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

"a ~
that would be laughed to scorn hwy
burglar who was acquainted withls
business. If the men had made@p
their minds to break into the hous
and with what other object could ~
be there?-the probability was ~
they would make the attempt by s;y
of the French window Even VIZ
this thought was passing through ~ \
mind the voices of the men sank al
whisper, and low, peculiar grahtlSS1l
sound made itself heard. Evidentl
they had already begun to force t.
fastenings of the window. crept BAD
to my room, feeling utterly dazed ali
helpless.
as that you, Barbara? Where hay,
you been?" asked my sister !,
Going into her room, sat down /,
the side of the bed and told her ever
thing in as few words as possible. ST.
was of a somewhat timid and neryot;
disposition, ahd my news visibly a.
fected her. She sat up in bed, tremse
ling and clinging to my arm. !;
Perhaps she whispered, ''if "
lock our bedroom doors and keep vel
quiet, they will go away without cor
ing near us"
"Why, you goose, it's not us thll
have come after, but Mr. ShiIlit(a
ninety pounds" 1 answered. y
"And there's poor mammals silvllh
tea-service down stairs; | hope th y
won't find that, said Bessie n ~
hoped so too; but there was no ~
ing how much Bethel had coift~iv
| ascertain respss ing. us and can -
: l went to the corridor window aain
{ and listened. The noise made by che
men was now plainly distinguiaable.
1t seemed that they were tryingto file
, or cut their way through some cbstruc.
ton. After listening for few mo-
, ments, went back to my roomand be-
gan almost mechanically toput on a
few articles of clothing, asking myself
again and again as did 50 whether it
was not possible to do sontthing
though what that something ought to
be | knew no more than theman in
the moon. The nearest hous was a
quarter of mile away; and even ii
could have stolen out unnoticedby way
of the front door, before | coud have
reached the farm and brougt back
help the burglars would have Elected
their purpose and decamped Our
pecuniarv means at that time wre very
straitened. For some time ba& John
had been paying off some old family
? debts; and the loss of the ninety
pounds which, as a matter of course,
he would feel bound to maxi good
r would be a great blow to hin. If
could only have got at the moley, and
, have hidden it where the burglars
would not be likely to find it, Eelt that
| should have accomplished something.
But the bag was locked up i John 5
strong mahogany desk, and VS. as ut
= terly beyond my reach as if itlad been
in the Golfers of the Bank of england,
, while yet it could hardly hive been
placed more conveniently reaiy to the
+ hands of the thieves. To hem the
, strong mahogany desk void seem
a trilling obstacle indeed.
All this time, metaphoricalE speak
ing, was w1inging my hands know
ing full well how precious wer the fasl
fleeing moments, but only feeling pg
helplessness the more | strove to dis
Germ some loophole of escape. 0, Ith
+ wretchedness of such feeGngt 1
; hope never to experience it agais w
! the same degree as [ experiepes it
, that night.
, The lightning, if not quite so wild
| as it had been little while previously,
, still came in as frequent flashes, md
by its light my sister and | mae q
hurried toilet. Our house stood a title
way back from the high road, tom
/, which it was divided by tiny avn
, and low screen of eyergreens. 0ce
or twice in the course of the night one
: of the mounted constabulary wald
ride slowly past as he went his rouds
, but | was without any knowledge % t.
! the particular time when he might b.
expected, or whether, in fact, the tine
at which he might be looked for at my
, specified point did not vary from nyh
to night. Still, there was Just a posi-
bility that he might put in an APPEAR
ance at any moment, so | stafford
Bessie at the window to keep a lookup
for him, and be in readiness to raisear
alarm the moment she heard the TRAMP
, of his horses hoofs. For once in
, way the lightning was'something to b
, thanked for; each flash lighted up thu
, high road for considerable distanc,
, on both sides of the house.
When this was done, it seemed as
everything possible had been done; AM
: yet it was next to nothing. With bot
, hands pressed to my eyes, stood think
ing as | seemed never to have though
before. Then it was that-as sudden
swift and startling as one of thos
( flashes which were momently iilumin
{ ing the outer world-an idea she
through my brain which for an instan
or two seemed to cause my heart t
| stand still. And yet at the first blus
, it was an idea that had about it some
thing so preposterous, so ludicrou:
? even, that had the need been at all les
, imminent, should have discarded it 6
' once as little better than the inspire
ton of mad woman. But, prepo~5'
Gus as the idea might seem, for the lii
of me | could think Of no other, an
: every minute now was invaluabl,
> There was no time for hesitation.
must discard it or adopt it. and tina
5 without a moments delay, 81 will tt
; it; it can but fail" | said to mysel
l with an inward groan.
9 On the tolet-table was jar of whit
Y tooth-powder, which had been replei