Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-11-15


might wonder about and not get homs
until II was too late.
Too late Lima shuddefed and
sobbed again Is she thought what that
might mean, Oh, II was hard 10 think
Of dying SO helplessly, SO horribly, with
help so near,
Tbs long minutes erept on and no
sound cams until III o'clock had
passed, The little clock softly ehimed
the halt hour Then, In q few mo
meRts, came a sound Of stealing foot
steps In the passage and the knob OF
the door was softly turned
iiFeatlless silence Ii The room, Then
q gentle tap at the door, Lima elasped
Auht Margaret's hand conyulsiyely.
and tho old lady spoke,
"WhO Is that 7" Rhe asked, steadily,
cit Is me, parkins, ma'am, WIN
you ask Miss Leigh II she viii kindly
open the dOOFY | have tho toolhaehe.
aid want some iaudanum,"
"What q hend II Ii |" whispered
Aunt Margaret, Then aloud "Go
downstairs and get something, Pafkins,
| cannot trouble Miss Leigh"
Lima hoped that Parklhs would
urge the point q little, Anything TO
pFOlohg tho parley and gain time,
Hut q whisper In the passage fol-
lowed. and then mans voice
"Ladies. there's no use making q
row, Just open the door peacefully
and you shan't be hurt. Wen break
II down II you don't"
"What'do you wanty' Lima asked,
hoping 10 gain q little time, A new
and gfuff voice answered. insolently;
"You know we'll enough what We
want. miss, We wants the thousand
pounds and the diamonds and We
mean TO have them, 80 don't DO q
fool. but just open the door peacefully
or you'll be sorry"
Lima spfang TO her feet and seized
the pistol, A Hood Of color rushed 10
her cheek and brow. She had been In.
suited and threatened, and Indignation
oyerpowered terror, She went toward
the door and called out, quickly and
clearly:
"You're not coming In. ! have
sent for help, and Sir Robert and his
men viii be here directly, am
armed; and II you break the door
down viii shoot you like dog"
A moments silence followed, then q
coarse laugh, and
IAN CANNON, She hadn't no one
to send, Break the door down." In
Parkins voice; and heavy blows began
to fall upon the door, II trcnbled
and cracked beneath the battery, A
panel broke, q mans hand was thrust
In; the whole door seemed about TO
fall when--bangl bangl came two re-
ports from Lcnas pistol, and couple
Of bullets crashed through the panels
and the besIegers paused abruptly.
"Go away Instantly called the girls
clear voice, "or | will fire again."
"0nc more rush, mate. and we are
in," yelled the gruif voice outside.
What followed the wild tumult and
confusion; the crash Of breaking pan.
els and bolts. the fall Of the door and
the furniture Lima had piled against
II, shot after shot from Lina's pistol, q
yell Of pain and rage from both Of
them. The door was down. Ono Of
the men was In the room, Lima had
fired her last shot, and, running to the
bed, snatched Aunt Margaret's pistol
and turned to face the enemy. Sud.
denly came wild shrek from Park
ms. Then voice calling "Lina, Lima
am coming" and Sir Robert de Ros-
sett hurled himself bodily upon the
runlan outside the door, Frustrated him.
and sprang into the room over hi'
body, and this Is what he saw; Made
line Leigh, the "little coward" with
blazing eyes and scarlet cheeks, and
pistol in her hand, standing unhinch-
ingly between Aunt Margaret and q
burly rufian; and Aunt Margaret her.
self, who had not turned in her bed for
year, standing on her feet on the
floor. Two seconds changed the aspect
of affairs, After that the burglar
sprawled senselesS on the floor. Aunt
Margaret sprang back on her bed with
wild "Thank God /" and the little
heroine of the scene lay in Sir Roberts
arms in dead faint.
"Oh, Robert, why didn't you come
soonerp" she murmured, half an hour
afterward, when she opened her eyes
and met his.
"Don't you know came as soon as
l found your note?" he said. LEO
went to my room and l found him
there when / left the drawing-room,
after II o'clock"
"Where are these dreadful men?
Lena asked, raising her head dizzily
and looking around with shudder.
"Never mind them, dear. They
were taken by the men who followed
me. My brave little darlingl What a
heroine you are."
Two months later, when Parkins
and the men were brought to trial,
Aunt Margaret walked into the wit
ness-box and gave her testimony with
grim directness and self-possession.
Lena gave hers with much trembling
and some tears; but she looked in
tensely lovely. and no one wondered
that Sir Robert was going to marry
her.
The crowd around the door gave
her three cheers as she left the court
room, walking beside Sir Robert, and
then three more for Leo, who followed
them.
And Aunt Margaret's wedding pres
ent to Lima was the thousand pounds
and the diamonds that had been saved