Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-08-08


pended to glance out of the west
window. and saw, to her utter horror,
the figures OF two strange men COM
ing across lots toward the house.
There are no words in the English
language strong enough to express
Mollie's feelings at this juncture. She
just clutched feebly at Miss Abigail's
dress,as the latter hurried past her in
search n remedies for scalds.
Aunt aunt ! there are two more OF
them! See ?
Miss Abigail looked out the win.
dow, then back at her mother, and
stood stock. still in genuine despair /;
then, inspired with momentary
strength by the sight of the open
wash-room door, which they had not
thought of shutting, she FASTENED to
close it, and hoisted the beam again.
That's no good she said, hurried
ly. Here, Mollie, come and help me
move this secretary against the door.
Mercy on US, child, don't stop to be
frightened now ? she added, as Mol
lie approached, shaking in every limb
with terror. Now close those inner
blinds so they can't look in, and shut
the sitting-room door,
A fresh groan from the cellar, elic-
tied by Grandma Richtoa's means,
which caused Bridget to suppose that
the whole household was being muir.
dered, did not add to Mollie's COM
fort. Miss Abigail, having poured
liniment hastily over Grandma Rich
toms scalds, hurried up stairs to
watch the movements of the approach
ing enemies. She and Mollie, crouch
ing behind the yellow curtain at I'm
Gle Prices chamber window, peered
forth. The men had reached the
back garden wall, over which they
were leisurely climbing. They were
rough.looking, and evidently bent on
depreciation, for they occasionally
paused to help themselves to wind
falls and once shook a pear-tree and
filled their pockets with the fruit with
GOODNESS that caused Miss Abigail
silently to take down the gnn and
hold it at arms.length as she brought
it to the window.
ooh, Aunt Abigail, take care 1t III
go Off exclaimed Mollie.
4 mean it shall, if they do much
MORE rejoined the spinster, turning
the gun around with gingerly care.
You'd better get out of the way,
Mollie. l might hit you just as like, or
the thing might explode. 1t hasn't
been used for years.
you ought to keep hold of some
thing when you fire it, suggested
Mollie, from the other side of the
bed. 1T viii kick and throw you
down. Guns always do
They're trying the back. door, an
nonnced Miss Abigail, in an excited
whisper. sThey only knocked once.
| wonder if those robbers in the cell
lar belong to the same set. They're
shaking the door, the villains!'
Two or three loud knocks sounded
through the house, and then the men
tried the nearest window; finding
that fast, another and yet another,
while Miss Abigail watched them from
above with fast growing anger; they
then took leisurely survey of the
house, evidently undecided what to
do next. au
L wish / could hear what they're
saying said the spinster, vexedly.
Il heard 'all gone to church, That
one in the red shirt said it. | expect
they'll get battering ram next. I'll
keep still as long as | cam
Instead of proceeding to any ex-
treme measures, however the men
calmly lighted a couple of pipes, dur
ing which operation thsy more chan
once laughed uproarousIy. They
afterward made circuit of the house
trying every window, including
those in the sheds, and shook the
doors vigorously, meanwhile Miss
Abigail and MoIlie followed their
course through the chamber, the
former still Carrying the gun. Hav-
ing come back to their original
starting-point, they held another
consultation, after which, to the
amazement of the watchers they
went off to the barn.
sId like to know what that's forl"
calculated Miss Abigail, at her wits
end. "They'll steal that other horse,
or else they'll get something and
break window up here; and there's
no knowing what those men down
cellar are about"
All was quiet for time, the still
ness being only broken by the groans
of Grandma Richton. The iutruders
were nowhere to be seen. Finally,
Mollie. recommending from an attic
window, discovered that they had
entered, the corn barn by means of q
rear window, had opened the door,
add were sitting upon two barrels
smoking. 6e
MERCY on usin exclaimed Miss
Abigail, CHANGING at the clock and
then sinking into chair. "Here
it's ten minutes OF twelve O'clock and
Jonathan and Msrthy coming home,
without q thought of what's hap
ed. Jonathan'll drive right round
that corn barn as sure as fate, and
into the barn. They'll be there lying
10 wait for him. They're setting
just who're they can see tho whole
length of the road, and they mean
to do the sly. They'll murder him
aud go off with the plumber in our
agon-that's alp
Mollie's cheeks grew paler yet.
Bat, aunt, you know we can rush
out and warn him when he's at the
foot of the hill; and he'll have Uncle
Nathan's pistols
Not bel never knew Jonathan
Price to do a thing the day be said
he was going to; and he's an old
man-no match for those two wretch
es. They just mean to kill him and
then have their own way. There.
they've shut the corn barn door. 1
told you So
1t did seem mysterious that the
two men should have shut them.
selves in the corn barn. Miss Abb
gail needed no further evidence of
their evil intentions.