American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-05-17

theless, found myself walking on tip.
toe and holding my breath as II 1 were
afraid should be heard: L suppose
was afraid that some noise would be
made that should not hear. then
proceeded to investigate the window
fastenings. always felt so secure with
Reuben. throwing all responsibility on
him, that had never thought of look
ing at them before. There were none.
Great goodness! what was 1 to dop
All that could do was to wrench
down a couple of nails from the ward
robe, and by means of the poker drive
them in over the sashes of the two. front
windows. Going for some more for the
back windows, I found that the rest
were hooks, and it was in vain to try
and get those out that 1 had already
driven in, SO as to use them on the back
windows; they wouldn't come out
Very well, said to myself, shn'n't go
to bed tonight; and prepared myself
| for sitting up. If Reuben didn't come
back for two or three days, could sleep
in the day-times, and sit up ready to
meet the foe in the night. TO be sure,
1 should be all worn oat, out what
wor..I he eatet I had grim idea of
satisfaction in thinking it was his fault
was undergoing so much, any way. He
might at least have left me pistol, l
said; but what good would it have done
if he hadP was as much afraid of q
nicfn1 IF harca n
wasn'ronly the customary house-breaker
in question now: the town was full of
contrabands that had come in to work
on the improvements, and failing to find
work were starving; and images of
some stalwart, brutal black wretch rose
before me every time put my fingers
on my eyes. In the day, the colored
people had no stancher friend than 1,
but somehow they always figured in my
nightmares.
1t was not very inviting prospect,
this of sitting up all night, already tired
out as was. Still, bad q novel,
could read away part of the time, and
as soon as the servants began to stir at
five O'Clock in The morning, could go
to bed and get three or four hours
sleep any way. 1t was idle; after had
made my self comfortable, and opened
my book, the words ran together, and
it was ina apostolic to attach any sense to
them, and what the book was all about
I haven't the least idea. There was a
will, and love affair, and a murder,
and changing Of children in the era
die, but 1 couldn't imagine how people
could write and expect one to be inter-
ested in these trifling things when such
real trouble as mine was in the world.
heard the clock strike the slow quar-
tiers, and then strike ~. put the book
away, and got my sewing. But that
was no better, for after few stitches it
occurred to me that my light, stream
ing through the open folding-deors and
out of those shutterless back windows
with only the lace curtains for a screen,
was direct invitation to those strolling
beggars of the back alley, and tossed
down my work, and turned down the
gas, and thought would go and sit by
the glimmer of the La
trobe in the back room. How still the
night was! listened, and listened, and
listened, till my ears were strained.
Now and then some street singers wan
dered along their way, far off, and
seemed to be the only people in the uni
verse; now and then the slow and
heavy foot of a policeman sounded in
some other square, thought; now and
then some straggler hurried home with
ringing steps; but all that was comfort,
and not at all suspicious. At last, how
ever, heard it-what had been list
ening for, of course; humping and
humping to which my heart beat an
echo; and then hurrying and scurry-
ing and scratching that told me the rats
we're stealing the potatoes in the cellar. |
breathed more freely; it was actually
something agreeable to feel even the
rats alive in the neighborhood, as long
as they did not forsake the cellar for
any other place. Cats then; the rattle
of window-sashes SCOT falling down the |
chimney; the starting of some timber
or some spike-all the noises without
source that one hears at night, as if they
were part of the stirring of the springs
in the earth, came along after that in
slow su ccession, and the clock struck |
one.
was wretchedly sleepy now. Even
sitting bolt upright in my chair and
with fear, it was all could
do to keep awake, when suddenly 1 |
started as if there had never been such |
a thing as sleep in the world. There it
was-a stealthy, muffled movement at
the cellar grating at the front of the old
house, a lifting of the iron, rafting of
the glass, leap, fall, smothered
was somebody in the eel
lar! My heart stood still; my voice
was utterly gone; if my life had de-
pended on it, could not have spoken.
Death and destruction, in the shape of
that burglar, were stealing nearer every
minute. ! was sure that there was an
accomplice in the house, in my room.
[ expected he would presently pounce
on me and pinion me. Ihalf rose to es-
cape through one of the front windows,
but remembered that had nailed them
down-and if that were not so, could
not have left the chair into which 1 fell
back. 1t seemed to me heard the low,
regular breathing of the accomplice;
ard then, all at once, was sure heard