Sharp County record., 1877-09-28

room before he lOunu lle IlS nv uoNi'
As he reached the foot of the staircase,
voices were audible above, and lights
were cleaning down. His retreat was
cut off; he could not get back to his
room without being discovered. lie
now distinguished the voice OF Mrs
McLane in an agitated tone entreatlng
somebody to be careful and not get shot,
the gruff voices of the brothers respond
ing, and then their steps rapidly de-
scending the stairs. Should he go up
and take the risk of volley while an
nOuncing himself? 1t would make
pretty tableau. Presenting himself IN
such guise and under such clrcum-
stances, what sort of reception could ne
expect from John, who treated him
with undisguised contempt in the draw
ing-roOm, and whose study it was to
place him at disadvantage He might
have hesitated longer, but at this mo-
ment the voice of Angie, crying down
to her brothers to be careful, decided
him. He could not face her under such
terribly false circumstances, ,and without
his wig.
Vainly seeking a safe refuge, he ran
round the apartment like aratin trap.
He already heard the brothers in the
dining-room picking up the silver and
wondering to find it all there, when,
obeying sudden inspiration, he clam
bered upon lofty bookcase that ran
across one end of the room, archlng
above the dining-rOOm door, and reach
inc within a few feet Of the ceiling. In
cold blood he never could have scaled
it. Lying at full length upon the top of
the bookcase with his back to the wall,
the bulge of him was still visible from
the farther part Of the room, in case it
should occur to his pursuerS to look so
high.
The latter now entered the library,
and, peering over the edge of the book
case, Bob recognized with singular SEN
sation the two gentlemen with whom ne
had been conversing a little earlier in
the evening. Then they were arrayed
in faultless evening dress, and their man
ner, although supercilious enough, was
calm and polished. Now he saw them
half dressed, with disheveled hair-John
carrying students lamp in his left
hand and in his right an ugly-lOoing
cane-sword, with blade painfully max
ed, while George held revolver at full
cock.
He could scarcely believe his fortune,
when, moment later, the two brothers
passed again beneath him back into the
dining-roOm.
From there they went on through the
rooms beyond, and the sound of their
footsteps died away entirely.
Perhaps five minutes after, they re-
turned THAT is, as far as the dining
room-and Bob gatheredfrOm their con-
versation that they had found one Of the
fastenings in the basement in condition
indicating that the burglar might have
escaped there.
Mrs. McLane and Angie, having salts
fled themselves that the coast was clear,
descended to the dining room, and a
lively discussion of all aspects of the
problem ensued, which was highly edi-
flying to Bob.
Then the conversation became still
more interesting, as it turned on himself.
He heard Mrs. McLane saying:
"He must be a hard sleeper, for |
knocked several times on his door,
Then one of the brothers grunted
something contemptuously, land he heard
Angles voice excusing him on the
ground that he must be tired after his
long journey.
care you sure you looked every
where in the library?" was Mrs. Nc
Lanes next question, at which cold
sweat stood out on Bob'S face. He had
Just begun to feel quite comfortable.
"Did you look on top of the book
case?"
1t seemed to Bob that he died then,
and came to life again to hear John re-
ply, contemptuously:
"Over the bookcase? There's no
room there, and, if there were, nobody
but a monkey could get up there
"Thore's room enough" persisted
Angie, "and | have often noticed, when
sitting in the library, what a nice hiding
place it would be. What if he should
be up there now, and hear what I'm
saying?n she added, in an agitated whis-
per.
Nonsense!" said John.
"Well, there is no harm in looking,
anyway" said Mrs. McLane.
"Come along, then, grumbled John.
"You shall see for yourselves"
At this Bob shut his eyes, and turned
his face to the wall. The ostrich in
stinct is the human instinct of despair.
He tried to fly away from himself, and
leave his body there as a dereGct. The
effort was desperate, and seemed almost
successful. But he could not quite sew
er the connection, though his soul ap-
peared to be lowering over his body,
only attached by single thread-but a
thread which, alas! would not break.
A Al. 1