The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-21

nv way, and there, with one ear presse,
to the cold glass | stood and listened
Presently l heard the faint sound o
footsteps, and then the subdued voice
of two people talking to each other
Directly under the place where l wa
standing was the back drawing-room
which opened on the garden by mean
of a French window; and although thi
window was secured at night by shut
tiers, l had an idea that the security il
question was more fancied than real
and was of a kind that would be laugh
ed to scorn by any burglar who wa
acquainted with his business. If the
men had made up their minds to breal
into the house-and with what othel
object could they be there?othe proba
bility was that they would make the
attempt by the way of the French win
dow. Even while this thought was
passing through my mind the voices o.
the men sank to a whisper, and a low,
peculiar grating sound made itsel
heard. Evidently they had already be.
gun to force the fastenings of the win
dow. l crept back to my room, feeling
utterly dazzed and helpless,
sis that you, BarbaraP' Where have
you beenp" asked my sister.
Gong into her room, l sat down or
the side of the bed and told her every
thing in as few words as possible. She
was of a somewhat timid and nervous
disposition, and my news visibly affect
ed her. She sat up in bed, trembling
and clinging to my arm.
Perhaps she whispered, eff we
lock bedroom doors and keep very
quiet, they will go away without COM
ing near u.s."
"Why, you goose, 1t is not us they
have come after, but Mr.. Shillito's nine
ty pounds" l answered.
And there's poor mammals silver
tea service down stairs; l hope they
won't find that" said Bessie.
/ hoped so too, but there was no judg-
ing how much Bethel had contrived to
ascertain respecting us and u affairs.
| went to the corridor window again
and listened. The noise made by the
men was now plainly distinguishable.
1t seemed as if they were trying to file
or cut their way through some obstruc-
ton. After listening for a few moments
/ went back to my Dom and began al
most mechanically to put on a few arti-
cles of clothing, asking myself again
as | did so whether it was not possible
to do something--though what that
something ought to be l knew no more
than the man in the moon. The near
est house was a quarter of a mile away;
and even if / could have stolen out I'M
noticed by way of the front door, before
l could have reached the farm and
brought back help the burglars would
have effected their purpose and de-
camped. Our pecuniary means
at that time were very straitened.
For some time back 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 make good-would be a
great blow to them. If l could only
have got at the money, and have hidden
it where the burglars would not be like
ly to find it, l felt that 1 should have
accomplished something. But the bag
was locked up in Johns strong mahog-
any desk, and was as utterly beyond
my reach as If it had been in the Golfers
of the Bank of England, while yet it
could hardly have been placed more
conveniently ready to the hands of the
thieves. To them a strong mahogany
desk would seem a trifing obstacle in
deed.
All this time, metaphorically speak
ing, l was wringing my hands, know
ing full well how precious were the fast
deeting moments, but only feeling my
helplessness the more / strove to dis
Germ some loop-hole of escape. Oh, the
wretchedness of a feeling! hope never
to experience it again in the same de-
gree as l experienced it that night.
The lightning, if not quite as vivid as
It had been a little while previously,
still came in as frequent flashes, and by
It's light my sister and l made a hurried
Our house stood a little way |
back from the high-road, from which it
was divided by a tiny lawn and a low
screen of evergreens. Once or twice
the course of the night one of the
mounted constabulary would ride
past as he went his rounds but
was without any knowledge as to the
particular time when he might be ex-
or whether, in fact, the time at
which he might be looked for at any
specified point did vary from night to
hight. Still, there was Just a possibility
hat he might put in an appearance at
my moment SO l stationed Bessie at
he window TO keep a lookout for him,
md be in readiness to raise an alarm
he moment she heard the tramp of his
hoofs. For once in a way the
lightning was something to be thanked
or; each flash lighting up the high
.oad for considerable distance on both
'ides of the house.
When this was done, it seemed as if
everything possible had been done; and
yet it was next to nothing. With both
lands pressed to my eyes, l stood think
NC as l seemed never to have thought
Then it was that-as sudden,
wifi and startling as u of those
lashes which were momently illumin-
Iting the outer world-an idea shot
through my brain which, for an in
tant or two seemed to cause my heart
o stand still. And yet, at the first
lush it was an idea that had about
t something so preposterous, so ludi-
rous even, that had the need been at
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