The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-09-29

1t might be lost, or Leo might wander
about and not get home until it was too
late.
Too late! Lima shuddcrcd and sobbed
again Us she thought what that might
mean. Oh, it was hard to think of
dying so hclplessly SO horribly with help
SO near.
The long minutes crept on, and no
sound came until IL O'clock had passed.
The little clock softly chimed the half
hour. Then. in few moments, came
a sound Of stealing footsteps in the pas
sage, and the knob Of the door was
softly turned.
Breathless silence in the room. Then
q gentle tap at the door. Lima clasped
Aunt Margaret's hand convulsively, and
the old lady spoke.
"What is thatp" she asked, steadily.
lit is me, Parkins, ma'am. Would
you ask Miss Leigh if she will kindly
open the door? I have the toothache,
aud want some laudanum,"
What devil it isr' whispered Aunt
Margaret. Then aloud: ''Go down
stairs and get something, Parlins. /
cannot trouble Miss Leigh"
Lima hoped that Parkins would urge
the point little. Anything to prolOng
the parley and gain time.
But awhisper in the passage followed,
and then mans voice:
Ladies. there's no use making a
row. just open the door peacefully,
and you shan't be hurt. Wen break it
down if you don't"
What do you wantp" Lena asked.
hoping to gain little time. anew and
grutf voice answered insolentlv:
'You know we'll enough what we
wants. miss. We wants the thousand
pounds and the diamonds, and We mean
to have them. So don't be q fool, but
just open the door peacefully. or you'll
be sorry"
Lima sprang to her feet and seized the
pistol. A flood of color rushed to her
cheek and brow. She had been insult
ed and threatened, and Indignation
overpOwered terror. She went toward
the door and called out, quickly and
clearly:
YOU'RE not coming in. l have sent
for help. and Sir Robert and his men
will be here directly. am armed. and
II you do break the door down l will
shoot you like dog"
A moments silence followed, then a
coarse laugh. and
"All CANNON. She hadn't no or:e to
send. Break the door down." in Par
kins' voice; and heavy blows began to
fall upon the door. 1t trembled and
cracked beneath the battery. A pane
broke, and mans hand was thrust in;
the whole door seemed about to fall
when-bang! bang! came two reports
from Lina's pistol, and a couple of bull
lets crashed through the panels, and the
besiegers paused abruptly.
go away instantly" called the girls
clear voice. ''or will fire again"
lone more rush, mate, and we are
in" yelled the gruff voice outside.
What followed was wild tumult and
confusion, the crash of breaking panels
and bolts, the fall of the door and the
furniture Lima had piled against it, shot
after shot from Lina's pistol. yell of
pain and rage from both of them. The
door was down. One. 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. Suddenly came a wild
shrek from Parkins-thcn voice call
ing: "Lina, Lima! l am comingr' and
Sir Robert de Rossctt hurled himself
bodily upon the rattan outside the door,
Frustrated him, and sprang into the
room over his body. And this is what
he saw: Madeline Leigh, the ..littlc
coward" with blazing eyes and scarlet
cheeks. and pistol in her hand, stand
ing unflinchingly between Aunt Mar
garet and burly rufiian; and Aunt
Margaret herself, who has not turned in
her bed for year. standing on her feet
on the floor. Two seconds changed the
aspect of affairs. After that the burg
lar sprawled senseless on the floor.
Aunt Margaret sank back on her bed
with wild THANK Godr' and the lit
tie heroine of the scene lay in Sir Rob-
ert's arms in dead faint.
''Oh, Robert, why didn't you come
soonerp"
Don't you know came as soon as
I found your note?" he said. LEO
went to my room, and l found him
there when left the drawing-room, af-
ter IL o'clock"
"Where are those dreadful menp"
Lima asked, raising her head dizzily and
looking with shudder.
Never mind them, dear. They
were taken by the men who followed
me. My brave little darling! What q
heroine you arer'
Two months later when Parkins and
the men were brought to trial, Aunt
Margaret walked into the witness box
and gave her testimony with grim di-
rectness and self-possession. Lima gave
hers with much trembling and some
tears; but she looked intensely lovely,
and no one wondered that Sir Robert
was going to marry her.
The crowd around the door gave
three cheers as she left the courtroom,
walking between Sir Robert and his
mother, and three more for Sir Robert,
and then three more for Leo, who fol-
lowed them.
And Aunt Margapet's wedding pres
ent to Lima was the thousand pounds
and the diamonds that had been saved
by the courage of 1.-THE little coward"