The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-09-24
BV HORSLEY & co.

and feel danger drawing steadily nearer
-nearer-ugh! l won't think of it.
feel that same chill now as 1 write.
What'll we do, miss? For it's tear
in shame, an they'll git all the nice
silver an things, an that wretch NV a
thafe, Mike Rusher! Well have to be
spryw
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
neighbor's. With desperate resolution
| sat up.
"Onwith some clothes, said to Kath-
lCen.
Jist yer dark wrapper over yer night
gown, miss, dearl Where is t?' said
she, snatching it from the chair that | in
dicatedand tbrusting in my arms. "Now
give me yer long waterproof to hide me
white clothes; an 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
a pillow into my place and arranged the
5ed-clOthes to stimulate 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 lilacs, an
run for the station. There's mostly a lot
of perlice there; it's quite a ways, but
I'll 90 like deer. | could go 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"
"Hn stay" said I, promptly. But oh!
wEat sinking Of the heart To be left
alone at midnight in house tenanted by
burglars, where my life would pay the
forfeit of discovery.
"Come down quick, thin" said Kath-
leen; eff we'll only git down before
Mike comes along, an he'll not be far off
low, sure"
We started. The padded stairs and
Administer carpets gave no sound of our
bare feet But oh. the dread Of meeting
Mike Itusher in the dark for he was
probably then patrolling 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-clock, and, turning
saw dimlv outlined against the upper
glass of the door Mike Rusher's low
crowned hat and burly shoulders. We
had barely missed of him in the dark
lnstinctiycly we knew what he was open
into the door for. Kathleen's fingers
clutched my wrist-there was black and
blue spot there for a week after-we stole
softly along the room to the open sitting
room door. hurried across into the library,
carefully closing the door of cOmmunica-
tiOn afterus. The windOw-sssh 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 atore | 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 a moment too soon.
As | crouched close to the sill, behind
big lounging-chair, | heard a second
rustic of the lilacs, and a low remark,
seemingly not more than two feet from
me:
4 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 atten-
ton, | 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
a louder key.
"NO, nothin' In the dinin' room in
the safe. Come 'er long; We en- 90 up
stairs eff We wanter, afterwards. Valy'ble
stuff up thar"
They left the door open and retired.
heard the clink of silver, and caught the
gleam of light from the dinning-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 divil" said he. "But maybe
miss left it Onfastened. She's mighty
careless. An We heard the bushes rattle?'
-" Yes" said another voice, 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. Il sudden crowd of figures
darkened it, a man sprung rapidly
thTough-another and another-the room
was filled with them; they carried clubs
and rcvolvers, and there was a CLEAN of
stars and gilt buttons. One of them
caught sight of me as | shrunk half faint
ing behind the big chair. ''Oh, here she
is. | 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 a
sudden shrill whistle, and from all sides
the policemen rushed to the attack. There !
was no retreat-the house was surrounded |
by alert detectives All of the gang |
three in number-were captured.
After the sharp skirmish was over, the |
captives hand-cuffed and placed h0rs de /
combat, and the wounds bound up, Mike |
Rusher for the first time caught sight of /
Kathleen and me.
"IIouly mither O Moses, we thafe NV /
a gur-r-l thin! was it you as wint trails |
pasin off to the station an brought this |
drove down on us? Whin | seed We .
dhrink the coffee wild me own eyes, an |
looked at ye slapin' in yer bed not five .
minutes ago.
"Thate of Il gur-r-l ycrsiIf, Mike Rush
err" quoth Kathleen, facing him with |
arms akimbo. 4 did all that, an didn't /
dhrink yer coffee, but poured it down me
huzzum, an its wet as a drownded rat | /
was, sure, an We looked at me piller wild /
the night-cap on in me bed, bad luck to .
We! TAX a woman after this to desave a /
woman, will ye.? an none NV yer blund-
erin Irishmcn."
With which fiat on the woman question .
our Kathleen retired on her laurcIs.- .
llooRsocket { Il. ~ Patriot.
THE BEAUCHAMP TRAGEDY.