Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-10-17

u
might surprise me. arose closaS sD,i
;n,l, Willow, and, obeying some STRANGE
thI p,eSsise power, | walked thronSh
.iie nan into the library, took nv faith.
er Key from its accustomed placa nm
locked his desk, found the PACKAGE Of
I'VE thousand dollars, and, placinG II in
my bosom, relocked the door. and ra-
!. turned TO the sitting room. / did not
iight lamp; | had no need of a fire .S
that from the kitchen stow, warmed
lne sitting room sufficiently in this mud
lhe mousse was old fashioned. very
WIN fireplace in the sitting MON
opening up into a chimney of canacitv
sufhclent for foundry stack. we had
cheerful open fires later on; but the
mouse being an ancestral pile WAS get
tlng somewhat dilapidated. and the
partition separating the flues in the
large chimney had fallen in. Men had
been sent out to clear the rubbish and
make repairs, but the work, half done.
was suspended on account of the arri
val or Captain Boswell and this import.
ant business affair.
i would have enjoyed immensely to
klndle sparkling tire in the huge wide
fireplace, but as affairs were / could
not. SO L unused in darkness for hours.
l really took no heed of time. until nv
quick ear caught the sound of a foot
tall approaching, close up to the door
step. L could have taken my oath. 1t
was so light an echo that | sprang to
my feet, thinking that my Cousin Milly,
absent when my father called, and re-
turning later had come down to STAY
with me.
Il sprang up with smile to answer
her knock, albeit l was a bit jealous of
her pretty face, but no knock came,
and the echoes died out, and altogether
l concluded that had deceived myself
In regard to them. Anyhow l would
light the lamp. did so. and was star
tied to find it past 10 o'clock. / had
gotten sufficiently aroused from my re-
verie to want book from the library
shelves. L took up my lamp and went
singing into the room.
Il obtained the desired volame,
stepped down from the stool, and
IF ever any one felt themselves dy-
ing, did at that moment. My song
died on my lips, while thousand
thoughts seemed TO flash into my mind
in one instant. Involuntalily gasped,
and then with strong effort of the
viii power, for which L am famous, L
took up the song again and sang 1t TO
the close.
Among other things remembered
that the lock was off the library door
for repairs. l remembered the late
ness of the hour and the probability
that all the people were III bed and
asleep. l remembered the footsteps III
the dooryard, and-there was fresh,
pungent smell of tobacco smoke III the
room. A scent of smoke that was not
in the room when l was there and
placed the package of money In my
bosom.
DO YOU wonder that my brain reeled
and nv heart stopped beating for an
instant? Besides, whoever the robber
was, he would soon begin work, not
knowing how early my father and the
captain might return. And L should
be murdered. Somewhere within lew
wards, or few feet of me, the robber
assassin was concealed-either In the
recess behind the cabinet, or under the
long. draped, paper-strewn table.
"A faint sound outside nearly made
me drop the lamp; still L had uncon-
sciously left my first song and was sing
ing:
For his bride a soldier won her,
and a winning tongue had he.
81 knew that temporary salvation
power and liberty to leave that room,
leyen-depended upon my appearing un-
conscious of the robbers proximity.
81 got out of the library and found
myself in the sitting-room. A nasty
glance at the door showed the Key ao'
sent from the lock.
..Treachery?"
81 wonder that this new revelation
did not sunocate Inc. The man on the
lhighway-the injured brother-Thomas
had BETRAYED US. He had overheard
about the money. A Arobber was In the
house and another was outside. My
ratreat would be cut off. How Thoughts
ran riot through my mind. How would
they kill me? Would l suffer long! al
that instant | was sure that L hearu
faint creak of the library door at the
far end of the long hall.
lone swift, desparlng glance arouilu
me one wild idea of escape, and eA
tinouished the light upon the table, and
rronching in the fireplace L rested one
foot upon the andiron, swung out tlit
IRON crane, stepped the other foot upon
the strong support, and rose up Iitt
The fine. Something touched my mead
Tbank God! 1t was the rope Win whlcl
tne dislodged bricks had been holsteo
ont. GraSping this carefully with IN,
hands held myself like wedge III tn'
opening. Iii l had envied large, nooie
iaokinS women before, L now had rea
Son tn be thankful for my diIninutiv'
form and ninety odd pounds OF aVoir'
II had little time, however, to con
s;der ANYTHING except the lmlnlnen
danger of dislodging fragment o
nr;cI ar mortar, and thus dlscoyerln;
nv hiding-place, for the CLOCK Deeal
with SonOrouS pcdlo W -.
Under cover of its echoes there wer
onick soft steps in the hall, ana Tn
holt OF the outer door was Withdrawn
~, buge tlue must have acted Ike
telephone, for L heard every sound Wit VIII
tearfuI distinctness. First, there wa
a nause by the door of the sItting-room
then breathing in it, then whis. .erlne
II heard Thomas distinctly, whe
he said: o 20 hod
,u+ tbe money is in the library
BE cautious advised strans
voice and we may not have to hun
her, .,.oa .nd IN
,..rt struck off the seconds against m
rihs in a way that was suffocating, 10
T Lnew that their search would soon l
over and what then?
.In less than five minutes they wei
whispering in the room again:
-.Confound her!' asplrated Ihoma
.sbe took the money with her,
-. .rhen we'll have it if
1.-The pause meant all that WORD
could convey.