The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22

-"Cl 1CShllJ, L olou Y 4ACoA w SohASo
all that, but never mind, I'm not goin!
to tell you whether I went to talk II
anybody through the bars or not, 81
you needn't ask me. As I wa saying
when I went out to the gate. somebod,
on the other side suddenly sprang up tx
it and reached through the grating. i
was so dark that I couldn't distinguish
his features; I only knew that it wa!
nobody that I expected to meet. HI
stretched his hand out to me in a wilt
sort Of a way, and exclaimed:
drew back and said, in a half-whis
per. Don't make so much noise. It is
not Annie"
" l beg your pardon" he said. "I-
l thought it was Miss Killjoy. Fol
heavens sake tell no one that you have
seen me-"
"Of course I WON'T" I replied; "fol
I don't know you"
Isn't there any way to ~unfasten this
gatep" he asked, shaking it impatiently
"Not that I know Of" I answered.
"The matron takes the key out every
night, and all the doors and windows in
the building are fastened on the inside"
This last piece of information was
gratuitous, but I thought it might inter
| est him.
You're not a burglar, are you" I
asked, trying to get a glimpse of his
face as he turned it toward me in the
gloom.
mo; I'm a lawyer"
"Qh" said /.
He moved away and put his finger on
his lips.
NUNS the word" he said, and dis
appeared IN the shadows.
The next afternoon the regular semi
weekly lecture to the history. class took
| place in the museum. / think the SUBJ
ject was 1.-The Prehistoric Roots of the
Phenician Alphabet" or something of
that kind, and you may be sure that we
were all glad enough when it was over.
1t didn't seem to me to be a very ex-
citing subject, but Annie Kiljoy, who
sat next to me, appeared to be in a per-
feet tremor during the entire lecture.
She was white as q sheet, and her eyes
looked 80 big and bright and excited
that I was really anxious about her.
I don't believe she heard q word that
the professor was saying, and every few
moments she would glance down the
room toward that horrid old suit
of rusty armor. and then look around the
class in q scared sort Of way as though
she half expected every moment to see
John of Orleans rise his battle-ax in dis
gust and squelch the professor and the
Phenician alphabet at the same blow.
Her eyes took that direction so fire.
~ouently that after q while I began look
ing that way, and all at once l seen
something that made my heart almost
leap out OF my body. >
The Black Warrior was alive!
Yes, there was certainly a man in the
armor. I saw his eye glittering through
the bars of the rusty visor, and I am
confident that when it met mine it
winked.
The shock OF the discovery was so sud-
den that / suppose I would have
screamed had not Annie pinched my arm
almost fercely and whispered:
II know all about it. Don't say a
word, or ! am lost"
That night, when the lights were rung
out, / told my room mate, Sallie Hig-
gins, that ! intended to lie down with
my clothes on. -
"There is mystery in the air. said,
" and il | am not mistaken, there will be
sensation in this academy before norm
ing. For my part, 1sha'n't 60 to bed
until I see it out, and I advise you, if
you want some fun, to sit up with me-"
Sally looked at me wonderingly, but
~refrained from asking any questions, aud
kept watch alternately until after
midnight, n of us sitting up in the
dark, while the other slept on the out
side of the bed. At last, about one
in the morning, when the build
ing, had become silent as the grave. I
heard q door softly open and close, and
The rustic Of a woman's dress in the
hall. This was followed by a humping
noise on the floor below like that made
by a person walking on stills.
There was a clanking sound, and
more humping, and then I heard the
professors door open, and I thought it
was time to awaken Sally and run into
the hall.
I met the professor on the stairs.
"There are burglars in the housep" he
in an evident culver of ex-
element, at which information Sally at
to shrek, but I put my hand
on her mouth and stopped her.
IF there are" 1 said. there is no
need to brighten everybody in the
"There are in the museum" said the
professor, trembling. Il have been
listening, and am positive they are in
the museum"
"Let US 20 and see,"I said. bravely;
but at this moment the door of the mu-
scum opened, and by the light of the
hall-lamp. which had been left burning
we saw, on looking over the
banisters, the figure of the Black War
rior cautiously emerge, lifting his feet as
though a twenty. pound weight was at
tached to each, and his rusty armor rat
Ting at every step. I could no longer
restrain Sally's terror. and she shrieked
with all her might. The professor sank
down upon the stairs, pale as ashes.
Have the dead come to lifep" he
family.
The Warrior looked up at US, and
staggered back against the wall. The
presence of mind, however, which he
had so signally displayed at the siege
of Jerusalem did not long forsake him
now. With a stamp of his mailed foot
be struck a ferocious attitude, swung
his battle-ax around his head, and
yelled a terrific "Aha-a-a-a-am
Then with a rush he gained the front
door. demolished the lock with a few
quick blows of his weapon, and was
gone before the terrified professor could
find his voice.
AS the knight stamped off into the
darkness there was another rush from
behind the door. and I saw, though the
professor did not, the whisk Of II
woman's skirt vanishing in the warriors
train. Then came the sound of another
smash at the garden-gate and the heavy
roll of wheels, and I comprehended the
meaning of the whole affair, and that
was that Annie Killioy and her precious
young scamp of a lawyer had eloped.
Of course Sallie's shrieks produced a
CREST commotion, and the whole school
was in an uproar for the rest of the