The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-04

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He waved his whip at us as soon as he
had settled himself in his seat, then he
gave the reins little shake Black
Beryls heels struck fire from the stones
as she sprang forward, the gravel
scrunched beneath the wheels, and a
moment later the shadows of evening
had swallowed up horse and gig and
driver. My sister and | pulled down
the blinds and drew the curtains and
rang for Kitty to bring in the lamp.
The evening passed after our usual
quiet fashion. We worked q little and
read little and played some half-dozen
duets, and chatted between times, till
the clock pointed to half-past ten, at
which hour we generally retired for the
night. My last duty every evening was
to 60 the round of the house and satisfy
myself that all lights were out, that the
Tires were safe, and that all the doors
and windows were properly secured
When this duty had been duly accom-
plished tonight, the drawing room
lamp was eXtinguished, and then Bessie
and | took our bed candles and marched
up stairs, leaving darkness and solitude
behind us. Mary Gibbs and Kitty had
retired long ago.
My sisters room and mine adioined
each other, with a door of communica-
ton between, which generally stood
partly open at night for the sake of
companionship. The windows of both
rooms looked into the garden, which
ran in wide strip along that side of
the house, and was shut in by wall
! some seven or eight feet high-, beyond
which there were three or four mead
ows, and then the boundary wall oil
Darlington Park.
1t was close on one O'clock-as
found out afterward ] awoke
suddenly from sound sleep. The in
slant l opened my eyes the room was
illumined by vivid flash of lightning,
and it was in all probability peal OF
thunder that had broken my slumbers.
Another flash followed after brief in
terval, succeeded again by the deafen-
ing accompaniment. My sleep was
eflectually broken. | arose, flung q
shawl over my shoulders, and crossing
to the window, drew back the blind and
peered out. As long ago as [ can re.
member, lightning has always had a
singular fascination for me. As child
loved to gazeupon its vivid splendors,
and in this respect at least years have
left me unchanged. A board creaked
as | crossed the floor.
SIS that you, BarbaraH asked my
sister from the other room.
Eyes, dear. | am going to look out
for few minutes. Is not the lightning
beautiful"
every beautiful; only | wish it were
anywhere rather than here, answered
Bessie, who at such times was Just as
nervous as was the reverse.
The flashes followed each other at in
tervals of about minute. | had wit
messed three or four when suddenly
gave start, and an exclamation broke
involuntarily from my lips. The last
flash had revealed to me the figures OF
two men in the act of climbing over the
garden wall. One of the men was 8
stranger to me; but in the other, instan-
taneous as was the revelation, recog,
nized the somewhat peculiar face and
figure of q man named Bethel, whom
my brother had employed temporarily
during the last week or two in the gar
den, our regular man being laid up al
the time with rheumatism. There was
something in the looks of the man in
question which had set me against him
from the first; but if we were all to be
Judged by our looks alone, what would
become of us? For aught | knew tc
the contrary Dethel mightbe an honest
Woodworking fellow, with wife anC
children dependent on him; but for al
that, on the days he was working fol
us | carefully refrained from going into
the garden.
And now, here was this man, and an.
other with him, eifecting surreptitious
entry of the premises at one o'clock il
the morning! Such a proceeding coulC
have but one end in view. Two ques
tons at once put themselves to me
Firstly, were these men aware that my
brother was from home for the night
and that only three helpless women anC
girl were left in the house? Secondly
had they by some means become cOgni
zant of the fact that few hours previ
ously Mr.. Shillito had paid my brother
considerable sum of money, which
must necessarily still be somewhere OF
the premises? In my mind there was
little doubt that both these facts were
fully known to the men. My brother,
movements were as open as the day
and Dethel had doubtless ascertained
from Reuben the groom that his master
would be from home on this particular
night; while as for Mr.. Shillito, every
body knew how he talked in his loud
voiced way about his most private af
fairs when he had taken more to drink
than was good for him. At the bar o.
more than one tavern that evening
every one who might chance to be with
in hearing would not fail to be informed
that Mr.. Shillito had just paid Johr
Waldron his half years rent.
These thoughts flashed through my
mind almost as quickly as that flash
which revealed so much, Breathlessly
waited for the next fash 1t came
shattering the darkness for an instant
and then it, too, was swallowed up
The men were no longer visible. Be
tween the two flashes they had had time
to drop on the inner side of the wall
where the thick clumps of evergreen'
which clothed that part Of the grounds
would eftectually screen them from
view. At that very moment they were
doubtless making their way stealthilN
toward the house. What was TO h,