The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-12-18

nearu. AS the wind rose again, she
mere is loaded pistol yonder, in
tne upper drawer of that cabinet. I
saw II tnere tonight. want it. With
1t IN my hand, I shall be perfectly safe.
snau presently speak aloud, as if to
wake you; shall moan. as if in pain:
ahI snan beg you to bring me the
siat VI laudanum in that drawer.
anu you will cross the room,
ana Dring me that pistol. And then /
snan nid you go to the next room for
blankets to wrap me in, and you will,
once outside this door, rush to Uncle
fmnp 8 room and alarm the house. You
have nothing to fear; the man will not
come out until you have left the room;
he would rather have one screaming
woman to deal with than two. And you
pistol" new
Sne did not give me moments time.
and 1t was well she did not. Instantly
she mad lain down, and was half scream
ing, "Wake, wake, Ellice! Will YOU
never wakeP am almost mad with that
pam OF mine againl My medicine-my
lauoanum--is yonder in that drawer;
on! get 1t for me; quick! quick! Don't
she pushed me from the bed; I stag
gered across the room. 1t came to me,
evenTsaen, that watching eyes might not
suspect the lettering gait of one just
reused from sleep, and, opening the
drawer, saw again that steely CLEAN
in the freight. My fingers closed over
the pistol, and a blessed sense of
strength seemed to run through me, from
that hard, cold contact. The curtains
of the alcove just behind me family
moved. crossed the room, and
laid the pistol in Eleanor's hand.
There was seconds pause, and
then-"M My DEAR she said; "if L
could be quite warm, now, think the
trouble would soon be over. Go into
the press-room and get me those blank
cts. You foolish child" she cried,
as l staggered in my effort to gain the
door. "To be so frightened when the
worst danger is over! What you brought
me has helped me already; am strong
er. Go quickly, and come soon back!"
l was almost insensible, before stood
in the hall. But once there my life
surged back to me again; and with it,
such an intolerable sense of Eleanor's
danger, as gave wings to my feet. 1
don't know how reused them, or what
| said, but the time could almost be
counted by seconds, before crowd of
people, in every stage of undress, and
grasping all sorts of weapons from rifles
to curling-irons were trooping along the
corridor as noiselessly as they might.
Alec Stuart sface-I sawint the light of the
candles the frightened servants held
was whittier than Eleanor's had been
when woke to find her bending over
me.
just as the door crashed back under
Uncle Philips hand, we heard within
sharp click, and loud oath, in a rough,
startling voice; and then we could see.
A man stood directly before the fire.
place, his figure outlined blackly against
the dying flame; dark, low-browed,
crouching figure, across whose lowering
forehead an ugly cut showed, from un-
der pushed-up bandage; figure
whose right hand clutched a
short sharp knife; its blade
! flashed in the Pickering light.
His eyes were fixed in sort of terrified
| fascination on Eleanor, toward whose
bedside he had evidently been moving,
when, at the click of her pistol, he had
raised his eyes, and stood paralyzed.
Eleanor was sitting upright in bed, her
long bright hair falling all about her,
her hand q noticed, with the strange
strained interest in little, irrelevant
things we feel so often when we are in
pain or fear, how oddly that white
hand, and the light lace wrist-ruffiing
above it, contrasted with its grim con-
tentsD firmly grasping her shining,
deadly little weapon. Her finger was on
the trigger; and her finger did not
tremble. That her aim was good one,
the crouching figure, stopping midway
in its stealthy approach to the bed, did
not seem to doubt.
Of course that is all there is to tell.
After that it was only momentary
struggle of one man with many; and
then he was bound and taken away.
And Eleanor sent back the money Of
fered her for his capture, to be used for
the benefit of poor prisoners. 1t was
horrible; it was like taking blood
money!" she said. Yes, of course it
was Burroughs; you knew that from the
first, did you notp He had been skulk-
ing about the outbuildings a day, it
seemed; and had taken advantage of an
open door and an empty kitchen to
find his way up to the great room he
supposed unoccupied. He had meant
to avail himself of the storm that night,
to make good his escape with whatever
small valuables in the shape of trinkets
or plate he could lay his hands on.
And of course Eleanor tainted, when
the reaction from the intense strain
camep No, she did not faint, though
she turned a little weak and white. 1t
was who tainted, when l realized her
safety, and saw Alec Stuart on his knees
at her bedside, thanking God that no
harm had come to her.
While was recovering consciousness,
discovered that Dick Francis was chat
ing my hands and calling me blessed
little heroine. remember feebly laugh
ing at the notion of person of my re-
cent behaviour deserving that title. And
of course Eleanor married Alec Stuart?
OF course. And Dick and ''stood up''
with them, as the phrase went in those
days; and "stood up" together twelve
month later, at the same altar-rail, only
this tiYna hand in hanI D0 vOu evar