Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-07-27


painfully naked, while George held re-
volver at full cock.
Talking in low tone, as they called one
anothers attention to various spots where
possibly The burglar might be concealed,
they went slowly from corner TO corner,
probing every recess with the sword, and
in an attitude of strained attention TO ev-
cry sound. Their faces, grotesquely lit by
the mingled fire aud lamp.light, showed
fierce hunters look that made Bob fairly
sick.
He did not dare to look at them long lest
the magnetism Of his gaze should attract
their involuntary attention. Nay, he even
made fautic effort not to think of them,
from the fear that some physical current
might have the same efIect-fo he believed
strongly, though vaguely, in the mysteries
of animal magnetism, and had notion
that a person sensitive TO such influences
might detect the presence of his victim by
the very terror the latter had of him.
He could scarcely believe his fortune,
when, a 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 sounds of their foot
steps died away entirely.
Perhaps five minutes after, they returned
that is, as far as the dining -room-and
Bob gathered from their conversation that
they had found one of the fastenings in the
basement in a condition indicating that the
burglar might have escaped there.
Mrs, McLane and Angie, having satisfied
themselves that the coast was clear, de-
scended 10 the dining-room, and lively
discussion of all aspects of the problem
ensued, which was highly edifying to Bob.
Then the conversation became still more
Interesting as 1t turned on himself. He
heard Mrs. McLane saying:
"lIe must be a hard sleeper, for I knocked
several times on his door"
Then one Of the brothers grunted some
thing contemporary, and he heard An
gie's voice eXcusing him on the ground
that he must lie tired alter his long jour-
ney.
Are you sure you looked everyWh here in
the library?" was Mis-. 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 curtains ?"
"In that dark corner by the bookcase ?"
asked the fades In succession.
Ingenious cruelty of Fate! Even Angie
was rscking her brain to guess his hiding
place. What if it should be she who hit
upon i'll
Bob drew a breath of relief as John re-
piled with some asperity to all these ques-
Ii ons, that he had told them once that they
looked everywhere.
This silenced them, but Angie said, mo-
ment afler:
"Just let me ask one more question: Did
you look on top Of the book case?'
II seemed TO Bob that he died then, and
came TO life again to hear John reply, con-
temptuously:
"Over the book case There's no room
there; and il there were, nobody but a
monkey could get up"
"There's room enough" persisted Angie,
land have often noticed, when sitting in
the library, what a nice hiding-pace it
would be. What il he should be up there
now, aud hear what I'm saying r. she ad-
ded, in an agitaied whisper.
"NOusense !" said John.
"Well, there is no harm in lookin any
way" said Mrs. McLane.
Come along them" grumbled John.
"Iou 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. lie tried TO fly
away from himself, and leave his body
there as a derelict. The effort was desper-
ate, and seemed almost successful. But he
could not quite sever the connection,
though his soul appeared TO be lowering
over his body, only attached by single
threa d-but a thread which, alas would
not break.
A moment aler they all passed through
the door directly beneath him, and, going
clear 10 the other end of the library, stood
on tiptCe, and peered at his hiding place.
There seemed TO 6e eyes in his back, which
felt their scrutiny. But the lamp they car
ried did not suffice TO bring out his figure
clearly.
I'm sure see something" said Angie,
getting up on chair.
"It's only the shadow of the freight"
replied John.
"Ligbt the gas and let us make sure"
said Mrs. McLane.
George stood up on a chair under the
chandelier, and lighted one of the burners.
An inartculate ejaculation fell from every
mouth. A human figure was distinctly
visible, reclining along the top Of the book
case, with his face toward the wall. The
ladies would have forthwith run away but
for the fact that one door of the room was
directly beneath the bookcase, and the 9TH
err close to it. Upon Bob's paralyzed senses
fell the sharp words of John.
"We've got you. Get downI"
He did not move, but at the summons
his soul, with inexpressible reluctance and
disgust, began TO return from the end of its
floating thread, and reinhabit the quarters
for which II could not quite shake Off re-
sponsiblity.
"Get up, or I'll shootv' said George.
"Oh, don't shoot himp cried Mrs. Me-
Lane, while Bob, still motionless, dinly
hoped he would.
"Get upr reiterated John and he did
get up. His own will was inactive, and
Johns was the force that moved his mus
cles. He turned around and sat up, his
legs dangling over the edge of the book
case, and his wet, white, wretched face
blankly directed toward the group-a most
pitiable figure.
"Jump down." said John "and if you
try TO escape, you will get shotr
Bob let himself drop without regard 10 |