The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-11-26
{. Mr.. Van Mott 5 housekeeper for twenty


scare me. mister. What is it !?
The worst YOU can think of, said the
man. :. Mr.. Van Mott travelled on the
- road. There has been an accident
Preserve us cried Maggie, letting
/ the door back, and him on his way to his
wedding. He's hurt badly then ?
He's dead, said the man. Dead, and
we've brought him home.
Maggie sat down on a chair and began
! to cry.
/ We've done what we could, said the
man. The lady he was to marry and her
friends will be down tomorrow. Mean
while NV instructions are that you shall
watch him. and allow no strangers to enter
the house. There are valuable things
here. TIM told and Mr.. Van Notts law
yer must take possession Of them, and seal
them up before strangers have access to
the room"
~Oh. dear. dear cried old Maggie,
!. That it should come to tins. Yes, TIL
watch alone. I'm not afraid, but-Oh
dear
Then she shrank back and let two men
carry a horrible coffin into the front
parlor.
They came out with their hats off and
/ the other man held his also in his hand.
.. | don't mind that, said old Maggie.
I. but it's terrible terrible
If you'd ike me to stay, said she
man.
No said Maggie I've no fear Of
Z n. .,rl,'
| Then she locked the door, went into the
parlor. and putting the candle on the man
tie. looked at the coffin through her tears.
He was good enough to me, she said
I. poor Mr.. Archibald And this comes OF
marrying at this time of life, and galliyanting
on the railroads. | wonder whether he Is
changed much. III take look. and
Maggie erussed the room and lifted the nd
over the face Of the enclosed body,
I'm take a look, she said TO herself
again. /" I'm no, afraid of dead folks,
In a minute more Maggie dropped the
lid AGAIN. and rare.Aed. shaking from head
to foot. She bid seen. within the coffin,
face with IL nv,s shut, and with bandages
about the lead, asA The gastly features q
a clown IN q circus minus the rcd mouth.
But it was living face, well-chalked,
and not her masters; and Maggie knew At
once that she had been humhugged-thai
this story Of her masters death was he,
and that burglar lay within the coffin,
+ ready to spring upon her. or perhaps
murder her at any moment.
/ She could, Of course. open the door, and
try 10 escape but the accomplioes Of the
man we're doubtless outside. Il was long
distance to the nearest house, and even it
they did NOT Kill her they would execute
their purpose and rob the place before she
returned
+ Master looks natural, said Maggie.
aloud. and tried to collect her thoughts.
/ Mr.. Van Notts reviewers were in the
next room, she knew, loaded, six shots IN
each. Maggie could use pistols She had
aimed at troublesome cats with great sue
/ cess more than once. If she could secure
these pistols she felt safe.
Poor. dear master, she sobbcd, and
edged toward the back room- Poor, dear
master She lifted the desk i'd She had
them safe.
She glided back to the front psrior and
SAT down on a chair She turned up her
sleeves and grasped pistol in each hand
she watched that coffin quiesly In half
an hour the ia stirred. 4 cautious hand
erept up the side \ Wiry eye peePed out.
II fell upon the armed figure, aud closed
again.
:. You'd better. said Maggie to herself,
Again the head lifted This time Mag
gle sprang to her feet.
: You're fixed quite handy, she said,
cody. No need Of laying you out If |
Ere. and | can aim firsi-rate, especially
VIXEN I'm afraid of CHESTS, as | be now
The lead bobbed down again. Maggie
reseated herself She knew tha, this could
not last very long-that there must be a
conflict ere long. II was as she supposed
A moment more and the coffin was empty,
and feroeious young fellow sat on It's edge,
and thus addressed her:
We meant to do al quiet he said,
and ! don't want 10 frighten an old wo-
man. Just put them down
I'm not frightened, said Maggie.
I'm coming to take them things away
from you, said the man,
Come, said Maggie
He advanced one step. She took aim
and he lodged, but the bullet went through
his left arm, and it dropped BY his side.
Furious with pain, he dashed toward her.
She fired again, and this time wounded
him in the right shoulder Faint and
quite helpless, he staggered against the
wall
There, you We done it, old woman, he
said "0pen the door and let me out.
Ny game Is up
!. Mine isn't. said old Maggie Get
into Your coffin again. or this time Ill
shoot YOU through the heart
The burglar looked piteously at her, but
he saw no mercy in her face. He went
back 10 the coffin and lay down in it. Blood
dripped from his wound and he was growing
pale Maggie did not want to see him die
before her ewes, but she dared not call aid.
To leave the house before daylight would
be to meet this mans companions, and risk
her own life There was nothing for 1t
but 10 play the surgeon herself, and in a
little while she had stopped the blood and
saved the burglars life More than this
she brought him a cup Of tea, and fed him
with it as if he had been baby. Moth
ING. however. could induce her to let him
out of his coffin
About one or two o clock she heard steps
outsida. and knew that the other burglars
were Gear. but her stout heart never quail
ed. She trusted in the bars and bolts and
they did not betray her
The daylight found her sitting quietly
beside her wounded burglar, and the milk
man, bright and early, was the ambassador
who summoned the officers of justice.
Wien the bridal party returned next
day the house was neat and tidy, and Mag
gle in her best alpaca, told the news in la
comic fashion.
Frightened she said, in answer to
the sympathetic ejaculation of her new
mistress. " Frightened Oh, no Feal
wasn't born in me
About 5000 persons in Texas devote
themselves strictly to sheep raising, while
many farmers own focks. The stock is
being gradually improved, and now hun
dreds of thousands of excellent graded