Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-08-27
NUMBER 81.

Shapes and shadows, and there is q grim
silence over the house, that may be broken
at any time by stealthy steps or pistol
shots, and you lie IN your bed and feel dan
ger drawing steadily nearer-nearer--u
| won't think of it. feel that same chill
now as / write
Whatll we do, miss? For it's a tear
in shame, an they'll git all the nice
silver an things, an that wretch NV a
thafe, Mike Rusher! Wen have to be
spry!" 83
The thought of making defense of her
masters property-the brave girl How
she put me to shame, lying shivering
there, only considering how [ might get
safely out of the house to the nearest
neighbours. With desperate resolution /
sat up.
Ion with some clothes.n saidI to Kath-
q Jist yer dark wrapper over yer night
gown, miss, dearl Where is it?n said she,
snatching it from the chair that indicated
| and thrusting in my arms. "Now give
me yer long waterproof to hide me white
clothes; am now some slippers IN yer
| hand, miss; no, not on yer feet yit. Hark,
now!'' We listened; the door was ajar.
| Kathleen, not moment idle, thrust q pill
low into my place and arranged the bed
clothes to simulate a human form in the
dim light. All this took place in about
| three minutes. No sound from the hall.
| Kathleen seized my arm.
| Miss, dear, I'm goin' to thry to get
out the library windy into the ilacs, an
run for the station There's mostly a lot
of perlice there; it's quite ways, but I'll
| 90 like deer. could 90 quicker'n you,
but if ye'd rather We can thry it, But say,
quick. You must stay by the library
windy to see that we git in all right"
"I'll stay" said l, promptly. But oh!
what a sinking of the hearth To be left
alone at midnight in house tenanted by
burglars, where my life would pay the for
felt of discovery.
Come down quick, thin," said Kath-
leen elf we'll only git down before
Mike comes along, an he'll not be far off
now, sure"
We started. The padded stairs and Ak
minister carpets gave no sound OF our bare
feet But oh! the dread of meeting Mike
Rusher in the dark! for he was probably
then patroIling the house. We got as far
as the big closet under the stairs, in the
| lower hall, when we heard the click of the
night-lock, and, turning, saw dimly out
| lined against the upper glass of the door
Mike Rusher's low-crowned hat and bur
| ly shoulders. We had barely missed of
him in the dark. Instinctively we knew
what he was opening the door for Kath-
| leen's fingers clutched my wrist-there
was black and blue spot there for aweek
after-we stole softly along the room to
| the open sitting-room door, hurried across
into the library, carefully closing the door
| of communication after us. The window
sash slid easily, and Kathleen perched an
instant on the sill while she whispered:
"Keep dark, now, miss, dear, an if they're
like to find We afore / come, cut an run
for yer life"
Then she dropped to the ground in
spite of herself, making a rustling in the
lilacs; slipped across the walk, on to the
soft grass in the shrubbery, and was gone.
Not moment too soon.
AS crouched close to the sill, behind
big lounging- chair, heard second
rustic of the lilacs, and low remark,
seemingly not more than two feet from
me:
81 heard 'em crackle, anyway But
there's nobody here"
There. were two of them If they had
glanced at the window, which | had par
TALLY closed lest it should attract attention,
[ should have been lost. But they went
away, and | closed it entirely.
Then, as my eyes became more accus-
toned to the dark. saw rather than
heard the library door open; heard Mike
Rusher's smothered whisper: "What yer
bout, Rufe? Nothin' but books in thar"
Yer sure? No nice clos, nor secret
drawer, nor nothin'?' was the answer in
louder key. ~
"No, nothin'. In the dinin' room in
the safe. Come Ter long; We en- go up
stairs eff we wanter, afterwards. Valy'ble
stuff up thar"
They left the door open and retired. I
heard the clink of, silver, and caught the
CLEAN of light from the dining room.
They had got the safe open. How many
minutes then went by cannot tell. All
at once, with scarce a football to tell of his
proximity, Mike Rusher stood almost over
me and tried the window. 1t slid up.
The divilp' said be- (" But maybe miss
left ii onfastened She's mighty careless.
An we heard the bushes rattle? -
Yes said anothervoice, near by. The
cold perspiration stood all over me, and
held my breath.
Just then an outburst OF profanity from
the hall, with a sudden confusion, and his
own name uttered in uncomplimentary
terms, caused the redoubtable Mike and
his companion to depart for the scene of
conflict with some alacrity. ! could bear
it no longer. raised the window, all in
a tremor, to leap from it and take to my
heels when 10! sudden crowd of figures
darkened it, man sprung rapidly
through-another and another-the room
was filled with them; they carried clubs
and revolvers, and there was CLEAN oil
stars and gilt buttons. One of them caught
sight of me as | shrunk half fainting be-
hind the big chair. "Oh, here she is! l
thank the Lord you're safe, miss" He
held me up, for | could hardly stand, and
Kathleen, laughing and crying, threw her
arms around me. Thrice came sudden
shrill whistle, and from all sides the po-
licemen rushed to the attack. There was
no retreat-the house was surrounded by
alert detectives. ALI of the gan g-three III
number-were captured CIV
After the sharp skirniish was over, the
captives hand-cuffed and placed h0rs de
combat, and the wounds bound up, Mike
Rusher for the first time caugnt slgnt OF
Kathleen and me.
aHouly mither o. Moses We thafe NV
gur-r-l thinl was it you as whit traispasin'
off to the station an brought this drove
down on us? Whin seed we dhrink the
coffee wild me own eyes, an looked at We
slapin' in yer bed not five minutes agoF"
"Thafe of gur-r-l yersilf, Mike Rush
erp' quoth Kathleen, facing him with
arms akimbo. 81 did all that an didn't
dhrink yer coffee, but poured it down me
buzzum, an it's wet as drownded rat
was, sure, an ye looked at me piller wild
me night-cap on in me bed, adluck toye!
Take a woman after this to desave wom-
an, will ye? an none Nv yer blunderin'
Irishmenn'
With which fiat on the woman question
our Kathleen retired ON her laurels.-
Wo0nsocltet Or. II Patriot.