The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-07-01

"Well, madam, since that Is q fair,
honest question, I will attempt to an
swer it. To begin with, my financial
affairs are in . complicated condition.
Money 1 have but little of-credit,
none; so am forced to levy trihing
tax upon my friends in this and other
neighborhoods, to extricate me from
my disastrous condition. As soon as I
collect certain amount intend leav-
ing this country for France or Italy,
never, perhaps, to return. Do not
shed tears at this, dear madam, for,
wherever my footsteps tend. your inn
age--ruffied nightcap and an-will re-
main forever imprinted upon my
heart"
You old gooser' I said.
"Piease do not interrupt me, madam;
have but q few moments longer to
stay, and 1 must do business at once. I
have learned that you have deposited in
trunk in an adjoining closet forty dol
lars and eight cents. The forty dollars
I would like to borrow of you for an in
definite length of time. The eighty
cents I do not care anything about.
You can retain that as q trifing evil
dence of my generosity in this great
emergency Of my life."
{" You are a robber, thief, thenp"
I said. spitefully.
=. Either, at your service, madam"
rising and making bow for all the
world like a French dancing-master.
Now. the money, if you please"
He wasn't polite looking now.
There was q determined look in his
eyes and about his mouth.
He that giveth to the poor lendeth
to the Lord" he said, speaking just
like q preacher.
what of himP''
my Bible does not dispose of his
case, especially, madam"
And you came here to rob meme,
q poor womsnr'
1 come to borrow of you for an in
definite length of time"
l saw it was useless to waste words
with him, besides / didn't altogether
like the look in his eyes; I closed my
lips tightly together, resolving that I
would not speak again.
IT you have no objection, ma'am,
I'll look around a bit," he said, taking
up the lamp as he spoke. IF hear
any noise from you, my dear, or if 1
see that in any way you are becoming
nervous, I shall be obliged to quiet you
by the use Of"
He held up q small vial.
"ChloroformT I gasped.
At your service, madam"
ut would be the death of me-" I
moaned.
81 should be sorry to bring such loss
to the world; but, believe me, all that
rests in your own hands. This door
leads into the closet where the trunk is,
believe" he said, making straight for
the closet where my forty dollars were
put for safe keeping.
didn't say word. To tell the
truth, the chloroform had nearly scared
me out of my wits. He turned the key
in the door q had always kept it
locked) and glanced into the closet. 1t
was large, and the trunk was at the
farther end Of it. Let me say here that
this closet, or store room, was in the
al" part of the house, full foot low
er than my room. Mr.. Burglar was
not acquainted with this fact. Glanc-
ing toward me with his sharp eyes, to
see if was quiet, he took a step for
ward and went sprawling upon all-fours.
1 do not know to this day how he man.
aged to save the lamp as he did, but it
was not broken in the fall, and burned
as brightly as ever. My wits came to
me here. 1 sprang as lightly as could
out of bed, and before he could get
upon his feet had the door of the
closet shut and locked upon him. He
grew lamb-like in q moment.
you've done it now, haven't you,
you charming creature? / swear I'm
in love with you from this hour to the
end of my life. You've come q splen-
did dodge! You've got me tight and
fast What's the use of money nowP
I'll take the eighty cents and you may
have the forty dollars, If you win let
me out"
"No, sir; I'm going to call the neigh
bors," said /, resolutely.
"Going with that night-cap on?
You'll make your fortune. But don't
hurry, that's dear. Let's have q little
friendly talk. Say. I'll give you hum
dred dollars If you'll let me out"
"Yes, and leave you free to scare
some other woman nearly to death-no.
SIR"
"Well. then, TIL give you two hun
dred."
"No, SIR"
"Name the price. then, dear girl. I
suppose every woman has her price
they say every man has,"
"No, it wouldn't be right" said,
hesitatingly.
heard him chuckle: "first step
towards it.; she begins to talk of what
is right"
thought of my poor girl out to work
by the week, and so anxious to get an
education, and I'm sure it isn't to be
wondered at if l began to set price.
But said not a word
"Look here! I'll put five hundred
dollars in good, sound gold under the
door, and you can count it as push
it through piece by piece, If you'll only
let me out of this cursed hole. Tn
smothering."
"Try some chloroform," :" whispered
through the key-hole.
"Curse the chloroform! WMyou le,
me out?''
1 had . light by this time, and had
slipped into a calico wrapper. and my
..1f got the money, how could 1 le,
him out Of the closetf' 1 wondered.
shouldn't dare to meet him; he'd roll
me again, and perhaps murder me
But I said: ..pll take his gold" re
solving that / would try to get out o
it some way, just for the sake of poo
Rebecca, who SO much wanted to 60 t.
school
"Your heart is in the right place. /" h.
said, and the next moment q big rount
gold piece came through the wide cracl
under the door.
Icouldn't withhold an exclamation O
delight.
.It's right enough now, isn't itr' hs
sneered. There's nothing like gliding
over our sins q little. Bah! all thu
worlds alike! Here goes another, ant
another. Count fast, my pious damsel
l dare say there's no confessionalin in you
church"
lis there in your'sF"
swell. if there was, gold gets into tina
sometimes, they say. Hold fast ehere
you've got the last clinker; now set MI
free.o