The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1882-09-29

~ 49,. 30 - ~ 49, 4*W *#WF&
ajar. / can hear Z call from this room.
and will come instantly"
Thanks. Parkins. but I hope I shall
not have % call You" said Lima, speak
ing - sweet 8 Parkins herself.
Then o she glided % the door a.
soon - y WINS closed. she turned with =
face Of dismay, and whispered:
The key y gone! She took Il when
she was fidgeting in and out with the
sheets and pillows.r
There Is q bolt besides, Aunt Mar
garcf answered.
Lima gave . sigh o. relief as she slip
ped the bolt into the groove, and felt
that she had a. least some little protec-
ton against the enemy.
"Now. child" Aunt Margaret said,
lean you use q pistoI?'
II never touched one in my lifc,'' said
the little coward .sbut il had one
now ! would try"
Very well. Take my safe-kev-it Is
under my p~illow-and unlock the safe.
They are just as my husband left them
. year ago, but Robert looked at them 4
few days ago. and said they were all
right That n IL Put one OF them on
the foot Of the bed, and II those
wretches come. try. my dear. 70 use II.
Now put the other here, BY nv left
hand. Thank God, / can use that q
little. Now. what are you doing? Oh.
yes; pile up all you can against the
door. There. You can't move anything
else. Now, come here. little girl. knecl
down BY me. and let's say our prayers
together
With the old lady's thin. pallid hand
clasped tightly in her two cold. trem-
bling little ones. Lima knelt down there.
and. burying her face in the pillow. tried
to pray
Her petition was not d very coherent
one; Il was only a wild. passionate cry
for pity and help, and meanwhile she
was listening with every nerve strained
for sounds from the outside. "A lamp
burned in the room. On the mantcl-
piece a softly-ticking clock marked the
slow minutes. No other sound broke
the stiffness.
Presently a sob shook the girls fig
ure. She wa thinking Of Sir Robert
and his tender care over her.
oh. il she had only not been 50 way
ward and proud this evening all would
have been wen. He would have come
for her, and they would have been safe.
But surely, surely. he would come
yet!
lie could not fail 70 find the note. and
she knew he would come 10 save her.
But vet horrible doubts came to her As
70 whether the note would reach him.
Il might be- lost, or Leo might wander
about and not get home until il was too
late.
Too late! Lima shuidered and
sobbed again as she thought what that
might mean. Oh. il was hard 10 think
Of dying 50 helplessly. % horribly, with
help 50 near.
The long minutes crept on and no
sound came until eleven o'clock had
The little clock softly chimed
the half hour. Then. in 4 few moments,
came = sound Of stealing footsteps in
the passage and the knob Of the door |
was softly turned.
Breathless silence in the room. Then
a gentle tap AZ the door. Lima clasped
Aunt Margaret's hand conyulsiyely,
and the old lady spoke.
"What Is thatgn she asked. steadily. |
1T Is me. Parkins. ma am. viii Won
ask Miss Leigh II she win kindly open
the door: have the toothachc. and
q u some laudmum-"
What a devil Il is,'' whispered Aunt
Then aloud: 60 down stairs
and get something, Parkins- I cannot
trouble Miss Leigh
Lima hoped that Parkins would urge
point 4 little. Anything 70 prolong
parley and gain time.
But q whisper in the passage followed.
and then . mans voice:
ladies. there's no use making q row.
lust open the door peacefully. and YOU
be hurt. Wen break il down Ii
gou don't"
What do you want?' Lima asked.
hoping TO gain q little time. Anew and
yrutf voice answered. insolently:
lyon know well enough what We
wants, miss. We wants the thousand
and the diamonds. and We mean
q have them. So don't Be q fool. but
ust oPen. the door peacefully. or you1l
De sorry
Lima sprang 20 her feet and seized the
PISTOL "A flood Of color rushed 70 her
heck and brow. She had been in
and threatened, and indignation
'verpowered terror. She went toward
he door and called out, quickly and
You're not coming In. i have sent
or help. and Sir Robert and his men will
q here directly. I am armed: and II
'ou do break the door down l will shoot
'ou like q dog
A moments silence followed. then
'oarse laugh. and
IAN CANNON. She hadn't no one 10
end. Break the door down. IN Par
'ins' voice; and heavy blows began to
All upon the door. II trcmbled and
racked beneath the battery. "A panel
rokc. 4 mans hand was thrust In: the