The Democratic advocate., 1885-04-11

In Wnlcn the nOuSe-DreakerS were Dreatn-
lessly crouching. With the first football
on the stair Edgey became conscious of a
sharp dig in the feshy part of the body
from pointed weapon, and at the same
moment heard Touser whisper:
"Feel it? That's my knife, and I'llrun
it right into your heart if you don't get up
and see who's coming up the stairs. There's
only one of 'em, and if I'm not able for
him single-handed call me fool ever after, y
and he cody began to tug out a leaden-
headed life-preserver, while Edgey, only too
glad to get out of his clutches, crawled to
the open door, peered out at the threshold
and down the wide staircase, and then, after
a slight hiss of horror, dropped insensible
on his belly on the carpet, and that so qui-
etly that Touser, who was noiselessly spit
ting on his dirty paw-or rather licking
ito give him secure hold of the muir
derous ''neddy," was not once conscious
of anything particular having happened.
Thinking at last that Edgey must be seeing
something worth looking at, or he would
not be so quiet, Touser crawled to the door
way, grazed his nose and cheek on the
nails of Edgey's boots, and then, as a
growing oath rose to his lips, raised his
eyes and nearly dropped as inert and over
awed as Edgey. In front of him and
coolly stepping on the landing of the wide
staircase, was the form of a man, in dark
outline in all but the face and hands, and
these, horrifying to relate, were as lumin-
GUS as if they had been made of flames
Volumes of sulphurous smoke slowly foated
along the glowing features and swinging
hand of the strange intruder, and it did not
escape the quick observation of Touser
that his feet, in ascending the few remain
ing steps to the landing, made no noise.
''By gum we're in for it now r was
Touser's Mortified thought. cts Old Nick
himself to carry one of US away
with him. IF I could only manage to say
God or Bible, or some O them words |
used to hear, he'd take fright and fly off,
or maybe only grab at Edgey."
As he got out his muttered exclamations
Touser's brute courage oozed entirely away,
and he became crumpled up in trembling
heap on top of his senseless companion.
The satanic-looking intruder advanced along
the landing and appeared to hesitate, as if
not sure of the exact spot in which has
plumber lay crouching.
"He's quite young looking; too, for all
the hunders O. years he's been going about, "
reflected the shuddering Touser, vainly
wishing for the carpet and boards to open
up and swallow him before the flaming
fingers should reach out for him. "But
the like of him never grows old-he's as
spry and nimble to-day as he was when he
give Eve the apple-so the gospel grinder
said Speaks away to hisself, too, in
kind of foreign langwidge- Hebrew, likely
same as Jews speaks"
To the astonishment, not to say relief, of
the groveling and quaking rufian, the fam
ing-faced intruder, after speaking to him
self for moment or two in an unknown
tongue, turned aside into one of the rooms
which the two burglars had not yet ex-
plored, the door of which exactly faced
that in which Touser lay in half-sensible
state. He seemed indeed to vanish into
the darkness, but after an interval Touser's
eye was caught by CLEAN of light which
was not that suggestive and sulphurous
one shimmering from the face and hands;
then peering out of the threshold into the
far-off room, Touser saw the satanic stran-
ger in the act of bending over desk, upon
which he had turned tiny stream of light
from lighted lantern in his hand. First
he tried a number of keys in the lock of
the desk, and all failing to fit he brought
from his pocket small chisel or screw
driver, the point of which he inserted near
the lock, and thus forcibly wrenched open
the desk
"Neatly done-to be sure, he's an old
practiced hand-at it hunders of years afore
/ was born," thought Touser, professional
interest for the moment banishing fear
The demon burglar hastily tumbled out
the contents of the desk, carelessly tossing
stamps as if they had been so much paper
doesn't need to take money-can make
it by just blownin ON hot coal or bit
of stone, thought Touser, with shudder
"Wish 1 could do it-no, I'd rather not.
It's the going with him I'd object to; why,
what's he up to now ?"
The flaming hands were busy among a
packet of papers, carefully and neatly tied
up with pink satin ribbon; the sardonic fea-
ture of fame actually seemed to smile with
satisfaction as the packet was hastily count
ed and examined; then the packet was made
to vanish about his decidedly modern-look-
ing dress; the lantern was sharply closed,
and the flaming face and hands gEded
noiselessly across the floor and down the
wide stair.
Touser, at least, always believed that he
went in some such way; but as he had fully
expected the next movement to be demon
clutch of the fiery fingers at his own coat
collar or short-cropped hair and the next
downward flight which should not stop
when the ground was reached, his evidence
on the point was rather hazy. How the
strange intruder left the house must be
left to conjecture; but certain it is that the
outer door below was left unlocked.
When Edgey recovered consciousness he
found Touser seated on a chair near him
refreshing himself by drinking bottle Of
eau de cologne, which was the nearest ap-
proach to frewater he could find about the
place Touser had got a bad fright, but 1t
had not prevented him from appropriating
the three bank notes so loftily discarded by
the satanic intruder, and also-fatal act
the postage stamps tossed aside with them.
OF this prize he said nothing to Edgey,
who groaningly raised himself with other
things more Immediately occupying his
thoughts
"Did you see him p
Touser growled out an affirmative and
drained the last drop of the eau de cologne.
at, was him, wasn't it p said Edgey
with chattering teeth.
"Same old cove, answered Touser, at
fecting GOODNESS he was far from feeling.
"What was he after, you or me" whls-
pered Edgey.
"Broke open desk, and did some hanky
panky over the papers in it, and then
grinned, the way you see him doing in pic
lures, and went off in blue fire.
wasn't you frightened ?"
'Not much-he's a neat cracksman,
that's all I've got to say; but then con-
slider the practic he's had.
''Did 1 do topper when he came in 2
"You did-and | was nigh foppin' down