Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-01-08

brals 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.
"Oh, my childm cried the poor woman,
and essayed to run TO the little bed where
lay the small figure, pinioned down by the
heavy grasp OF taller, darker man than
her own captor.
Hands OFT, missus," growled the iailer,
while Rosie, utlering cries of mingled
fright and JOY, writhed and twisted like
an eel 10 slip into her mothers arms.
Hands of 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 a low God keep YOU"
and between the two men she was march
ed from the room, followed by the chill
dren's pititul cries, their wild, frightened
sobs
As she passed out, MAY L" She asked,
catching at shawl which hung over n
chair They asSented, shortly, and she
wrapped it round her shivering figure,
and prepared to take them to where their
booty lay. She led them down the first
short flight of stars To the door which, as
we have already said, was partly over.
hung with curtain. This door opened
into room which had been used by Mr..
terguSson'S predecessor as an oratory. In
deep recess, at the further end, had boon
placed small altar, upon which had
stood a tall, bright CrucitiX. But now the
room was bare and almost empty. The
dOors-ior there were two--tAstened with
a spring ON being pushed to, and could
only be opened by a hand accustomed TO
the task, and they also were furnished
with heavy bolts on the outside; one door
opened on the landing; the other, II 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 mutlled, disguised men, the trembling,
whitet faced woman.
But one Of them carried light the
other had left his lantern outside.
Now" said the darker oc the men,
"here's the room you say. We can finish
this business pretty quick;" and he
added, with a 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 il four draw.
crs 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 thev ierked it quite
out on the floor, One Of them suddenly
turned particular about making noise,
and babe their unwilling helper shut
that door" AS she felt the spring catch
securely beneath her hand there suddenly
flashed upon her a thought-a hope--a
way of escape for herself way of say.
ing yet that fatal money
From the look the men had cast around
the room, Mrs. Ferguson was sure they
knew nothing of their Whereabouts,
"Shut that doorln the man had said
and never So much as cast a lock toward
where was the other door, completely
concealed in the shadow of the recess.
Every pulse beating wildly, She glanced
furively across the room. Through the
tall, narrow, church-likc window wonder
she could see the moon struggling through
thick clouds, and she could sec-her sight
quickened by the peril of the moment
she could see a faint thread of light on
one side, which told her that the further
door stood unlatchcd.
ooh, Heaven help me, and give me
timer she prayed; but her hand shook
SO that it could scarcely obey her swift
thought Another moment, and she took
in her exact p0siti0n-the men STOPPING
over the keys, the lamp on the iloor-and
the next she had flung Lcr shawl over the
lamp, darted across the floor, out into the
room beyond, and flung to the door with
all her force.
Yet more to be done. She drew the
bolts with frcnzied speed, above, below
that way was safe: then, with the pas
sionate strength Of the moment she sped
through the room, out on the landing to
the curtaincd door, and made that fast
from without, while the furious captves
beat at it from within; and then--ah,
then, poor thin- her fortitudc forsook
her, and a thousand fears she had not
counted on most cruelty beset her.
The frightruI oaths and curses that
reached her as she leaned painting by the
wall filled her with horror; the heavy
blows upon the panels filled her with dis
may. They would escape yet Her chill
dren-on them they would wreak their
vengeance. AT the thought her cries and
tears broke forth. "They will die, and |
Shall have killed theml' She cried out;
and then blindly reaching forth to feel
her way back to their room, all sight,
sense, sound, seemed suddenly to desert
her. She slid down few stairs, clinging
to the rail- then, losing her hold, fell
heavily on the stone floor Of the hall be.
low.
Mr.. Ferguson had reached his nearest
station in safety, had sent back the wraps
his carernl wife bad Guarded him with.