Connecticut western news., 1883-05-30

robbed, the voice went on, hufrledly, "by two men with wagon and white horse. They have driven toward Bar rington, with MT. Allen and two consta- bles in pursuit, half an hour behind. You must"
 Here the voice stopped as suddenly and completely as though it had had an extinguisher put over it. Even the hum of the electricity was cut off. It was in vain that she rang the bell and called "Hello p No one answered. Jennie felt once more the old sense that she was out of the world. Leicester seemed all at once hundreds of miles away.
 But what was it she must or must not do? Why had not the connection lasted a minute longer, when her instructions would have been complete?
 When were the robbers expected Jennie had made little calculation. If there had been some thirty minutes be- fore any one started in pursuit, that would carry them, by fast driving, half way to the toll-gate. If ten minutes had gone by before the telephone bell had rung, she might have looked for them do? The conversation which she had overheard came to her mind. Stop them at the toll-gate," one of the voices had said. Very likely they would have told her to do that if the telephone had kept on. But how could little girl ar rest two armed and desperate men?
 By this time she began to feel silly. She could not go to bed with this re- sponsibility upon her, even though she did not know how to meet it; so dressing herself, she opened the front door, and looked and listened. The night was darker than ever A little space around the gate was lit up by the warning light. It would not help in stopping burglars, she suddenly thought, to illuminate their way; so going over to the light, she blew 1t out, and left the road in total darkness. That was at least one move toward the desired end.
 All at once she thought of the gate.
 ''How stupid ]" she said to herself.  It was fastened back against the front of the house, but in moment she had un- hooked it and swung it round, until it stretched completely across the road. There was only a latch on the gate, but going into the house she brought out of one place paddock, and from another chain, with which she fastened 1t so securely that no ordinary strength could force it open. ''They can't get through that, she said to herself; "and there ..isn't any way of getting around it." Then she went in the house, locked and bolted the door, rolled bureau up against it, fastened all the windows, pulled down the shades, and waited in the dark for the sound of wheels. >
 It was not long before they came, but
 to Jennie every minute seemed an hour,
 while every rustling leaf outside sounded
 like mans stealthy tread. When at
 last she heard them coming, far up the road, her heart stood still. Nearer and nearer they came. Would they not see the gate? she wondered; the horse kept
 on; and instantly there was sudden
 exclamation outside, 8 crash as though
 something had come into collision with
 the gate, the sound of splintering wood,
 and the noise of 8 plunging horse.
 Jennie did not venture to move, she
 dared not go to the window, but sat in
 the middle of the room shaking with
 fear, and listening for what might happen
 next. Presently steps sounded on the
 blanks outside, and in moment there
 was rap on the door.
 | Jennie remained perfectly quiet,
 though her heart beat so loud that she
 thought they must hear it outside. In
 moment the knocking ceased.
 Folks asleep" she could hear one of ) the men say. "Asleep, or dead, or run away" the other one growled.
 fShall we try the window ?"
 , Jennie trembled all over, but the sash held firm.
 ooh, come on p exclaimed his com. l panion. "Don't let's waste time we can splice the shafts with the halter" s They moved off again, and Jennie 8 breathed more freely. If the shafts r were broken, it would take some time tc l. mend them, and the pursuing part, d might yet arrive in time. Mr. Allen 8 whom Jennie knew to be the presiden 1t of the Leicester Bank, had the tastes 1t horse in the country, and ought to b d able to make up at least ten minutes il D ten miles. For while there was quie # outside. The men were evidently work l, ing at the shafts, and only the stampin f. of horses feet gave any signs of life ), Jennie began to get nervous, and to lit g ten more intently for the pursuers' al
 proach. By this time they could not b Il far off Finally, unable to sit still an
 longer, she crept up stairs, and sittin 1t down on the floor by the open window l. the attic, ventured to look out. Tn
 white horse was quite distinctly visib t. as it stood by the gate, but the mel n bending over the wagon, were hardl
 more than an outline. Presently the g seemed to have finished, and backing u d horse around, proceeded to hitch him IS the shafts. Would the others new at come? The gate was not Yet opened
 but Jennie began to fear that burgla l, would not find that serious difficult
 Suddenly through the woods came u h sound of horses hoofs galloping as 10 for life. Did the men hear it, too?
 Apparently they did.
 ct "Open the gate," she heard one q 1 them say