The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-22

from the other room.
Yes, dear | am going to look out for
a few minutes. Is not the lightning
bea0tiful?"
"Very beautiful; only l wish it were
anywhere rather than here, answered
Bessie, who at such times was just as merry
Gus l was the reverse.
The flashes followed each other at inter
walls of about q minute. / had witnessed
three or -four when suddenly gave a start,
and an exclamation broke invoiuntarily
from my lips. The last flash had revealed
to me the figures of two men III the act Of
climbing over the garden wall. One of the
men was a stranger to me; but in the other,
instantaneous as was the revelation, I re-
cognized 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 CAMDEN, our
regular man being laid up at 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 us7 For
aught l knew to the contrary Dethel
might be an honest, Woodworking fellow,
With a wife and children dependent on
him but for all that, on the days he was
working for us carefully refrained from
going into the garden.
And now here was this man and another
with him, effecting a surreptitious entry
of the premises at 1 o'clock in the morn
ing! Such o proceeding could have but
one end in view. Two questions 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 and girl were left in the
house? Secondly, had they by some
means become cogniZant of the fact that
few hours previously Mr.. Shillito had paid
my brother a considerable sum of money,
which must necessarily still be somewhere
on the premises? In my mind there was
little doubt that both these facts were fully
known to the men. My brothers move
ments 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, everybody knew how he
talked in his loud-voiced way about his
most private affairs when he had taken
more to drink than was good for him. AT
the bar of more than one tavern that even
ing every one who might chance to be
within hearing would not Iail to be in
formed that Mr.. Shillito had just paid
John Waldron his half-years rent
These thoughts flashed through my
mind almost as quickly as that flash which
revealed so much Breathlessly l waited
for the next fash. 1t came, SCATTERING the
darkness for an instant, and then it, too,
was swallowed up. The men were no
longer visible. Between the two flashes
they had had time to drop on the inner
side of the wall, where the thick clumps of
evergreeas which clothed that part of the
grounds would effectually screen them
from view. AT that very moment they
were doubtless making their way stealth
lily toward the house. What was to be
done2 Never had I realized SO fully as at
that moment how helpless a creature a
woman is. Drawing my shawl more closely
around me and putting on pair of list
slippers which wore about the house in
cold weather, crept noiselessly out of the
room. At the top of the stairs l halted
and listened, but all was silence the
most profound. The corridor out of
which the bedroom opened was lighted
at the opposite end by a high, narrow
window which looked into the garden.
To this window / now made my way, and
| there, with one ear pressed to the cold
glass stood and listened. Presently I
heard the faint sound of footsteps, and
then the subdued voices of two people
talking to each other. Directly under the
place where | was standing was the back
drawing-room which opened on the
garden by means of a French window
and although this window was secured at
night by shutters, l had an idea that the
security in question was more fancted
than real, and was Of a Kind that would
be laughed to scorn by any burglar who
was acquainted with his business. If the
men had made up their minds to break
into the house-and with what other OBJ
iect should be there?--the probability was
that they would make the attempt by the
| way of the French window. Even while
| this thought was passing through my
4I,a-x of MI 70 n Hyy1is
per, and low, peculiar grating sound
| made itself heard Evidently they have
already begun to force the fastenings Of
the window / crept back to my ROOM
feeling utterly dazed and helpless.
rs that you, Barbara? Where have you
been?" asked my sister.
Going into her room, | sat down on the
side of the bed and told her everything in
| as few words as possible. She was of q
somewhat timid and nervous disposition,
and my news visibly affected her. She
| satup in bed, trembling and clinging to
my arm.
Perhaps, " she whispered, IF we lock
our bedroom doors and keep very quiet
they will go away without coming near
US.
"Why, you goose, it's not us they have
come after, bur Mr.. Shillito's 80 pounds
sterling, " answered.
Anu lnCAC pun A1ld1nIAASb oAAfCA tStb-
service down stairs; / 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 our affairs. |
went to the corridor window again and
listened. The noise made by the men
| was now plainly distinguishable. It
seemed as if they were trying to
| file or cut their way through some OBJ
struction. After listening for a few
moments went back to my room and
began, almost mechanically, to put on a
| few articles of clothing, asking myself
again and again as did so whether it was
| not possible to do omething-though
what that something ought to be l knew
! no more than the man in the moon. The
nearest house was q quarter of a mile
away, and even if l could have stolen out
unnoticed 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 decamped. Our pecu-
mary means at that time were very strait
! ened. For some time back John had been
| paying off some old family debts; and the
loss Of the 80 pounds sterling--which, as a
| matter of course, he would feel bound to
make good-would be a great blow to him.
! If could only have got at the money and