Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-03-23
gether the package of money that lay

dG llle bOllOm VI my ufeSS pOcket.
Joseph did not get back until ten
O'Clock, although it was only three
miles to the Junction, and he should
have been home long before that hour.
We though little of that, however. He
had been with us for several years,
and had great confidence in his
faithfulness. 1t was not until after
ward that mother and l learned that
he had recently been led into bad
company, and that father had sever
al times had angry words with him
about his habits.
Joseph slept in the house, and for
that reason it had seemed to me quite
that Harry Randall
should be there also. When the
clock struck ten, mother arose, de-
claring it was time to go to bed.
She went into all the lower rooms
to see that the windows and doors
were fastened, and then came back to
the library for me. But / did not
feel sleepy and wanted very much to
get on with my work, so l begged her
to 90 up stairs without me, promising
to come up in the course of half an
hour.
The clock struck eleven almost be-
fore knew the time had passed. l
laid down my work and counted the
strokes without looking at the clock
itself. l was sitting at the center
table, near the lamp. At my left, a
little way off against the wall, was
fathers desk, with books and papers
scattered upon it and the battery at
one end. Opposite me We're two long
windows that opened upon the side
piazza. Over these were thick cur
tains, closely drawn, which did not
shut out the sound of the pelting
rain outside. Directly behind me
was the hall door standing, as usual
wide open. Just then l heard, OF
fancied l heard, a low sigh or breath
out in the hall. | turned my head in
Stantly, but did not see any person,
and listening intently, heard no fur
ther sound. | felt alittle uneasy and
smiled to myself at my nervousness
then took up my work again. l had
not quite finished what | had set my
self to do. | had not taken three
stitches when / laid the work down
again. There was no use in deny
ing it or laughing at myself. Fol
some reason there had suddenly come
over me a strong feeling of nervous
ness and dread. 1t seemed as if
realized, as | had not before that
evening, the fact that l was sitting
all alone down stairs in the house, al
eleven O'Clock at night, with a large
sum of money in my pocket.
glanced at the desk. Possibly IIarr,
was still at work at the office. If ht
was, Il sentence over the wire woulC
call him. l was just getting up tt
the desk to signal and see if he was n
the mill, when something occuree
that seemed to turn me cold and mo
tionleSs as stone in an instant.
Behind me, so close that l knew i
must come from the Threshold of tn,
hall door, low, hoarsc voice, that
knew, without seeing the speaker
must be that of desperate an,
wicked man, broke the stiffness an,
badc me "Good eveningn'
For moment, as l say, l felt q
though | had been turned to stone
Then the voice, speaking again
seemed at least to restore the life il
me, and to set my heart to beatin
violently. The language that th
man used was not good English as, i
attempting to reproduce it, / find my
self writing.
''Don't be frightened, miss.
beg of We not ter he frightened. a
ye've got ter do is ter keep still, al
not a hair of yer pretty head shall h
harmed"
Then L turned my head, half-whee
ing my chair at the same time, an
saw, standing in the doorway,
large, brutal-looking man, altogethe
as ugly, ill-conditioned and fearful
looking person as l had ever seen.
Naturally enough opened my liz
to utter a cry, but he stopped me b
a single threatening motion of a clu
he carried in his hand.
"Sh!' he tiercely hissed. eff yo
raise a single scream, I'll strike We :
senseless as yer mother is up stairs.
These last words changed for I'll
moment the nature of my fear, an
gave me strength to speak.
"What have done to my mother?
demanded, excitedly. ''Do yo
mean-have you killed her!'
He uttered a sort of low laugh.
"No, my dear, but she was waki
up, so we had ter use the chloroforl
An you must keep still, or you'll
, served the same way. Yer see, it
jest here
He drew step nearer and SCENE
disposed to explain matters.
"What we want is scme money Y
father brought down from Palm
r Yesterday. Mayby yer don't kno
about it, but we do, an we knt
t he left it in ther house when he we
off tonight. My friend is up stai
, lookin' for it this minute. All '
, | wont ic tho monay- Wa don't mo