The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-12-23
{ ESTABLISHED in
I MARCH, IS45.


staircase door is rarely fastened. What
can he do? His first idea is to 60
down into the yard, for he can now
make out some one moving near the
door. Yes, now he sees a glimmer as
dark lantern is held near the bolts
then, listening with strained ears, he
hears voices whispering together.
Now all is still again, and the light
passes in through the outer door, and
this closes again, as it has a spring.
1T is no use," Yves thinks; they are
two, perhaps three; and if l go down
to them | have only my knife. must
try to get to Mr.. Smith; there is no
time to lose; the inner bolts may be
less strong, and they will get through
them more quickly"
He stands thinking; there is but
one way to get to Mr.. Smith without
attracting the notice of the burglars,
and though Yves has true Breton
courage, he shivers as the plan sug-
gests itself His room is at the end Of
a long loft where hay is kept. and
clothes are dried, mattresses picked
and Resulted, etc.; this loft occupies
one side Of the upper story of the
yard, but there is no communication
to it from the outside, except by a
door, always locked, and the door it.
self can only be reached by means of
ladder from the yard. The step
ladder, by which Yves clfmbes. to his
room, is fixed against leaden semi
circular ledge about nine inches wide,
a sort of rough water-trough, by which
the rain is led into a pipe fixed against
the house. Mr.. Smiths room is at
the farther end of the loft, and the
window faces Yves as he stands on
the top of the steps gazing down at
the spot where the burglars have dis
appeared.
But Yves only hesitates moment.
He thinks of Mr.. Smiths kindness,
and his trust in him; he thinks. too,
of Liszen-but no, he cannot hesitate,
he crosses himself devoutly, and
clinging to the edge of the tiled roof
Of the loft, which comes about level
with his shoulders, he moves noiSeless-
ly along the narrow ledge. Once he
puts his hand on loose tile-and he
holds his breath. for he expects the
tile to fall. and then there will be an
alarm; but the tile does not come
right out. And now he has reached
Mr.. Smiths window. As he is going
along Yves wonders how he shall open
this window, or how manage to arouse
the sleeper so as not to attract the at
tention of the men within the house.
His heart gives leap of joy, for as
he stretches his hand out in the direc-
ton of the window, he finds it is open
1t is small lattice, but there is space
to crawl in. Fortunately a table
stands within the window, and he gets
in without noise; he has to touch the
clockmaker on the shoulder before he
rouses.
who's there?" he says sleepily, for
he is still half asleep.
"Chut, it is me-Yves Duroc." :"
The foreign voice rouses Smith eff
fectually, and he is at once self-pos-
sessed and silent. He gets quickly
out of bed and whispers with Yves;
then they both feel their way to the
bedroom door, and put candle out
side it, lest the light should be seen
below.
A vain precaution-for by the time
they get downstairs to the parlor, and
Mr.. Smith has cooked his blunderbuss,
and armed Yves with pistol, the bur-
glars have taken flight. Doubtless
they heard some movement.
When the clockmaker undraws the
bolts, and filings the door suddenly
open, the passage to the yard is empty.
Mr.. Smith had lit lantern, and
holding this before him he carefully
the yard and an outhouse on
one side of it, and also the fastenings
Of gate by which the yard commu-
nicated with the street. These were
safe, and it was plain that the burglars
1ad climbed the gate. Meantime,
Yves examined the bolts of the parlor
loor, one was filed quite through, and
he other about halfway.
Mr.. Smith bent over and examined
hem, and then he shook hands with
lis assistant.
You have saved me from ruin; if
hose fellows had had another ten
minutes | should never perhaps have
recovered the loss. | have some val
lable property in the house just now
besides my own stock. A set Of FAM
ly diamands and other Jewels which
Keep for the owner during his absence;
hese rascals would have got hold Of
hem Then he went out into the
;ard again and held up his lantern to-
wards the ledge of the roof You
ire a brave, grateful boy" he said, in
.hoked voice. "Yog have riskcd your
ifc for me. | don't know how to
hank you. me boy''-he shook his
land heartiIy-'but YOU must never
'un such risk again. Bedad." he
wiped his forehead at the thought of
he danger Yves had run-''you must
'leep in the house in future; there is
| room near my own at your service
From this time Mr.. Smith manner
changed; he took Yves into his conf
lence, and so far as they could under
stand one another consulted him about
;he details Of the business, which
hitherto he had managed by himself;
indeed he treated HIM as if he had been
MS own son, and Yves felt as happy
as he could feel away from Liszen.
There was only one disturbing ele-
ment.
On the morning after the attempt
1t burglary Eileen had thanked him
warmly and with much earnestness for
MS devotion.
Il can never forget" she said, and
Yves saw that her eyes were full of
tears, that you risked yOur life to
save my father from robbery"
But when this was said she showed
no increased friendlinass to WAS Sha