The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-03-07

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
ject could they be there ?-the probability
was that they would make the attempt by
way of the French window. Even while
this thought was passing through my mind
the voices of the men sank to whisper,
and low, peculiar grating sound made it
self heard. Evidently they had already
begun to force the fastenings of the win
dow. crept back to my room, feeling
utterly dazed and helpless.
ais 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 a
somewhat timid and nervous disposition,
and my news visibly affected her. She sat
up in bed, trembling and clinging to my
arm.
"Perhaps," she whispered, 'sif we lock
our bedroom door and keep very quiet,
they will go away without coming near
"Why, you goose, it's not us they have
come after, but Mr. Shillitos ninety
pounds. :" / answered
"And there's poor mammals silver tea
service down stairs [ hope they won't
find that" said Bessie.
1 hope SO too; but there was no judging
how much Dethel had contrived to ascer-
tain respecting us and our 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 obstruction. After listening
for few moments, / went back to my
room and began almost mechanically to put
on few articles Of clothing, asking myself
again and again as [ did so whether it was
not possible to do something though what
that something ought to be | knew no
more than the man in the moon. The
nearest house was a quarter of mile away;
and even if [ could have stolen out un-
noticed by way of the front door, before /
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
paving off some old family debts and the
| loss of the G90-which, as matter of
course, he would feel bound to make good
would be great blow to him. If |
could only have got at the money, and
/ L Il - +bo
not be likely to find it, [ felt that | should
have accomplished something. But the
bag was locked up in Johns strong ma
hogany 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
have hardly been placed more conveniently
ready to the hands of the thieves. To
them the strong mahogany desk would
seem trifing obstacle indeed.
All this time, metaphorically speaking,
l was wringing my hands, knowing full
we'll how precious were the fast-feeting
moments, but only feeling my helplessness
the more strove to discern some loophole
of escape. Oh, the wretchedness of such
feeling | hope never to experience it
again in the same degree as | experienced
it that night.
The lightning, if not quite so vivid as
it had been a little while previously, still
came in as frequent flashes, and by its light
nv sister and / made hurried toilet
Our house stood little way back from
the highroad, from which it was divided
by tiny lawn and low screen of ever
green's Once or twice in the course of
the night one of the mounted constabulary
would ride slowly past as he went his
rounds; but I was without any knowledge
as to the particular time when he might be
expected, or whether, in fact, the time at
which he might be looked for at any spec
fled point did not vary from night to night.
Still, there was just a possibility that he
might put in an appearance at any moment;
so stationed Bessie at the window to keep
a lookout for him, and be in readiness to
raise an alarm the moment she heard the
tramp of his horses hoofs. For once
once in way the lightning was something
to be thanked for; each flash lighted up
the highroad for considerable distance on
both sides 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 hands
pressed to my eyes | stood thinking as /
seemed never to have thought before.
Then it was that-as sudden, swift and
startling as one of those flashes which
were momentarily illumining the outer
world-an idea shot through my brain
which for an instant or two seemed to
cause my heart to stand still. And yet at
the first blush it was an idea that had about
it something so preposterous, so ludicrous
even, that had the need been at all less i'm
minent should have discarded it at once
as little better than the inspiration of a
mad woman. But, preposterous as the idea
might seem, for the life of me | could think
of no other, and every minute now was in
valuable. There was no time for hesita-
ton. / must discard it or adopt it, and
that without moments delay Il will
try it; it can but fail" said to myself,
with an inward groan.
On the toilet-table was a jar of white
tooth-powder, which had been replenished
the previous day shook out quantity
of this powder, shut my eyes, and proceeded
to rub it thickly over my face, arms and
hands. That done, I drew the white COW
erlet off the bed and draped myself with it
loosely from head to foot; then / unbound
my hair, which in those days was ebon
black and reached below my waist, and
shook it round my face and over my shoul-
ders in "most admired disorder" | was
now ready for the role | had made up my
mind to enact.
Bessie has told me since that she thought
had taken leave of my senses. just at the
moment my toilet was completed, and as |
turned and advanced toward her, another
long quivering fash lighted up the room,
| A low shrek burst involuntarily from my
sisters lips, and she shrank away from me
as though | was something altogether un-
canny. =,
s0h, Barbara, dear, what is the matter r
she cried "Why do you frighten me soY
at is not you I want to frighten, but
the men down stairs, replied. Then, in
few hurried words, told her my plan.
She would have tried to dissuade me,
: but there was no time to listen. Leaving
her there watching by the window, ready
Il