The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-15
BY HUGH WILSON AND W. G. BENET.

will, and with heavy eyes and weary
feet saw her pretty charge safely to the
great city, established her in the studio,
and guarded her home in the train en-
tirely to her own satisfaction, if not to
Annie's. Deluded soul! her honest
eyes never wandered enough to see the
dark flashes that went straght to An
nie's futtering heart from another pair
of eyes in the crowd at the railway; nor
did she once perceive that Annie's little
gloved hand hung listlessly out Of the
car window before the train started,
till it clasped small note reached up
from the side ofthe track by handsome
young fellow who had his heart in his
face.
Love laughs at duennas as we'll as lock-
smiths. Mrs. Lyte went home in a frame
of mind best described by Captain Cut
tle's-or somebody else's-forid remark &:
DUTY performed is a rainbow in the
soul" She had done n hard days duty,
and felt certain strength and exhilara-
ton that enabled her to sit down rs soon
as tea was over and write note to that
obnoxious agent as follows:
"DEAR S1R-I have changed my mind
about your burglar alarm, and wish
hereby to countermand my order for
one. f.. f. LYTE.'
Sam departed with the missive ard
returned very soon with this answer:
"DEAR MADAM-I ordered the alarm
at once by telegraph; it will arrive by
to-night's train, with man to put it up.
Shall commence operations tomorrow
morning. Your recall was too late.
Yours, respectfully.
"PETRARCH P. HART"
Mrs. Lyte burst into tears, and Annie
stamped her little foot with rage as she
read the note. Mrs. Hill was happily
away on weeks visit. It could not be
helped now. Next day the house was
bored and wired and screwed and
knobbed from top to bottom; you could
not open o shutter without precautions
of various sorts, and each window rung
an alarm in the widows chamber If you
dared to raise sash. Mrs. Lyte was
aggrieved, distressed and robbed, as she
considered, and reproached herself daily
that she had been so weak. Her only
CLEAN of comfort was that she had 30
far guarded Annie from her lover. Poor
thing! she was far too innocent and
honest to cope with a modern girl. How
ever, the burglar-alarm had not been
up a week before another sensation in
vaded Pembroke. Only two or three
houses above Mrs. Lyte's, the head OF
the family reported that he was aroused
by his wife Just in time to see q bona
fde burglar disappearing down stairs,
and 20 out the way he came in. Hay
ing no weapon at hand, Mr.. Smith con-
sidered discretion much the better part
of valor, and did not follow up the
stranger; but the same night the house
hold at Mrs. Lyte's were all aroused by
a wild clangor of the alarm from parlor
window. Lights flashed into every gas
burner at once; nobody waited for
wrappers. The whole family assem- bled
in the upper hall; and Miss Lyte went
into helpless Mysteries on her door-sill,
quite unable to get any further, while
Pepper -barked like high-pressure
engine; and Sam, forgetful of his pistol,
brandished an old umbrella with great
ferocity. Annie alone had been cool
enough to put on her waterproof cloak,
and Sam declared afterward he was sure
he noticed her gray travelling dress un-
derneath it. However that was, she
alone was mistress of the situation, and
soothed the family fears till one and all
subsidized into their beds again, assured
that no burglar would re-appear after
such battling. .
Next day how the neighbors foeked
in to condole and congratulate! All but
one indignant and Intelligent female,
who declared solemnly that she believed
the agent had sent round q man, just to
convince people his alarm was good
thing. But nobody agreed with her,
and Mrs. Lyte confessed she was only
sorry she had held out so long against
this excellent protector Of lone, lorn
women. It was dinner-time before these
kindly folk dispersed; and when the
bell rang, Annie did not come. She had
q good healthy appetite, and her delay
was unusual; but nobody could find
her; nor did she come to tea; but the
evening mail brought her excuses in a
small note. which ran:
DEAR AUNT EM-I've gone to New
York with Frank Chester and his sister
to be married. an awfully sorry you
were so scared last night. Frank wrote
to me he should be at the window, and
I meant to get out first and tell him
about that horrid alarm, but was just
a mite too late. We are going right
back to Chicago, and I guess pail get
over it before long; but if he don't,
Frank is just as lovely as he can be. and
I'm awfully happy. Love to you all
and do please forgive poor dear Frank
for soaring you 80. 1t was all that hate
full burglar thing. Goodbye, dear.
"Your very loving ANNIE"
Mrs. Lyte forgot all about the burglar
when she read this note. and laughed and
cried like a girl; but she forgave Annie
long before she forgave the agent who
made her throw away hundred and
twenty-five dollars on fixture she did
not want or need, for there has never been
another buglarseen or heard in Pembroke
since Frank Chester tried Mrs. Lyte's
parlor window; and people do say Mr.
Smiths visitor rode on nightmare, tc
which the good man is subject, and was
the direct result of strawberry shortcake
and cream. However that may be, MIR
Petrarch P. Hart did not find another
customer in that village, and Mrs. Lyte's
silver is still safe in the old chest in th'
carret.-Hd7per's RGzGr.