Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-11-08

youA OAah 1IIIAS ooCAOoy' Ao VA wv
you tomorrow, SO au revoir." And
with a very polite bow be sprang into
the elegant box-buggy and was out of
sight III a few moments.
80, DEAR" she soliloquized, as she
slowly wendell her way toward the
house. ct wish that was Glide instead of
Frank Not because l care for Glide,
but [ used to have to coax him when
ever I wanted him to do anything for
me he did not wish to do, and cannot
Frank, somehow; although Frank
would not censure me, as Glide has
done. Frank is real nice in spite of
what every one tries to say against him"
And with that consolation she enter
ed the parlor, and amused herself at
the piano until ten o'clock, when she
thought she would retire.
How long she had slept she had no
idea of, but she awoke with a start,
and sat bolt upright in bed, as wide
awake as though it were broad day
light.
The night wind whistled drearily
through the open window; while the
ticking of the little gilt clock on the
marble mantel seemed to buzz in her
ears urging her, in an unaccountable
manner to arise.
She lay perfectly still for few mo-
ments trying to sleep again, but sleep
had fled, and with q low laugh at her
foolish imagination, she threw on
wrapper and opened the door of her
room, but hesitated after reaching the
hall for the night was already far ad-
vanced, the clock having just struck
three.
Still that irresistible longing to go
possessed her, feeling it was impossl-
BILE to define, and gliding down stairs
with noiseless steps, she paused on
reaching the sitting-room door, to reas-
sure herself.
The door was half open, as she re-
membered having left it on retiring,
the light burned low, the window was
shut, all seemed quiet and undisturbed,
but a feeling of dread crept over her as
she entered the room, for the tn ought
of the money her father had placed
there suddenly has he'd across her mem
Dry.
She would call James. But no. He
might say she was hysterical or super
stitous; and above all else she detested
a nervous woman. How foolish of her
to have come down stairs. She would
go right back to her room Immediately
Arriving at that conclusion she
turned to leave the room, but In so do
ing her eyes CHANGED to rest on the lit
tie safe in the opposite corner of the
room. Her heart almost ceased to beat.
, for there, on his knees, she saw the fig
ure of man.
His face was bent over the instru-
inert he was using to pry open the
lock, and on the floor by his side lay a
revolver.
She watched him open the safe, and
draw from it the box containing the
money. Too stunned to cry for help,
she shivered as if struck with ague,
while great drops of perspiration rolled
down her flushed face. O, the agony
} she suffered, standing there unable tG
move hand or foot, fairly Supplied with
, fright. She felt her senses leaving her
as the man turned his head to reach
) for some instrument he needed.
Had thunderbolt struck the house
or a bombshell exploded at her very
feet, she could not have flown faster
across the room than at that moment
for. in turning his head, she had recog
nized the burglar
With one bound she reached his side
and, pale as death, her hand graspine
his shoulder, she stood over him. From
his face, too, all color suddenly fled. L
was Frank hamburg.
His face was white with detected
guilt; hers pale with terror and grief
- ~. ha1iori,,fr h or. nyuy
senses.
Then he spoke, her clear and fem,
expressive fear adding energy to her
failing strength.
"What are you doing here at this
time of the night, Frank hamburg
"Detected!" was all the answer bis
white lips could frame.
Birdie felt her strength DESERVING
her. but rallying again with an effort
she said hurriedly. "Set down that box
of money, and leave this house instant
Id, as you value your life"
With quick movement she reached
down and grasped the revolver, point
ing it toward him.
, He heard the click of the trigger as
she drew it back, and fearing she was
about to fire, he struck the weapon to
one side, causing it to go off, the bal
lodging in her arm.
"You have killed me-" she gasped.
"James-Mollie," she called family;
then giddiness came over me her;
2 sudden dimness hid the surrounding
objects from view; feeling of deadly
sickness caused her to reel backward
, and with a shrek she fell heavily to
the floor.
Weeks Of sickness followed, and in
her delirium she rehearsed over and
over again her encounter with Frank
hamburg, and of the fear that possess
ed her while standing so bravely before
him.
Assiduous searched failed to find the
l slightest trace of Frank, as he had es
capped almost before the insensible
3 form of Birdie was discovered, and il
l was at last given up; the sharpest de
} tectives failing to find any clue to his
, whereabouts. Many days passed be-
! fore the recollection of that night