The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-02-18

be no danger about 1t; or if you don't
think so, you rcay deposit it yourself.
NV husband took little though OF pos
sibilities, and I presume that he never
once thought of money fromthe time he
left the house until he returned, AS
for myself, I was not SO easily satisfied.
l had heard enough of house-plunder-
ings and outrages OF that kind to make
me afraid to keep th1s large amount
with me. NV uneasiness increased as
the day wore Oh; and about three
o'clock the same afternoon, I took the
money and went to the bank, determln-
ed to deposit it, The bank was closed;
all the banks were closed, for it was
Saturday.
I took the package home again, re-
placed il IN the bureau-drawer, locked
it, placed the key in my pocket, and re-
solved that I would not worry any more
about it. Emily called me to tea III a
little while, and though in no hurry, 1
went into the dining-room and sat with
her while she drank her tea and laugh
ed and chatted in her vivacious way.
The evenings were rather long, and
Emily and I sat together IN the dining
room after the table was cleared, she
reading aloud and I listening, as was
our custom. When the clock struck
ten she laid down her book, and [ took
my lamp, and bidding her good night,
went up to my room.
My chamber occupied the whole front
of the second story, and Emily had a
back room upon the same floor. A bell
wire ran from my room to here's so that
I could summon her at pleasure.
placed the lamp upon the bureau,
shaded it, and returned and locked the
door. Then / drew my easy chair to
the middle of the room, put on my slip
pers, and sat down for a few minutes
before retiring. And Immediately be-
came vexed at myself to find that I was
looking at the drawer that held the
money, and that [ was feeling in my
pocket to see that the key was safe. [
felt no alarm; had almost cured my
self of my uneasiness; but it seemed as
if that money, and the danger of its
custody, would obturde upon me. In
the impotence Of the moment I turned
my chair half-round, and looked toward
the opposite wall. The shade that [
placed over the lamp confined its rays
within small circle, beyond which. the
bed, the furniture, the carpet, and the
wall paper were obscure. In the corner,
to the right Of the door, was an antique,
high-backed chair, a favorite piece of
furniture. AS turned my own chair
from the bureau, my eyes rested on this
object; and [ saw by the same glance
that human figure was sitting in it
could not at first make out whether
1t was man or q woman; [ only became
conscious, as sat in bewildering, dumb
terror, chat [ was confronted by a stang
er there in that semi darkness-by some
one who had hidden in the room for
some object; and what that object was [
well knew. No person who has never
been placed in such a terrifying situa-
ton as that can describe the sickening
feeling which for a moment takes pos
session of the heart; and I can only say
for myself that [ sat motionless for q
time-I know not how long-thinking
of my helpless situation. There I was,
locked up in room alone with rufian,
waiting, them bling, and expecting to
hear him speak, or to become the object
of some violence. For although, as [
have said, [ could not distinguish wheth-
er 1t was man or woman, I did not doubt
that it was the former, and one of the
most deperate of his kind And
presently, as my eyes fell to the floor, I
saw great pair of boots thrust out up
on the carpet within the radius of the
light
[ do not know how long we sat there
in the semi-darkness Of the, room facing
each other, but motionless and silent; it
might have been three minutes or thirty.
The thought of alarming Emily sudden
" occurred to me, and I reached out for
the bell cord. It should have been
within easy reach of the spot where [
sat; but my hand hand failed to find it.
A low churckle came from the occu-
pant of the old chair
''That was clever thought of you,
missus,' came forth in deep, rough
voice, and in a tone of easy insolence.
"Clever thought, marin; but bless your
simple soul, do you think was a-going
to leave that ERE cord there for you to
make noise with ? Not by any means.
It's well to be careful when you're in