The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-02-25


my pocket
/ GLANCED at the desk. Possibly Har-
ry was still at work at the Office. II he
was, 9 single sentence over the wire
would call him.
\ was getting up to go 10 the desk to
signal and see if he was at the mill,
when something occurred to me that
seemed to turn mo cold and motionless
as stone in an instant
Behind me, SO close that | knew it
came from the threshold of the hall
4 door, a low, hoarse voice, that knew,
without seeing the speaker, must DO
that of desperate and wicked man,
broke the stiffness, and babe me GOOD
EVENING"
For moment. as / say. / felt as
though l had been turned to stone.
Then the voice, speaking again, seemed
at least to restore the life In me, and to
/ set my heart to beating violently.
The language that the man used was
not even as good English as, in at
tempting to reproduce, / find myself
writing. Css 1nE
! Don't be frightened, miss. I beg
/ of We not to be frightened. ALI ye've
4 got ter do is ter keep still, an not a
hair of yer pretty head shall be
4 harmed"
Then | turned my head, half-wheel-
/ ing my chair at the same time, and saw
standing in the doorway tall, brutal
/ looking man, altogether as ugly and ILL
conditioned and fearful-looking a per-
/ son as ever had seen.
! Naturally enough l opened my lips
to utter little cry, but he stopped me
by single threatening motion OF club
he carried in his hand.
''S-h," he fercely Kissed. eff We
raise a single scream I'll strike We as
senseless as yer mother is upstairs.
The last word changed for moment
the nature of my fear and gave me
strength TO speak.
''What have you done to my moth
er?'' | demanded excitedly ''Do you
mean-have you killed herP'
He uttered sort of low laugh.
mo, my dear; she was waking up,
so we had ter use chloroform. An ]
you must keep still or you'll be served
the same way. You see, t'sjust here"
He drew a step nearer and seemed
disposed to explain matters.
''What we want is some money your
father brought down from Palmer yis-
terday Maybe yer don't know about
it.; but we do, and we know he left it
in the house when he went off tonight.
NV friend is upstairs lookin' for it this
minute. All we want is the money.
We don't mean harm to nobody. Ye
shan't be touched if We behave yerself
an keep quiet
Somewhat assured by this. and hav-
ing had time While he was speaking
to collect myself, was now able to
assume an appearance at least of calm
ness.
took up my embroidery and went
on work ing, or pretending to work-at
the pattern was embroidering; think |
the action helped me, too, for / pres
emily found myself quite calm, and
with a GOODNESS and resolution that / |
can hardly believe in now, as | recall
it, turning over in my mind what
ought to do.
What would these two men do when
they found, as they would soon find,
that the money was not up stairsP
They would be disappointed and des-
perate capable, perhaps, of deeds that
Gney Odu not at UfSb 1QIClueU.
Perhaps l had better give up the
money at once and so get rid of them.
And yet, father had confided it to my
care; and it did not belong to him but
to the company | ought not give it
to these men if l could help it. Oh,
why could not give an alarm in some
wayP What if could open my mouth
and cry out at any risk2 Could make
Joseph hear away out in the wing of
the house as he WASP Alas, / knew
that could not, even had not this man
been sitting there by the door-he had
taken chair now-eyeing me hercely
as though he read my thoughts. All,
if / had only done as father wished and
telegraphed for Harry Randall to come
upi And then with this last thought
another thought came to me. Why
could not summon Harry even now,
if perchance he was still at the officeP
l arose from my chair, mechanically
grasping my work in my hand. My
guard got up also, evidently suspicious
of my slightest movement.
'I'll have to ask yer TO keep quiet,
miss, " said he, with harsh, determin-
ed voice. 81
/ turned upon him indignantly. 81
suppose | may change my seat if ! like
said l.
And without waiting for his permits
sion, walked deliberately over to the
desk and sat down on the revolving
chair that stood before it At the
same time ! threw my work down on
the desk in such way as to cover COM
pletely the battery, which instrument
my companion had probably not mo-
ticed at all Perhaps lie would not
have known what it was if he had.
l sat there "a moment listlessly
twisting the chair back and forth, and
trying to make up my mind what best
tc. do.
just then there was slight noise
on the hall stairs and the man became
stood up and looked at the IL
brary door. as if he was about to
go toward it. Then he turned again
to me, and with threatening gesture
said:
''You jest sit there while Istep into
the hall bit And if you stir or make
a noise it will be the worst for We. Do
you mind thatr'
He went softly into the hall.
Feeling that now was my opportun-
ity, put my finger on the knob, and
as silently as possibly sent my signAf
over the wire into the night, down to :
the mills and Harry Randall.
Harry are you thereP"
In another instant was leaning back
in my chair and moving an inkstand
on the table to make noise. How my
heart was beating, and my ears were
strained to-catch the sound that-if /
might in Gods goodness hope it-might
possibly come back to ME.
Almost mInuGe.--lG seemed an age |
II listened; and my heart sank as no
answering signal was heard. Then ,
click! click click! came the sounds.
sweeter to my ears than the sweetest
music, and knew Harry was there.
These sounds were to some extent COW
sred by the drumming OF my thlmble,
out to me were as plain as spoken
words