Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-09-06

]. therefore, dark background which her
fearful fancy FASTENED to fill in. She
I had all the symptoms of nervous
| fright at once. Indeed, there was some
thing suggestive to her of night watches
hy sick beds, and solemn death vigils, III
the mere fact Of being up and dressed
at midnight. :" Il won't he our fault,
Victoria, if we haven't succeeded i'll
inviting Il burglar to walk in and help
i himself The idea OF leaving the lamps
burning, and the shutters 50 that any
one can look into the rooms"
Well, it's no use to fret over il now.
/ lilly. Let lis get up and do the best
/ we can.
Miss Nictoria's tone of voice, rs we'll
Ms certain mild mir of mild defiance
\ which she sometimes wore, We're sug-
gestlve Of the self-asSertion forced Ivy
I circumstances upon timid and shrink
( ing spirit, rather than of native hard
ness and energy.
She had not only had her own way
/ 70 make i'll the world, but Matlda's and
Sadie's as well.
40 wish the dear had taken her
keepsakes along with her in her trunk,
or else that we had thought to ask Mr..
Pinnct to put them in his safe for us.
Miss Matilda Went over toward the
front window rs She spoke, and looked
out. The little stores opposite were
I closed, and the wooden shutters sent
| forth dull flicker under the street
lamp. There were no passers hy in
that quiet suburb at such an hour; hut
what eyilmlndcd wretchcs NIGH. not be
proving about?
1t wouldn't have been II bad idea,
returned Miss Victoria, "to have asked
Mr.. Pinnet--but whatin the world is the
use Of talking about il noN?'
I She spoke testify, for il certainly was
I'M exaspcratng way her sister had of
Wishing things otherwise in the face Of
emergency.
"Comc, come, lilly, set your wits to
work; we must hide these things away"
In 50 many different places added
the younger Miss Burncy family, "that
the sharpc~t robber III the world would
not be able to find them all. But sun
bose we should be ordered out of bed at
the point of pistol, and made to show
4 where everything ls2'
wouldn't give them up without
4 struggle whatever you night do, Tilly"
Matilda waited to close the shutters
carefully, then walked over to the
! piano, where her sister was husiIv
engaged In that brief space Of time
since Nlctoria's 5 answer, Miss Matilda
had gone to bed in imagination, had
been walked by midnight assassin il a
black mask-poor, dear Victoria was
! murdered in her bed for refusing to get
up, sic herself was marched down stairs
at the muzzle Of six-shooter, and was
about to faint dead away on the sitting
room floor, when the narrowing thread
Of fancy was broken.
tell you what it is, lilly, ! think
| will bury this in the flour barrel. The
box can be well wrapped in q clean
towel, and it need not be bit harmed. :"
She was holding Il large SOUP ladle in
her hand her own gift to the bride, it
naturally seemed worthy her earliest
solicitude.
And, added she. those spoons might
be covered with \ newspaper and thrust
up the chimney. There isn't enough
heat Ill the Goals 49," Suddenly Tilly's
IL
expressive squeeze.
Victoria in a mullled monotone,
really think ! saw that back shutter
move. ! feel in my bony marrow that
some one is watching us"
POOH cried Victoria, all the more
sharply because she was conscious Of a
queer, creeping sensation. Pooh, you
are SO foolish, Tilly.2
Nevertheless, her grey eyes were
nervonsly dilated, and her actions SPOKE
of spasmodic effort as She walked
quickly across the floor and jerked
dowL the curtain, then hastily lowered
the lamp.
It was fully three quarters Of m hour
before the ladies lad secrctcd every
thing, and by the time they were up
stairs IN their room, preparing for bed,
the hall clock struck /.
They were wondering what they had
better do with their 1urse-the common
household purse a. il contained some
money received from rents which they
mad not found time TO carry to the
bank that day
Put it under your pillow, Mitllda,
suggested Victoria, " then nobody can
possibly get i without waking you,
shouldn't think.
What good do you imagine it would
do i'll were walked, Victoria y Matldas
voice had an unmistaken quaver III it.
" No, ! thank you, my dear; but since
you wouldn't mind
Well, well, impatiently; give me
the gold, Tilly. | sYill guarantee 70 take
care Of that Let them have the silver,
if they want it..
As they we're undressing in the dark,
Tilly was obliged to strike several
matches before Size could select tire tMO