Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1877-08-23

him az glance the inutili;y as refrges
o! half dozen places that would have
deludcd one less prac.iced by the spe.
cious but too-easily-gaessed shelter they
Afforded.
faihly seeking safe refuge, he ran
round the apartment like a rat in a trap.
He already heard the brothers in tie
dining-foctn picking up the silver and
wondering TO find ii all there, when,
obeying. a sudden inspiration, he clam
bered upon a lofty bookcase that ran
scross one end of the room, arching
above the dinlng-room door, and reach
ing within few feet OF the ceiling. In
cold blood he never could have scaled
IL. Lying at full length upon the top Of
the bookcase with his back 70 the.wsii,
the bulge OF him was still visible from
the further part of the room, in case it
should Occur to his pursuets to look so
high.
The latter now entered the library;
and, Peering over the edge of the book
case. Bob recognized with singular SEN
sations the two gentlemen with whom
Re had been Quietly conversing little
earlier in the evening. Then they were
arraved in faultless evening dress, and
their manner, although supercllious
enough, was calm and polished. Now
he saw them half dressed, with di>hev-
eied hair--John carving a students :
lamp IN his left hand, and in bis right
an ugly-iooking cane-sword with blade
painfully naked, while George held q
revolver at full cock.
Talking in 4 low tone, as they called
one ano,hcr's 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 at
tentiCn to every sound. Their faces,
grotesquelv lit by the mingled fire and
lamp light, showed a 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 inv oluntary attention. Nay,
he even made frantic effort not to think
IF them, from the fear that some phys-
zeal current might have the same effect
for he believed strongly, though
vaguely, in the mysteries Of animal
! magnetism, and had a notion that a per-
son sensitive to such Influences nigh,
detcct the presence of his victim by the
very terror the latte had of HIM.
He could scafcely believe his fortune,
when, a moment later, the two broth
crs 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, thew re-
turned-that is, as far as the dining
room--and Bob gathered from their CON
versa,;on :hat they had found one Of the
ia>t"ninS> in the basement in a condi-
ton Indicating that the burglar might
have escaped there.
Mrs. Mciene and Angie, having sat
i>fcd Themselves that the coast was
clear, descended to the dining-room.
and lively discussion Of all aspects of
tn" problem cn>ucd, which was highly
cdifving TO Bob.
Then the conversation became still
more interesting, as it turned on hlm-
self. He heard Mrs. McLanc saying:
"iie must be hard sleeper, for
Knocked several times on his door"
Then "ne of the brothers grunted
something coniemptuousiy and he heard
Angie voice excu>inghim onthe ground
that he must be tired after his long Jour
ncy.
Are you sure YOU looked evcryW here
in the llbrary;' was Mrs. McLane's
next question at which Il cold sweat
started out on Bob'> face. He Had Just
begun TO feel quite comfortable.
John snd George. however, declared
that they RAD looked everywhere.
Did You lcgk under ,,c sofa :"
Behind the window curtains -
''ln that dark corner BY the book
case: = asked The ladies in succession.
lhgcnious cruelty of fate Even An
g;c was racking her brain to guess his
hiding place. What if it should be she
who hit upon it,
Bob drew breath Of relief as John
replied, with some a>peritv, % all these
questions. that be had told them once
that they looked everywhere.
This >ilencei them, but Angie suid.
moment after:
Just let me ask one m6rc question
Did YOU look on top Of the bookcase =
1t seemed TO Bob that he died then.
and came 10 life again to hea- John re-
ply. contemptuou>ly
Over the bookcase There's no
room there; and, if there we're, nobody
but monkey could get up
There's room enough" persisted
Angie. land have often noticed. when
sitting in the library. what nice hid
inS-place it would be. What Il he
should be up there now and hea. via:
I'm >av;ng!' she added, in all asi,atcd
whisper.
Nonsense - said John.
We'll, there is no harm in looking.
anyway" >aid Mrs. McLanc.
Come along, then" srumblcd John
You >hlll see !-t yourselves.
All that Bob shut his ewes. and turned
his face to the wall. The ostrich ia
s,Inct Is the human ,ns,inc, of despair.
He tried to tiy away from himself. and
leave his body there as a derelict. The
effort was desperate. and scemei al
most successful. But he could not quite
sever the connection, though his soul
appeared TO be hover.ns ever hi, body,
only attached by single thtead-bu,
thread which, alas would not break.
a moment after they all passed
through the door directly beneath him.
and, going clear 10 the other end OF The