The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-09

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not see how the land lay, and hurried or
into the library.
The dying lire still shed dim ligh,
around, and he eagerly canvassed the
various possibilities of cOncealment which
the room offered. Youthful experience
in the game of hide-and. seek now stood
him in good stead, and showed him q a
glance the inutility as refugees Of half q
less practiced by the specious but too.
easily guessed shelter they afforded.
Vainly seeking safe refuge, he ran
round the apartment like . rat in trap.
He already heard the brothers in the din.
ing room picking up the silver and won.
dering to find it all there, when, obeying
a sudden inspiration, he clambered upon
lofty bookcase that ran across one end
of the room, arching above the dining.
room door, and reaching within . few
feet of the ceiling. In cold blood he
never could have scaled it. Lying al
full length upon the top of the book.
case with his back to the wall, the
bulge of him was still visible from the
farther part IF the room, in case itsh0uld
occur to his pursuers to look 80 high.
The latter now entered the library and,
peering over the edge of the bookcase, Bob
recognized with singular sensations the
two gentlemen with whom he had been
quietly converting q little earlier in the
evening. Then they were arrayed in
faultless evening dress, and their manner,
though supercilious enough, was calm
and polished. Now he saw them half
dressed, with disheveled hair-John car.
rying a student lamp in his left hand,
and in his right an ugly.looking cane.
sword, with blade painfully naked,
while George held q revolver q: full cock.
Talking in low tone, a. they called
one another's attention to various spots
where possibly the burglar might be con-
cealed, they went slowly from corner to
corner, probing every recess with the
sword, and in an attitude of strained at
tentiOn to every sound.
He did not dare to look at them long
lest the magnetism of his gaze should at
tract their involuntary attention. Nav,
he even made frantic effort not to think
of them, from the fear that some physical
current might have the same efiect-for
he believed strongly, though vaguely, in
the mysteries of animal magnetism, and
had notion that q person sensitive
10 such influences might detect the pres
ence of his victim by the very terror the
latter had of him.
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 gathered from their converse
ton that they had found one of the fasten-
ings in the basement in a condition indi-
eating that the burglar might have es-
capped there.
Mrs. McLane and Angie, having salts
fed themselves that the coast was clear,
descended to the dining-room, and live
ly discussion of all aspects of the problem
ensued, which was highly edifying 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 some-
thing contemptuously, and he heard
Angles voice excusing him on the ground
that he must be tired after his long jour-
ney.
fare you sure you looked everywhere
in the library?" was Mrs. McLane's next
question, at which a cold sweat started
out on BOb's face. He had just begun to
feel quite comfortable.
John and George, however, declared
that they had looked everywhere.
Did you look under the sofa?''
Behind the window curtain
In that dark corner by the bookcase ~
asked the ladies in succession.
Ingenious cruelty of Fate! Even Angie
was racking her brain to guess his hid
ing place. What if it should be she who
hit upon it!
Bob drew breath of relief as John re-
piled, with some asperity, to all these
they looked everywhere.
This silenced them; but Angie said, a
moment after:
Just let me ask one more question :
Did you look on top of the bOOkcase!"
came to life again to hear John reply, con-
temptuously:
"Over the bookcase, There's no room
there, and, if there was, nobody but a
monkey could get up"
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Angie, land have often noticed, when
sitting in the library, what nice hiding
place it would be. What if he should be
up there now, and hear what I'm saying -
she added, in an agitated whisper.
Nonsense!" said John.
"Well, there's NO harm in looking, any.
way" said Mrs. McLane.
"Come along, them" grumbled John.
You shall see for yourselves"
At this Bob shut his eyes and
turned his face to the wall. The
ostrich instinct is the human instinct
of despair. He tried to fly away from
himself. and leave his body there 40 d
dofelict. The effort was desperate, and
seemed almost successful.
A moment after they al passed through
the door directly beneath him, and, going
clear to the other end of the library, stood
on tiptoe. and peered at his hiding place.
There seemed to be eyes In his back,
which felt their scrutiny. But the lamp
they carried did mot suffice to bring out
Lis figure clearly.
"1'm sure / zee something" said
Angie, getting up on chair.
Its only the shadow of the freight -
replied John.
Light the gas and let rs make sure, -
said MrS. McLane.
George stood up ON . chair under
the chandelier, and lighted one Of the
burners.
An inarticulste ejaculation fell from
every mouth. A human figure was dis.
timely visible, reclining along the top Of
the bookcase, with his face toward the
wall. The ladies would have forthwith
run away bat for the fact that one door
Of the room was directly beneath the
bookcase, md the other close to it. Upon
Bob,s paTalyxed sense fell the sharp words
Of John:
!" We've 10 you. Get downr'
He did not move, but ct the summons
his soul, with inexpressible reluctance and
disgust began 70 return from the end Of his
floating thread, and reinhabit the quarters
for which 1t could mot quite shake of 10
sp0nsibility.
/" Get mp, q III shootl" said George.
"Oh, don't shoot himp' cried Mn.
McLane, while Bob, still motionless, dim
" hoped he would. ri
Get upi" ssiiGrSAel JhAn; and he did
get up. His own viii was inactive, and
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