The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-05

neck, Win one OF ner nanUS on MS
white shirt-bosom, and, as she said
herself, ''tissed him right on the mouf,
and it TITLED my nose!'
did not want to play at forfeits any
lOnger-it was too dangerous; so / pro-
posed that we should all sing.
50 'Ess, tan sing said Stella. 81
know lots of songs"
She did not feel at all abashed over
the fact that she had left dark, sticky
impression of her fingers on Mr.. Ben
tons starch01 shirt-bosom, and as for
him, he seemed to feel flattered at her
evident preference for him. sat down
at the piano and played accompani-
ments for school songs, while the chill
dren stood around me and bawled the
words into my ears with the excruciat-
ing fiat intOnation peculiar to the
young, unframed voices. Mr.. Benton
was sitting near the window, with little
Stella on his knee, apparently enjoying
the noise, and with his eyes fixed on
me in a blank stare of admiration that
l could not help seeing whenever my
face was half turned in his direction.
''Now, let me sing song all by my
self, - said Stella.
Mr.. Benton looked inquiringly at me
and l said:
l. NHs ADAC4Ae. AACE uo 41CdL y Ou oluz
all by yourself"
So She commenced, deliberately:
''Little bir-r-die, on-the-tree! Ca long
breath) On-the-tree!-(a nOther long
bTeath) on-the-treer' Then she
stopped, and, with a naughty disregard
of the desires or opinions of her audi
ence that would have been worthy of a
petted prima donna, turned carelessly
around on Mr.. Benton's knee and
looked out of the window, while we
awaited her pleasure.
''Oh, loot-loot at the big birdie on
the tree out of the window, she said,
suddenly pointing downward toward
where 1 knew a tall poplar grew close
to the house.
Mr.. Benton was apparently startled
by this evidence of Stella's keen vision,
for saw him jump as his eyes followed
the direction of her finger. He con-
trolled himself at once, however, as he
replied quickly:
II guess that is the shadow of
cloud in the moonlight, and not a
birdie. Stella"
mo, she persisted; 81 saw birdie
on the tree. "
He put her down and she ran over to
me. As / took her on my lap heard
INC AlOOI CAO6Gs ana SAW llldl UOull Duh
ton had disappeared.
THAT is rather unceremOniOus. I
wonder whether he is coming back" I
thought. "Well, l do not care whether
he does or nOt,n as | made up my mind
that the festivities could proceed with
out him. sat Stella on the end Of the
piano and played a lively polka for the
children, with Stella's assistance, she
drumming on two or three of the KEYS
in the bass intervals, with a very weird
if not harmonious effect.
Il want some more tandy," an
nOunced Stella, imperiOusly.
4 shall have to 90 down stairs for
it, Stella. 1t is all in the dining-room,"
/ said.
''Well, go down 'tairs. I'll be dOod."
OF course 1 had to 90. 1 left Stella
in Alice charge and ran swiftly down
the stairs. The nursery was on the
third floor. I do not know what in
duced me to open the door of my par
ents' bedroom as passed it. I did so,
however. 1t was quite dark. save for
one narrow bar of moonlight forcing
its way through the poplar just outside
the window. I glanced carelessly into
the gloom, with my hand on the handle
of the door, and was about to continue
my Journey to the dining-rOom when I
felt a draught from the open window
and saw something white cleaning in
the moonlight for an instant, and then
disappear.
"What is that, :" I thought, as an in
describable feeling of terror passed
over me and left me shivering. at
looked like hand" There was not Il
sound to be heard in the room save the
rustling of the curtains as the light
wintry breeze blew them from the win
dow, but l was certain some one was
there.
What was that? Surely man
climbing in through the window! Yes,
l was not mistaken. My eyes had be-
come accustomed to the darkness by
this time, and l could see the outlines
of his figure clearly defined against the
window. In that terrible instant all /
had ever heard or read about burglars
and their desperate actions when
brought to bay, passed through my
mind l remembered half a dozen
stories, more or less improbable, where
in young girl had successfully outwit-
ted expert midnight thieves, and cap
tured them alone and unaided.
The man, with his round head COW
cred by some kind of closely-fitting
| cap, was cautiously creeping through
the window, and / saw the poplar
| shake, as if just relieved of a burden.
He had evidently climbed the tree to
reach the room, and l remembered
| hearing my brother Win say only the
| day before that it was a fayorite plan
of thieves in robbing a house to get up
to the second story by means of porch
Or tree, while the family were gathered
in the lower rooms in the early even
! ing. I could not move! There was no
! light in the hall outside the room, and
] could not be seen by the intruder as
/ stood with my hand on the door
| handle, watching him, and listening in
a dreamy way to the noise of the chill
dren in the nursery overhead. He was
! inside the room by this time, and | no
ticed that his footsteps were nOiseless,
as if he had no shoes on, as he moved
| across the bar of moonlight toward the
bureau where my mother always keeps
her jewelry. | saw a round patch of
bright yelloy light fall on the keyhOle
of the top drawer. and then heard a me-
tallic rafting. The thief was picking
the lock!
If l could only scream, or call Will!
The drawer opened; the man was
fumbling at its contents. when-crash!
The yellow patch of light disappeared,
and, with a fearful word, saw the man
fall, another man holding him! Then
a pistol shot rang through the room,
and echoed up and down the stairs, and
the room was flooded in light. Some
body had touched the electric button
down stairs and lighted the gas. For
Il few second my eyes were so dazzled
that 1 could not see anything. Then 1
saw two men rolling on the floor in
desperate struggle, while pistol lay
Just out of their reach. The man I'M
! NTH Ia, oIDra1v- G+f1vr~ Il,