Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-03-23

found, as they very soon would find,
that the money was not up stairs :
They would be disappointed and des-
perate-capable, perhaps, of deeds,
that they had not at first Intended.
Perhaps | had better give up the
money at once, and so ge, rid of
them. And yet, father had tonfided
it to my care and it did not belong
to him, but to the company. | ought
not to let these men have it if I could
help it. Oh, why could not l give the
alarm somehow? What if I should
open my mouth and cry out at any
risk! Could l make JOSEPH hear,
away out in the wing of the house as
he was? Alas, l knew l could not,
even had not this man been sitting
there by the door-he had taken a
chair now-eyeing me tiercely, as
though he read my very thoughts.
All, if had only done as fatherwished
and telegraphed for Harry Randall to
come up. And then, with this last
thought, another thought came to me-
Why could l not summon Harry even
now, if perchance he was still at the
office? | arose from my chair, me-
chanically grasping my work i'll my
hand. My guard got up, slso, evi-
IDENTIFY suspicious of my slightest
movement.
''Pll have to ask yer to keep quiet,
MISS" said he, with harsh deter
mined voice.
turned upon him Indignantly. II
suppose l may change my seat if l
like" said
And without waiting for his Iermis-
sion, l walked deliberately o7er to
the desk and sat down in the Ievolv-
ing chair that stood before It. At
the same time l threw my work down
on The desk in such a way as to cover
completely the battery, which instru-
ment my companion had probably
not noticed at all. Perhaps hewould
not have known what it was if lie had.
l sat there moment, listlessly twist
ing the chair back and forth, and try
ing to make up my mind what to
do. Just then there was q slight
noise on the stairs. and the man be-
came uneasy, stood up and looked at
the library door, as if he was about
to go to il. Then he turned again to
me, and with threatening gesture,
said:
You just set there while step in
ter the hall bit And if We stir, OF
make noise, it'll he the verse fol
ye. Do We mind that"
He then went very softly cut into
the hall.
Feeling that now was my opportu.
nifty, with a trembling hand put my
finger on the knob, and as silently as
possible sent my signal out ever thu
wire into the night, down to the mill:
and to Harry Randall.
Harry, are you there?''
. In another instant | was leaning
back in my chair and moving an ink
stand on the table to make noise
How my heart was beating, and n,
ear was strained to catch the soun,
that---if l might in Gods goodness
hope it-might presently cone bacl
to me. Almost minute-it seemed
an age-I listened, and my heart sanl
as no answering signal was heard
thcn-Click! Click! Click came tn
sounds, sweeter to my ears than tn
, sweetest music, and l knew tha
Harry was there. Those sounds wer
? to some extent covered by the drum
, ming of my thimble and Were to m
as plain as spoken words.
Yes"
Instantly l sent back my answe,
!, Two excited words, run altogether:
, "Robbers! Help!'
The total silence that followed as
sured me, after q minutes anXiou
waiting, that Harry had comprehend
, ed my message, and that doubtles
he would at once come TO The hous,
Fortune had favored me, for / ha
heard the man creeping up the ha
stairs, and thus had escaped the I,
suits of any suspicious he might hay
. had had he heard the clicking of I'll
instrument.
l did not look at the clock and cal
not say exactly how long l sat thel
v in silence. 1t seemed to me that
20 was hours. Then there was Il
sound of whispering in the hall. III
e next moment there appeared in Il
q doorway a second stranger, rough
and more desperate, if possible,
appearance than the first, and clo
u behind him, to my great surprise al
Indignation, was our man Josep
They both advanced into the ROOF
4 the one looking angry and disa
l. pointed and the other with sheepi
'e air as he caught my eye.
s 'We found the key of the safe
growled the second stranger. ''B
a all for nothing. The money wasl
in it, and we've looked high and lt
er and can't find it. But Joe here site
er to it that it is somewhere in the hou
w and thinks you know where. It's
w use, Miss -, We haven't any me
Mt time to spare and we won't stand a
rs nonsense. l see it in your eye; y
We know where the money is. And v
an hava uot tn toll -