The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-05
A Snr1lrise Party.


Mrs. Winston was sleeping softly,
and Mr.. Winston was sleeping loudly.
That didn't disturb him, for he was
deaf; it didn't disturb her for she was
very tired. '.-
The servants in the attic were asleep,
and all was peaceful and calm. II was
about one o'clock.
Suddenly Mrs. Winston started. In
the moonlight she saw two men stepping
softly about the room. She did not
scream. She would not whisper to her
husband, or rather he couldn't hear If
she did. The burglars saw that she was
awake. One of them came up to the
bed.
eff you wake him up,"he said, hold
ing q pistol in his hsnd-"if you wake
him up, I'll make short work with you
and with him, too. Where's your
money!"
"Oh, don't touch me |" said the poor
lady, "and I will tell you where my
money is; my husband never keeps
money in the house."
"Where's your silver"
"It is locked up, and I'll give you the
key. Oh, please" said little Mrs.
Winston. "please leave me my mothers
spoons | They have L. P. on them. She
is dead, and you would not, surely, take
her spoonsl You had q mother once"
eff I had, she didn't leave me no
spoons. + wish't she had" said the man,
grimly.
"Oh, remember your mother, and
how she loved you when you were little
and good! What have I done to you to
make you threaten to take my life?"
The poor lady clasped her hands; the
tears rolled down her cheeks. She
prayed aloud that the Lord would have
mercy on this poor mans soul, and lead
him to a better life. The man seemed
touched.
"You tell me where your money is,
and don't wake that man, and I'll clear
out and won't hurt you"
"Well," said Mrs. Winston, Sin the
third bureau drawer, in the right-hand
corner what luck for the burglar that it
wasn't in the upper drawer, you will
find a little silk-and-bead purse with
seventy-fye dollars in it in bills.
A good-by to the seventy-fve dollar
gray wrap with the hood and fossy silk
tassels flashed through Mrs. Whiston's
mind; but Der life was more than her
raiment. One of the men fumbled in the
drawer.
"Swear," said the. other, "that all
your money is in that purse"
ct give you my solemn world speak
the truth-seventy-fve dollars is all L
have"
"Here it u.s." said the man.
"Mis' Winston" cried Abigail Mar.
ston's strong voice over the stairs-Mis'
Winston, be you sickP Be you a-callin'
me?"
Oh, what music that voice was
The men took no time to ask for the
KEY to the silver closet. They knew
from the voice that Abigail was none of
the fainting kind of lady, and they fed
down stairs and slammed the door, feel
ing that seventy-fve dollars well repaid
them.
At the sound of the flying feet, Abb.
gail ran down after them. She looked
about the house and saw that everything
was locked, and then came into Mrs.
Whiston's room. The poor lady was
almost fainting. Abigail lighted the
gas, full blaze. Nj. Winston, aroused
from pleasant dreams, opened his eyes,
feeling that day had burst rather sud
denly upon the world, and was surprised
to find the seamstress standing by the
bedside in a nightgown and rufded
nightcap, tapping a wet towel in Mrs.
Whiston's face.
"What is it?" asked Mr.. Winston.
eyes, what is it?" said Abigail, with
o sheer; "that's just what men are good
for. Weak women suppose EN- to be
good watch-dogs, to say the least, and
here they 60 a-sleepin' and lettin' their
wives wrestle with highway robbers and
pickpockets, and sleep and sleep, as if
that must be done, come what will"
Mrs. Winston, reviying from her
faint, proceeded to tell the story.
ooh, James," she concluded, there
is a soft spot in every rough soul. l
spoke of his mother to him, andI prayed
aloud for him."
"And gave him my watch, I suppose"
said her husband;
"No, I didn't. 7 forgot you had a
watch, or that I had one. I gave him
my money. He made me swear, with a
pistol at my head, that I had given him
all T had"
Mrs. Winston looked from Abigail,
who was bathing her head, to her hus-
band, and from her husband to Abigail,
for q moment.
"Wha have I done?" she cried.
yesterday when Aunt Jennings was
here, with little Mamie, the child had
the toothache, and to amuse her I gave
her q tiny little bottle of paregoric, and
-and-ves, T took all my money out of
the little bead purse, and filled it with
cottonwood for her, and the robber has
gone off with nothing but that; and the
seventy-fve dollars are in my handker-
chief-box."
Abigail laughed. to herself after she
had gone back to bed, to hear MIR. Whis-
ton shaking the doors and windows.
"That's dreadful brave" she said.
"I'd like to know who it was run after
them robbers, q man or a woman Mems
dreadful brave, amt they?"
The family used to laugh at Mrs.
Winston and say she was sorry the bur-
glars didn't get the money. Mr.. Whis-
ton said they would think her a most
consummate liar and hypocrite-and 80
I suppose they did-but Ihaye no doubt
they thought she was a very brave,
shrewd woman.
MI. Winston had bars put across the
basement doors. So I suppose the next
visit the burglars pay will be through a
window. Youths Companion.
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