Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-03-25
MOllie's Burglar.

Mary Wilson had passed the first
seventeen years of her life in a country
village; then she went to the city to
visit her brother, and found its attrac-
tions 80 alluring that six months pass
cd away and the time of her return to
the country was, as yet, indefinitely y
postponed. For two months previous
to her visit, her country friends had
We'd with each other IN telling her
tales Of the cunning, the vickedness,
the subtility of city sharpers pick
pockets, and burglars, until the idea
became firmly fixed in her mind that
she was going INTO den of thieves; but
as she met with no adventures worthy
of note, and vas fast reaching the con
cluslon that city people We're no worse
than their country nelghbors, when
something occurred which caused, for
a short time at least to change her
mind. But of this more anon.
She was still heart whole, although
she had been sought by several very
eligible suitors since her arrival in the
city, for she WAS II pretty girl, very 1e'
sirable for her own sweet sake, but
snll more so as Mary Wilson, sister Of
the wealthy and influential Lawyer
Wilson. And this was how matters
stood, when one Sunday she chanced
to see stranger in the pew adjoining
her brothers and could not help see
ing that the stranger was regarding
her with admiring eyes, very handsome
eyes they We're, too, but she tried to
dismiss all thought Of him and them,
as she had done with all others On SIM
liar occasions, but found it impossible.
Those dark eyes presented themselves
to her mental vision with a persistency
tor which she could nol account.
~On Monday evening her brother
bought tickets and invited his wife and
sister to attend lecture, and Miss
Mollie caught herself wondering, as
she donned her cloak and hat, if the
dark eyed gentleman would be there,
and if he would look for her. She
found the lecture insufferably dull,
and concluded after a time to return
home. She whispered this intention
to her brother, who saw her to the car
riage, giving instructions to the coach
man to return for them, he went back
to his wife, while Miss Mollie was
driven rapidly homewa,d. Arriving
there, she left her hat and cloak in the
hall and ran lightly up the stairs to
her room. The door was partly open,
although she was sure she had closed
it, the gas was turned low as she had
left it, and in the half light she saw,
before she reached The doorway, man
in the room. His back was toward
her, and he was walking toward a large
closet at the other side of the apart
ment. He opened the door and step
ped inside; one glance told her that the
key was in the lock; she ran swiftly
across she room, her feet making little
or no noise on the thick carpet. Con
found 1t" she heard MIN mutter, "why
can't they leave things where fellow
can find them?" "Yes,' she thought,
cher first surmise was correct; it was a
burglar" Like flash she threw her
self against the door and turned the
key. She was terribly frightened and
felt quite sure she would faint. But as
her prisoner made no demonstrations
beyond trying the door gently, this
feeling soon wore off. She turned on
the gas, drew q chair pu front of the