The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-26
Csoss YOUR SHUTTERS.

n, 3
NV sister and nieccs had gone to party,
and the servants had retired, the kitchen
heinz, rs is generally the case at the SOUTH
a hu,,dins detached from the house.
I had been very busy settling some house
hold and other accounts and counting money
Jus: collected, to be next day depostea
in bank. Having now concluded thls pusi-
ness. / nut away my books and papers, care
fully locked the money in private draw.
Of my secretary; then, producing uee.,
and little brass kettle, was presently cuni,!
imbibing n stcaminS beverage % So ;n
lemon.itIicc. water, and one or two olneT ,n-
rred;ents-a sovereign remedy against colu.
Not that was vet affected with that com
,,,.;nt mt I am a believer In the adaSe that
Tan ounce OF prevention is worth pouho
OF cure" ,,,,,-,r;o,,s
drowsincss when slight noise at my WIZ
dow aroused me. listened, and the souha
was repeated The library, may OBSERVE
was on the first parlor floor OF the mousse
and the window was about eight feet from
the pavement. "
Rising. I opened the window and saw
two figures standing on the portlco OF the
adjoining house, which, by-the-bye, had
been unoccupied. The dim light OF the
nearest strect-lamp showed one OF these
men muffled in great coat, Whist from
beneath the loose coat Of the other Caught
a CLEAN OF the belt and buttons OF police
mans uniform.
AZ want to speak TO you," said the latter,
leaning forward and speaking In wVoice.
81 am Officer Perrin, OF the Third district.
Open the door, but do 1t with as little noise
as possible"
obeyed, and found the two men standing
on the threshold. Officer Perrin, rs con-
nt at hpvQn0
me, over my shoulder, into the fmthest
recesses OF the hall, as though searching for
some one. Then with silent salute he
entered. iollowed--rather reluctantly, 1t
seemed-by the other man, and both tiE-toed
-noiselesslv across the hall into the library.
But first, to my surprise, the policeman, on
my turning the key in the door, had tried
the bolt, and silently removing the Key
silently handed it to me.
In the library Perrin turned to me.
''You arc Dir. Saunders, presume ne
said, in the same low voice rs BEFORE, Whilsl
he carefully shook the rain-drops from his
-oilsKin cap.
eyes"
-. Have YOU, OF has one OF the household,
admitted any person 1t the 1ront-door
within the last quarter OF an hour!"
"No: l am alone in the house. No one
has entered but yourself. - >.
The two exchanged glances and siSnitl-
cant mods.
.sThen,'' resumed Perrin, impresSive'y,
al have to inform you-don't be startled
or make any eXclamation-that there Is
probably at this moment burglar IN the
house"
He checked me with motion OF his fin
Ger, and ut the same time turned his ear In
a listening attitude towards the door OF the
diniug-room adjoining.
"What room is that ?"
/ told him. He turned on a full blaze OF
Gas, went to the door, drawing pistol as
he did so, listened 4 moment or two, then
opening the door wide, gazed around with
keen, searching eyes.
''Is the farthest door locked: And those
closets ?"
believe so; but be proceeded to inresti-
gate for himself, still holding the cooked
pistol in his hand, and said as he nodded TO-
ward the plate on the coset-shelves:
at is here that they will naturally try.
No doubt it is this that they are after, I'M
less YOU have other valuables in the house,
"Nothing except the Enthusiastically"
"That is up stars, suppose? We will
first search this floor thoroughly and then
proceed above"
"But," said /, a little nervously, "what
leads you to suppose that there are burglars
in TIE house?"
a was coming up Follshee street Just
now--not on duty tonight, you see-when
met this gentleman here, Mr.. - ehf"
Goodman-James Goodman-Belvin's
furniture factory" said the man IN the
great coat, speaking for the first time.
~Ah! He stopped me, and said he had
Just seen something .suspicious-a man
standing in the portico OF the next house
here leaning over and stealthily looking in
at n lighted window-this window, you
see'' ~ .--.
"What's to be DONE" Inquired, il some
agitation.
capture the fellow,' returned Perrin,
coollv, as he examined the lock OF his re-
yolver, and carefully placed on it anew cap
s'Ii L can count on you two, the thing can
be done at once"
"But am not used to this kind of bust
ness, you see," said Goodman, hesitatingly.
sYour part, my friend, will be easy
enough. The thief's probably at this mo.
ment upstairs. All you have to do is to
take your stand at the foot OF the stairs, and
shoot him il he attempts TO escape by that
way. Look here,' he added, more earn
.estly, "Fll not mind giving you five, ten,
or even fifteen dollars out OF my own pocket
if you will only stand by me in this matter.
It's thing Eve been particularly wishing
for, and now that Pve the chance Pm
bound to do it. They're. accusing me Of
hanging back in the Ryan burglary, and if
I can show 'em their mistake, and capture
this fellow without calling in professional
assistance, it will be worth to me more than
the money I'll owe YOU"
AS the policeman disappeared in the dark
ness OF the upper hall began to feel rather
unpleasantly. ..-r.~
The next moment PERKINS, voice was
heard shouting loudly:
.tHello, here! Saunders! Goodman
Quick! I've got him down -
I rushed up and attempted to open the
door. To my surprise it was fastened
"Break it in,' cried Perrin, cor gel
through the neutrality-suspicious. on the roof 1ol
the porch, or he'll escape"
All was pitch darkness and deep silence
Not sound, not breath, could be heard
A cold horror came over me. The thie
had murdered his captor, left him dead on
the floor, and escaped.
I CROPPED my way to the door, Il was
still locked, no doubt by the murderer in
his flight. I threw up the front window
and yelled Justify for help.
"What's the matter!" shouted u voice
from the street.
"Murderi Burglars Help!"
4 crowd, including two policemen, rushed
in. They told me they found the front door
open, though had the key, which Perrin
had given me, still about me, and, breaking
in the cbamber-door, pressed it with eager
faces. ;.