Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-01-07

Tom was to be gone several days, and
did not like to stay alone, and got Susie to
come and stay with me. There had been
several burglaries attempted and successful,
and felt little more nervous than usual.
Besides, . man who owed Tom quite q
LARGE sum of money had come to pay him,
and had taken the money, and had not
been able to get to tire bank and deposit it.
| had often heard that burglars kept trick
of all these things, and talked the matter
over with Susie, as way Of fortifying
ourselves
We grew more and more nervous every
mintte, and when bed time came we could
hardly get courage enough to go and lock
the doors. We finally did it, however, and
then the consoling thought came to US that
we should have done it several hours sooner
that if there were any burglars about,
they had had a glorious time to get in and
secrete themselves. 1t was not comforting,
but could not be helped; and we tried to
pluck up courage enough to search the
house. We finally did it, and found no
one, though Susie thought she had when
she put her hand on Toms overcoat in the
frightened US both half out of our wits
We talked little after we went to bed, but
fell asleep quite soon, in spite of our anxi-
ETY..
In the middle of the night I'VE were
awakened by a terrific crash in our bed
room. think never experienced a feeling
Of more perfect terror than did as lay
there. breathless, with the thoughts of our
evenings conversation rushing over me,
and the confused consciousness Of that
crash, which had awakened me from a
sound sleep. l was sure some one was in
the room. The blinds were closed; it was
perfectly dark, and utterly impossible to see
anyone if person were there. Imagined
he had knocked over something in his at
tempts to 90 about in the complete dark
ness. Ireached over and touched Susis,
cautiously.
.'Are you awaken whispered, as near
noiselessly as possible.
''Yes.
'Did you hear anything?" This time
with my head under the clothes, to shut
out the sound.
yes
''What do you suppose it is''
~ don't know"
Then we lay perfectly motionless, and
fairly shivering with terror. After what
seemed an hour, but l suppose was not
half that time. whispered again: ''Do
you suppose there is any one heref'
"Yes. Don't Whisper
Then we lay still again; so perfectly
still that felt as if petrified, and il seemed
rs if we should never be able 10 breathe
free again. At The end Of another seeming
ly indefinite, or infinite, period of time,
Susie whispered to me: "What shall we
do: Do YOU dare strike q liSht?"
'.No,n very decidedly.
Another long time OF perfect stiffness and
utter rigidity OF muscle, in our attempts to
breathe quietly. Then Susie whispered
again: ~ don't see how any one could
keep still 50 long. !; must be mistake "
Jnst then there came 4 repor. Ike that
OF pistol, but not as loud, though We foit
sure that was what Il was; and it seemed
as if it were in the Kitchen or down the
cellar, we could not tell which. We be-
came bieathless with terror then. What
could It bel Whom could they be shoot
ing? Then I remembered the dog. l had
not heard him bark. but it must be they
had shot him. We did not dare move af-
Ter that, and lay there perfectly still until
it began TO grow daylight. Such time as
it secmed-judgeng by our feelings, we
should have been old and tooihless when
that faint streak of dawn crept in through
the blinds. What do you think 1t disclosed
to cur terrified eyes? 4 set of hanging
shelves, loaded with books, in an ignomin-
ious heap on the floor. with the cord broken
where it had been worn by the picture-nail
which supported it, and so not leaving Us
the chance to believe that some one had
knocked it down. And when we went TO
the head Off the cellar-stairs and found 4
can Of tomatoes popped open, on the broad
shelf, we knew what had been shooting.
Tom said: ''Just like a couple oil wo-
mer, to scare themselves to death: Why
didn't you load my revolver at night, and
have II ready?"