Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-02-13

Il
81 mean to but shall not hav
time. The money was only paiC
me last night. But no matter, thu
money will be safe where it is
and there be no danger about 1t
or if you don't think so, you may
deposit it yourself
My husband took little though
of possibilities, and l presume tina
he never once thought of thu
money from the time he left thu
house until he returned. AS fol
myself, was not so easily sat
isfled. / had heard enough o
house plunderings and outrages o
that kind to make me afraid tC
keep this large amount with me
NV uneasiness increased as the day
wore on; and about three o'clock
the same afternoon, took the
money and went to the bank, de-
termined to deposit it. The bank
was closed; all the banks were
closed, for it was Saturday.
! took the package home again,
replaced it in the bureau-drawer,
locked it, replaced the key in my
pocket, and resolved not to worry
any more about it. Emily called
me to tea in a little while, and
though not hungry, | went into
the dining room and sat while she
drank her tea and laughed and
chattcd in her vivacious way.
The evening wore rather long,
and Emily and l sat together ID
the dining room after the table was
cleared, she reading aloud, and |
listening, as was our custom.
When the clock struck ten she
laid down her book, and l took the
lamp, and bidding her good night,
went up to my room.
Ny chamber occupied the whole
front of the second story, and
Emily had a back room upon the
same floor. A bell-wire ran from
my room to hers, so that | could
summon her at pleasure.
l placed the lamp upon the
bureau, shaded it and returned and
shut the door. Then | drew my
easy chair to the middle of the
room, put on my slippers, and sat
down before retiring. And imme-
diately became veXed at myself
to find that was looking at the
drawer that held the money, and
that / was feeling in my pocket to
see that the key was safe. |
felt no alarm; | had almost cured
myself of my uneasiness; but it
seemed as if the money, and |
the danger of its custody, would .
obtrude upon me. In the impa-
thence of the moment | turned my |
chair half round, and looked to-
ward the opposite wall. The shade
that | had placed over the lamp
its rays within a small
circle, beyond which the bed, the
the carpet and the wall
paper were obscure. In the COR
ner, to the right of the door, was a
antique, high-backed chair favor
tie piece Of furniture. AS | turned
my own chair from the bureau, my
eyes rested on this object; aud l
saw by the same glance that
human figure was sitting in it!
/ could not at first make out
whether it was a man or q woman
/ only became conscious, as l sat
in bewildering, dumb, terror, that
l was confronted by a stranger
there in that semi-darllness-by
some one who had hidden in the
room for some object; and what
that object was l well knew. No
person who has never been in such
a terrifying situation as that can
describe the sickening feeling
which for q moment takes presses
sion of the heart; and | can only
say for myself that / sat motionless
for a time-I know not how long
thinking of my helpless situation.
There | was locked up in a room
alone with a rufIian, waiting trem-
bling, and expecting to hear him
speak, or become an object of some
violence. For although as l have
said, l could not distinguish whe-
Their it was man or woman, | did not
doubt that it was the former, and
one Of the most desperate of his
kind. And presently, as my eyes
fell to the floor, saw a great pair
of boots thrust out upon the carpet
within the radius of the light.
do not know how long we sat
there in the semi-drakness of the