The Hickman courier., 1878-07-26

threshold when Istood rooted to the floor
in terrible amazement.
Somebody was talking.
l crept forward and listened. There
was man in the vault, and light
shone under the door.
While listened some one said:
"There is a confoupded draft here.
Did you shut the door, SMITH"
:" Yes, but the wind might have blown
it open -
al had just time to dart under the
staircase and crouch down when the
door of the vault opened and man
came cut.
He crossed the entry, drew two heavy,
noisy bolts, fastened the door by which
had enteYeSi, and returned without
closing the vault door.
l could look in by the dim light and
see two men working at the safe locks by
the stream of light thrown from a dark
| lantern.
There was the outline OF man bound
and gagged upon the floor, but l could
only conjecture that it was Tom, for /
could not see distinctly.
There l was, nicely Gagged, for it would
be impossible for me to draw those heavy
bolts without attracting notice. And
the bank being robbed, that was evident.
How could l prevent it? l could not
get out; could not reach Tom. Sud
denly remembered the telegraph office
on the second floor. If could summon
help from C, it was only five
miles, and there was a long job for the
burglars before they could open the safe.
could creep around the staircase If,
one of those busy men turned his head /
was lost. crept softly on all fours
slowly, watchfully, and gained the stairs
Up darted, blessing my India rubber
shoes, till gained the door of the tele-
graph Office. All was dark there and l
dared not strike match.
listened, and then leaving the door
open, groped my way to the well-known
desk and gave the signal for G.. l
could hear my heart throb as l waited
for the answer. 1t came Still working
in the dark, sent this message:
Burglars in the Baysville Bank
vault Watchman gagged and bound
Can you send help?"
Again the agony of suspense in listen
ing, but at last the sound reached me
"Will send help Immediately"
/ crept to the head of the staircase,
afraid the clear ring of the instrument
had been heard in the vault, but no one
came up stairs. The windows of the
telegraph Office faced the street, so l re-
turned, bolted myself in safely and sat
down to watch.
The town clock gave one resonant
stroke, breaking tic ucep sIIen.v, Nnu liv
signs of life were visible in the long
stretch of road leading to G.
was numb with cold, wishing heartily
that l had not left Toms basket under
the staircase, thinking regretfully of my
own cozy bed, when I heard afar off the
sound of horses feet.
No sister Anne, in Bluebeard's tower.
was ever more watchful than l was then.
Would the burglars take the alarmf
The building made corner of two
streets, and 1 saw eight mounted men
dash up the road, separate, and while
four dismounted in front, four went to
the rear.
The burglars were unprepared for this
flank movement, for while the police in
front were laundering at the main en-
| trance, the robbers rushed to the rear
basement door right into the arms of the
police stationed there.
/ could hear the hubbub, pistol shots
fired, the scufile of feet, cries, oaths, and
general confusion, and 1 slipped down
stairs and out of the now deserted main
entrance and ran home.
Everybody was in bed, and 1 went to
my room and had good crying spell,
and comforted my half frozen body in
double blankets, where 1 soon fell
asleep.
All this was on Friday night, and ]
had no teaching to do until Monday, SO
slept late, but coming down, found all
the family prepared to make heroine ol
me.
81 never knew until mother told me
this morning." said Tom, " that it wasn't
grandpa who sent the telegraph to c.,
By Jove, Olive, you're spunky if you
are little"
"Igave up when four of them pounced
on me from one of the upper rooms.
They must have got there during the day
and hid there"
l tried to make the knights promise
not to tell my adventure, but could not.
Before night all Baysville knew how
Olive Hudson caught the burglars.
was in the Office with grandpa, when
over the wires came this message:
"What does Olive Hudson look like
Everybody in Dryden is talking of beI
great exploit.
/ flashed back:
"What do you suppose such woman
would look like? She is nearly six feet
tall, broad-shouldered, and leud-voiced,
perfect elephant"
"Wss it really yourself, Elepant %
"Dear Lion, it was"
"Do you know, want to see you.
am geing to New York to day, but III
be back next spring"
II he came to Baysville he did not SEE
me. / ran away in a fit of shyness.
In March wonderful thing happened
Ny mothers brother, who had beer
seventeen years (nearly all my lifetime
in Cuba, came out to New York, founC
me out, and took me into life OF cas-
and luxury, making me pet in his splen
did house. He was a bachelor, owe
fifty years of age, handsome and vel
informed, and with large wealth.
: He introduced me to old friends .
his, and my circle of aequaintanc
widened every day. | was entirel.
{ happy, for we loved each other well.
: One day uncle George brought hom
to dinner stranger who was introduce
ASH
+" The son of my old friend, Olive, Nj
D~I