The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1877-12-13

ago. III Il >tClCt u5lI
m%ncle's old desk, his --latest VI
which. being of no use IS mn. y
POLITELY returned to me ~ 10"
t. be put in possession q ny IN
cle's estate :.
..Oh. the blessed burglars, cried
Alice. with clasped hands-lns1ant-
l. turned upon BY her mother.
..Of nv uncle's estate. contln-
ned Eugene. (Which the lnStltu-
ton for the Blind F%eeieeans has
relinouished into my hands without
a contest. Under such clrcum-
stances" said he. with a Sedate ele-
oance of manner that only self-re-
proach could have translated into
sarcasm. L feel that 1t Is no TIM
possible you may find IN me the
qualities You desire in a son-ln-
law" .
4 am confident, Mr.. Descamps.
said Mrs. Magilyrav. THAT You can
not hold me blameworthy II, with
Alice's beauty and sweet temper,
and accomplishments, and attrac-
tive"
ooh. mamma, youneedn't cry up
your wares in this way" cried Al
lee. with a burning face. Tel
him he's welcome to take such a
baggage" :.
And the sooner the better.
cried Eugene. catching the redden-
ed little maid in his clasp, and
holding her fast. Il should De the
last person TO blame YOU. Mrs. Ma
gilvrav, for setting a high value on
what / find to be beyond price.
And there the Roman melted;
and Mrs. Magilvray tried to lift her
| ewes benedictionwise, and stammer
out something about blessing little
children, and only succeeded IN
tumEling over into a hysteric.
1t was some weeks later that Al
ice came into the parlor with a lit
tie long fiat tin box IN her hand.
Its Eugene's bonds said she.
.sHe's Just left them at the door for
me to take are Of. He only nego-
tiated them yesterday, and got
home too late to deposit them n
the bank. | didn't want to keep
them for hint frightens me 70
| death: but he's been telegraphed
for. and has no time to 90 to tie
bank this morning, either, and 50
he leaves them here On his way %
the station. | sha'n't sleep a wink.
What would YOU do with them,
ma? Just think! Bonds in oul
house,
Il should set up all night and
watch Them" said Marie.
.'Put them between the mattress
es," said Mrs. Magilvray, with the
ar Of having solved every problem:
and of having been used to the
presence of a hundred thousand
dollars worth of bonds in the house
us mere pln-money. And between
the mattresses Alice put the box,
having first taken the p~recautio1
to tie one end of a card IN the lit
tie paddock, and the other end
about her wrist.
1t was a little after midnight
that Alice woke wide-awake with
one of those starts in which YOU
are sensible of an unseen per
sons neighborhood. She sat
straight up in bed and put out hel
hands; II of them on a lump OF
ice. 1t was Marie's face ~stone-cold
with terror. She too was a wake.
"Oh, Alice" she contrived to whis-
per in a CHASTITY whistle. ..there's d
man III the room At the same
moment Alice felt a sharp tug at
the string around her right wrist.
There vas a man IN the room. lie
had been searching the house over
for that box, having never lost
sight of Eugene from the day OF
the Wills proving: he had come at
last to the room of the sleeping
girls, and had turned his bulls-eye
upon them an instant-juSt long
enough to detect the string round
Alice appraised arm. His sham
wits taught him the truth; he had
taken hold Of the string. and was
gently following it up to the bor
when he tugged in the wrong d.
rection, and IN a breath Alice's
shrieks had filled the house. and she
had sprung Il Of bed and was pu-
suing him, as full of valor as a
tlgress defending her young. The
burglar had the box, but She had
ne string, a stout whip-cord. She
wound 1T round and round her
wrist as she ran, and in another
moment she had doubled on him.
md both her little hands upon the
box; and, if he wanted to carry it
off, it could only be BY carrying her,
for she chung Ikea llmpet. There
was no shrieking then; it was a
struggle III dead silence-Alice too
intent, the thief too cautious.
Come now little one he said.
hOarSely. at last. ..nO more of This