Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-20

For q moment she stood In the little square
hall, with the lamp in her hand, shaking like
an aspen leaf.
"Who was it, Lizzie? Not your uncle 7"
called her mother fIom the sitting room.
"No, mother; a stranger" faltered Liz
zie, who stood rooted to the spot, afraid
to exhibit her pale face and shaking hands.
eve can't take any strangers in to-
night, Lizzie. Your father may not come,
and there is hundred dollars in the house,"
sob, foolish mother " thought the girl,
for she had been unconsciously listening for
the mans retreating footsteps, and she had
not heard them.
She believed that he had retired but lit
tie way from the door, and was looking
through the curtained window into the sit
| ting-room. Her mothers raised voice must
have reached his ear, and he was now able
| to take survey of her feebleness, and
of the little room where the captains
desk containing the money was so conspicu-
ous
Setting down the lamp in the little dark
entry, she flew noiselessly up stairs, and
leaned from window left open to air the
chamber.
Yes, in the dark, the short, thick-set fig
ure of the man was just turning away from
before the house. Lizzie caught up long,
dark, gray shawl, and came noiselessly down
the stairs. On turning the corner of the
house, she saw him leisurely walking down
the road.
Clenching her little hand tight upon the
shawl in which she had wrapped herself,
Lizzie stole on after him Ia the shadow of
the roadside pines. AS she suspected, he
needed to go but a little way before he
joined his companion, who was sitting upon
a fallen tree on the other side of the road.
The carriage had been driven into a gap in
| the road.
"Wel?" he said, starting up.
"An right replied the other, in low
tone, and they continued to talk in still
lower voices.
"There is no time to be lost, thought
Lizzie.
She gided noiselessly back. AS she
closed and locked the front door, she heard
her mother ENORMOUSLY calling her. She
entered the comfortable little sitting-room
warm and light, all breathless.
"Where have you been, Lizzie? What
makes you SO pale?"
Running up stairs makes me little
dizzy" replied Lizzie, holding by chair,
for the lights seemed swimming around.
Then she forced herself to sit down, and
clenched her hands quiet upon her lap.
Mother, don't you think father is COM
ing tonight"
"S'posing he don't, you needn't look SO
sober, Lizzie. I guess we are safe enough.
I suppose the old horse has fallen lame.
Father isn't thu best of drivers. Sailors
never are, you know"
Lizzie thought her mother must hear her
heart beating, but apparently she did not.
She had taken off her cap, and was smooth
ing her thin, soft hair for the night.
"Oh, think he must come before long"
The clock struck nine
Lizzie went into the dark bedroom and
looked up the road. The robbers were
down the road. Suddenly a thought shot
into her mind. They could not know when
the captain did come
She issued into the outer room, assuming
a brighter air.
"Pm going to fix up something to look
like dear papa, anyway, mother. 1t won't
seem SO lonesome"
For moment she dropped the curtain.
Then, bringing her fathers great pilot-coat
and scarf and hat from closet, she hastily
dressed pillow in the clothes, and placed
this queer semblance of the captain up to
the table. The back came toward tho
window; the head seemed to be bent
forward, looking over newspaper which
was spread open.
Mrs Layton gave low laugh.
CHOW, you go to bed, mother. I don't
want to lock up the house just yet. I
think I shan't be lonesome. It will be as
easy as can be to think that this is father
Don't it look like him at the back ?"
Mrs. Layton said yes, and allowed herself
to be assisted to bed.
Lizzie bent the elbow of the sleeve to a
little more natural position, put a glass half
full of sweet cider beside the newspaper,
and softly put up the curtain again. Then
she sat down before the fire with book.
Every nerve of her body was stretched to
its utmost tension, every sense on the alert !;
but the girl swayed back and forth in the
low rockingham, and turned her pages
regularly. She heard her mothers low,
regular breathing, and knew that she was
soundly asleep.
The clock struck ten.
Pretty soon Lizzie's strained ears heard
creeping steps in the door-yard. Stealthily
as they were made, they were SO plain-so
terribly plain to her. 1t seemed to her that
| the cracking gravel m11St awake her mother.