Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-23

difficulty that kept from scream
ing out, and often dream Of see
ing that man now, and always as ]
saw him then, standing in the red
fire-light, whose fitful play lit up
his face with the look of a demon,
watching me with his cruel, tiger
ish eyes. He had q sack slune
over his shoulder, and / understood
at once that he had been through
the house and plundered 1t OF
everything worth his while to take.
"You know that your uncle
George and / began housekeeping
In modest way we had to, for
he was working on . salary in those
days, and after paying for the
house, we didn't have q great deal
left to purchase other things with,
You can readily understand, then,
how angry it made me to see that
great, brutal fellow standing there
with his sack full of articles whose
value represented months of hard
work. / have often wondered at
it since, but the feeling of indig-
nation was so intense as to almost
overcome my fear and prudence.
But knew from the devil in his
eye that he would not hesitate at
any crime that he might be pro-
volxed to for his own safety, and !
think 1 never stirred a muscle
But, oh l wished l might cry for
help, and have the wretch given up
to the punishment he 80 richly de-
served.
Suddenly his eyes caught sight
Of grandfather Van STATIONS sill
yer snuff-box, standing on the Ia
BILE at my side, and he tiptoed
toward it. I had not closed it
when I put it down. The lid was
open in such way that the light
reflected on it brightly, and that
was what caught his attention.
My arm lay on the side of my
chair, and my hand was resting on
the table so near to the box that
when he leaned over, and reached
down to get it, his fingers touched
mine. / could not help SILVER at
the touch, but he did not detect it.
"He lifted the box from the ia
BILE, and held it up close to his face
to examine its contents. ! don't
know how came to do it, but /
never stopped to think what the
possible consequences might bel
flung up my hand, and the fiery
snuff flew into his eyes in q yellow
cloud, binding him instantly. He
gave howl Of agony and rage,
and made a dash toward me, but
/ eluded him. The snuff got into
his nose and mouth; and he began
sneezing and coughing frightfully,
and tears kept running down his
cheeks. His exhibition of pain
was intense. 1t seemed to make
him crazy. He ran about the room
like a mad animal. -.
81 slipped out Of the room, lock-
ed the door, and ran up to call
grandfather Van Stratton. But
he had heard the racket going on
below, and was coming down the
stairs. / told him what I had done,
and he ran out after help, and was
back in almost no time with some
of the neighbors.
at was easy to secure the bur-
glar in the condition he was in.
They bound him securely, and took
him off to the station house. 1t
was frightful to hear him curse and
rave as they led him away. In the
morning l heard that I had been
the means of capturing the very
person the police had been in search
Of so long-Toby Darrell. They
offered me the reward but I would
not take it; and so they made me
a present of beautiful set Of sill
yer. That spoon you have in your
cup is one of them. / was hal
sick for a week after the affair tool
place, but I concluded there WASH
any use in being sick over wha
danger was passed and got ovel
my fright bravely. And TOBY
Darrell got dozen years in Sins
Sing"