coffin face with it's eyes
shut, and with bandages about the
head, and the ghastly features of a
clown in a circus, minus the red
mouth.
But it was a living face, well chalk
ed, and not her masters, and Maggie
knew at once that she had been we'll
humbugged-that the story of her
masters death was lie, and that a
burglar lay within the coffin, ready
to spring upon her and bind her, or
perhaps murder her at any minute.
She could of course open the door
and try to escape; but the accom-
plices of the man were doubtless out
side. 1t was long distance to the
nearest house, and even if they did
not kill her, they would execute their
purpose aud rob the place before she
returned.
"Master looks NATURAL" said Mag
gle aloud, and tried to collect her
thoughts.
Mr.. Van Motifs revolvers were in
the next room, she knew, loaded, six
shots in each. Maggie could use
pistols. She had aimed at trouble
some cats with great success more
than once. IF she could secure these
she felt safe.
"Poor, dear MASTER" she sobbed,
and edged toward the back room.
"Poor, dear master;;" she lifted the
desk lid. She had them safe.
She glided back to the front par
lor and sat down on chair. She
turned up her sleeves and grasped a
pistol in each hand, and watched the
cofiin-lid quietly. In half an hour
the lid stirred. A cautious hand
crept up the side. A wiry eve peep
ed out. 1t fell upon the armed figure
and closed again.
"You'd BETTER" said Maggie to her
self.
Again the head lifted up. This
time Maggie sprang to her feet.
"You are fixed quite handy" she
said coolly. "No need of laying you
out if l fire, and I can aim first-rate,
especially when I'm afraid of ghosts,
as be now"
The head bobbed down again.
Maggie re-seated herself. She knew
that this could not last very long
that there must be a conflict soon. 1t
was as she had supposed. A mo-
ment more and the coffin was empty
and ferocious young fellow sat on
its edge, and thus addressed her:
awe meant to do it all quiet, and
l don't want to frighten old women.
just put them down."
"I'm not frightened" said Maggie.
''I'm coming to take them things
away from you," said the man.
"Come," said Maggie.
He advanced one step. She took
aim and he lodged, but a bullet went
through his left arm, and it dropped
by his side.
Furious with pain, he dashed to-
ward her. She fired again, and this
time wounded him in the right shoul-
der. Faint, and quite helpless, he
against the wall.
seThere, you've done it now, old
woman" he said. "Open the door
and let me out. My game is up"
"Mine isn't" said old Maggie.
aGet back into your coffin again, or
this time I'll shoot you through the
heart"
The burglar looked piteously at
her, but he saw no mercy in her face.
He went back to the coffin and layed
down in it. Blood dropped from his
wounds and he was growing pale.
Maggie did not want to see him die
before her eyes, but she did not dare
to 60 for aid. To leave the house
before daybreak would be to meet
this mans companions, and risk her
own life. There was nothing for it
but to play the surgeon herself, and
in little while she had stopped the
blood and saved the burglars life.
More than this-shc brought him a
cup Of tea, and fed him with it as if
he had been a baby. Nothing, how
ever, could induce her to lot him out
of his coffin. M
About one or two o'clock she heard
steps outside, and knew that the 9TH
or BURGLARS wora near hut hov Ctout