Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-06-09
It In box In q closet that opens out
of the sitling-room,"

OF the sitting'room''
"All right, my eoyey, show Us tho
tin" said q new voice that frankie
had not heard before, and looking
around hls heart gave n jump % no
saw masked robber No, 2, who had
just appeared from another part oi the
house, That settled II about the neat
little plot for the closet business, Tor
he certainly couldn't get thom bolhin
What if Mamie should come along
and complicate matters, for she knew
where her father kept his money and
there was not the slightest hope that
any OF tho family would bo home tor
two hours TO come.
"Comc ahead, and no iooling II you
know what's healthy tor YOU said
No. /,
At this moment frankie saw Mamie
in the garden, and knew she would be
along directly. An idea struck him
like flash, and tho Same instant a bell
rang sharply in the kitchen The two
burglars made rush tor the nearest
door, which happened to lead down
into the cellar. lit only had u lock
on it, or any way to iasten 1t ! But
there was none. The bell was a con.
cealed ono in the center Of the dining
room floor by which the servant could
be calledl with a pressure OF the foot
while the family were at table, In no
instant, aud before Flankle could
escapc, the muzzle Of n revolver np'
peared through the partially opened
door. For some reason, which any
one who has acted as target for a
seven shooter can better understand
than explain, Frankie thought the
best thing he could do was to do moth
ing. He was standing so that the
fellow on the cellar stairs could hit
him if he tried to run, but his face
was not toward the burglar. Mamie,
having found the door locked, had
also noticed the window, close by
which frankie was standing. She
was about asking him why he didn't
open the door, when she saw how
pale his face looked, while he put his
finger to his lips with u significance
that could not be misunderstood
Then with his right hand, still con-
cealed from the robbers who Lad not
yentured back into the room, he spell
ed out with his fingers "Robbers in
the house-run for help"
Quick as thought Mamie was Oft
and away, exploding little stifed
scream that she could not quite keep
to herself, although she bravely tried
to do so. She was hardly around the
corner of the shed before burglar No.
1 followed by burglar No. 2, made
their reappearance, each with a cooked
revolver in his hand.
"What was that bell!' asked one OF
them seizing him roughly.
"How can l tell? l didn't 60 10
see.'
"Well, whoever it was, they've
gone. Now tor the stamps"
No 1, who had been looking around,
found the bell in the floor. $50, that
was a put up job was it, say, lett
settle kids hash, anyhow, and then
hunt for ourselves.
"No good to kill him. replied No.
p, he can't do no harm. But just you
smell that"-stlcking the muzzle ofhis
revolver under Frankie's nose-"and
see If that don't help you take US
straight to the strong box"
frankie found it was getting to be
decidedly delicate business for him.
How long before help would come !
And what if the men carry out their
threats d? With one of them in front
and another behind, they escorted him
in state to the closet he had told them
of, but no money was there. Then
frankie remembered hole had been
cut 10 the garret fosr, to put a rat
trap into, and he took them up there
to investigate. A big box OF grain
was over it and just as they got 1t Oh
and were digging around under the
floor they heard o heavy tramping
down below. The burglars tried to
escape, but Mamie had arrived with
reinforcements, and the "masked bur-
glars were both captured, tried and
"sent up The deaf aud dumb al.
pbabet had saved Mr.. Smiths money
and perhaps Fraukie's lite.--[Wheel'
ing Sunday Leader.
The Philadelphia Chronic!e.Herald
saws: The reason why women have
| little or no success at fishing is be-