Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-09

One evening the woman was anx
iously waiting for her husbands re
turn. 1t was past the supper hour.
and Is he had set the next day for
hi, ordinary jaunt into TIE country.
she knew that he had provided him
sell with large sum Of money, as
usual. The thought that he might
have been waylaid on the lonely road
to the village was one cause OF h"r
unpa,iness. The infant having fallen
asleep. she carried it to her chamber,
where lis cradle was kept-a room on
the second floor. the windows Of which
overlooked the garden, thus giving
the wind an opportunity to beat the
branches of trees against them, which
added to the loneliness of the place,
or maybe it answered to conceal the
start she gave on finding her room
already occupied. The wood fire
blazing on the hearth. aided by the
candle she carried into the chamber.
made the apartment as light as day;
On one side was large mirror, and
in front of it. on the opposite side Of
the rooln, stood high backed sofa.
After putting her child to bed, the
woman went to the glass to arrange
her hair, when her attention was az
tracted by the reflection of move
ment made 10y an object protruding
from under one end of this sofa, to
which she paid no attention at first,
supposing it might be a shadow pro
duccd by the open fire. A minute
later, a second movement in the same
quarter arrested her notice, and this
time, to her horror. she discovered
the cause.
a mans protruding foot, shod in
clumsy shoe, was slowly and noise
lessly withdrawn behind the sofa, out
of the reach of observation. She
nearly tainted at this evidence of a
hidden thief, but conquered herself
by q great effort. A full hour passed;
the child slept peacefully i'll its
cradle: the ugly foot remained out of
sight.
Nearly overcome with fear lost the
thief might at any minute venture out
of his hiding place, the young mother
was on the point of Selling her in
faAt ard fleeing; but the welcome
footsteps of her husband greeted her
| ears. which were strained to catch
the faintest sound. and he was 10y
her side before her purpose to save
her child by flight was carried out.
Of course. he was surprised AT the
look of intense suffering and terror
which his wife's face wore. though
she repressel hastily any exclama
ton on his part by placing a finger
on her lip. while pointing to the sofa,
which had been moved a little way
into the room to admit the mans
body between it and the wall
"A slight noise. caused, perhaps,
by the owner of the discovered boots
changing his position, was the only
further explanation which the man
needed to give him a clew to what
had happened. Hastily making some
trivial excuse, the stock buyer left
the room. When he returned min
ute later, he WAS fully prepared to
give the robber warm reception, if
necessary; and warning the unbidden
guest not to make any resistance, he
dragged him out by the heels and
bound him hand and foot.
In the morning the hired girl had
fled. and the captive readily owned
up that she was his partner. having
| told him Of the sum which her EN-
ployer would bring home. From
letters concealed in her trunk, the
hiding place of n gang of robbers be
came known. where she was after
ward found"
The keen eyes of the barber glist
ened with an unusual show of inter
est at this point. He gave quiet
laugh, pretending meanwhile that the
fire needed attention-a mere subter-
fugc to conceal his merriment.
They were brought into court he
continued, while / was in my place
in the jury box. | was not looking
for an old acquaintance, which the
woman proved to be. and you may be
sure l stared hard at her. She was
the most shamefaced person possible
l have laughed, though, every time l
think of it. 1t is SO queer that l
should be in the jury panel when
the woman who picked my pocket
was brought into court. She still
wore her hair cut short, and had the
old and easy way, though dressed, of
course, according to law. l never
forget face, and though my mem
DRY halted, / recalled the thief on
seeing her calling the lawyers atten-
ton to me- She knew me. it seemed.
When the lawyer asked me. in the
usual way, if had any prejudice
against either of his clients, l said:
- think 1 ought to have. The
woman stole watch from me once
"Of course / was not wanted in
that jury trial. The prisoners proved
to be man and wife. He was the per-
son described in the hand bill which
the light fingered female took to
light cigar with in my shop. They
were both convicted and sent to State
prison. Every member of the gang
was afterward caught"
You were really deceived, then. in
the sex of the woman when she asked
to he shaved?" said, when the bar
Der had concluded.
Il did not have the least suspicion
Of her sex: but I may say. without
claiming to be especially honest. that
| did feel some migivings about shaw
ing beardless boy"
A FINE POINT OF LAW.
There are points of law 30 fine
that the judicial mind alone can