The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-03-11


night. My friend is mp stairs lookin' for
it this minute. All we want is the mon
ey. We don't mean harm to nobody. Ye
sha'n't be touched if ys behave yerself
an keep quiet"
Somewhat treasured by this. and hav-
ing had time. while he had been speak
ing, to collect myself, | was now able to
assume an appearance at least of calm
ness. | took up my embroidery and
went on working-or pretending to
work-at the pattern | was embroider-
ing. / think the action helped me, too:
for presently found myself really quite
calm, and, with GOODNESS and resolu-
ton that can hardly believe in now. as
| recall it, turning over in my mind
what | ought to do. What would these
men do when they found, as they very
soon would find, that the money was
not up stairs? They would be disap-
pointed and desperate-capable. per
haps, of deeds that they had not at first
Perhaps | had better give
up the money at once, and so get rid
of them. And yet, father had confided
it to my care; and it DID not belong to
him, but to the company. | ought not
to let these men have it if l could help
it. Oh, why could not give an alarm
What if should open nv
mouth and cry out at any risk? Could
| make Joseph hear, away out in the
wing of the house as he was? Alas,
knew that | could not, even had not this
man been sitting there by the door
he had taken chair now-eyeing me
fiercely, as though he read nv very
thoughts. All, if 1 had only done as
father wished, and telegraphed for Har-
ry Randall to come up! And then, with
this last tn ought, another thought came
to me. Why couldI not summon Harry
even now, if perchance he was still at
the office? | arose from my chair.
mechanically grasping my work in my
hand. My guard got up, also, evil
IDENTIFY suspicious of my slightest move
ment.
I'm have to ask yer to keep quiet,
miss" said he, with harsh, determined
voice
l turned upon him Indignantly. 81
suppose | may change my seat if l
like" said |.
And without waiting for his permits
sion, | walked deliberately over to the
desk and sat down in the revolving
chair that stood before it. At the same
time | threw my work down on the
desk in such way as to cover com
pletely the battery, which instrument
my companion had probably not no.
ticed at all. Perhaps he would not
have known what it was if he had.
sat tharn n liyt1apz1,r
the chair back and forth, and trying to
make up my mind what was best to do.
Just then there was slight noise on the
hall-stairs, and the man became un-
easy, stood up and looked at the library
door, as if he was about to 90 toward
it. Then he turned again to me, and
with threatening gesture, said:
4" You Just set there, while | step in
ter the hall u bit. And if We stir, or
make noise, it'll be the worse for We.
Do We mind thatr'
He then went softly into the hall.
Feeling that now was my opportu-
nifty, with trembling hand | put my
finger on the knob, and as silently as
possible sent my signal out over the
wire into the night down to the mills
anu 10 HaIry RANDALL.
" Harry are you there?"
In another instant | was leaning back
in my chair and moving an inkstand on
the table to make a noise. How my
heart was beating, and my ear was
strained to catch the sound that-if |
might in Gods goodness hope it-might
presently come back to mel Almost a
seemed an age-I listened;
and my heart sank as no answering sig
nal was heard-Then-N icb! ChicE!
CHc6! came the sounds, sweeter to my
ears than the sweetest music; and [
knew that Harry was there. Those
sounds were to some extent covered by
the drumming of my thimble, and were
to me as plain as spoken words.
yes"
Instantly l sent back my answer.
Two excited words, run all together:
Robbers! Help!"
The total silence that followed assured
me, after a minutes anxious waiting,
that Harry had comprehended my mes
sage, and that doubtless he would at
once come to the house. Fortune had
favored me, for [ had heard the man
up the hall stairs, and thus |
had escaped the results of any suspicious
he might have had had he heard the
of the instrument.
did not look at the clock and cannot
say exactly how long sat there in
silence. 1t seemed to me that it was
hours. Then there was the sound of
in the hall. The next mo-
ment there appeared in the doorway a
second stranger, rougher and more des-
perate, if possible, in appearance than
the first; and close behind him, to my
great surprise and indignation, was our
man Joseph. They both advanced into
the room, the one looking angry and
disappointed, and the otherwith sheep