The Indianapolis journal., 1886-04-04

we could see from the bullying lids.
Nat looked embarrassed, but pleased with the
preference shown him, took the basket from her
hand and led the way Well! we had feast fit
for queen that noon from the solid substantials
down TO the most toothsome French caramels.
And all the time she kept up running flow OF
anecdote and story, both humorous and pa
thetic.
Isn't she just splendid" was the verdict of
all when she had withdrawn and left us to our
selves Even Nat Green was so far drawn out
OF himself as to exclaim with some show of en-
thusiasm 1T isn't in feller to fight wee
thing like her nohow, an specially when she's so
jolly, too."
In the afternoon classes were organized and
the terms work outlined; the whole was sea-
soned with more interesting talk, and when the
hrst school day closed we were all agreed that
We had never spent happier day IN our lives.
The three outlaws skulked home; but the next
morning they were punctually on time, and un-
der her wise management they became not only
the best behaved boys, but the best scholars IN
school.
Before the term was half out the new teacher
was known far and near as little Miss joyce, and
there was not boy among US that wouldn't
have fought fer her as zealously and died for
her. if need be. with as chivalrous devotion as
knights of old in the lists St Clairs summing
up of the day to mother contained the root OF
the whole matter.
"She ies' looked and talked an we got gooder
an gooder, an didn't want to do notbin' bad
just before the close of the term an event oc-
Cured which lifted Miss Joyce at once to the
front rank of heroines, and forever canonized
her, at least in our family. Father had been alb
sent several days on business, and came nome
about dark one evening with several thousand
dollars in his possession which he locked up in
the SAFE He intended to 60 to town
the next morning and deposit 1t IN
bank. Between and 10 o'clock the same
evening mother was summoned by telegram
to the bedside of dying sister IN distant
State. 1t was necessary to leave home Dy
daybreak to reach the station in time for the
early morning train. Father decided to go with
mother as he dislked to have her travel SO far
alone To do this he would be obliged to leave
the money in the safe at home until his return.
he was not. however man to borrow trouble
There had been no robbery of any consequence
committed in this county for several years 1t
was not likely such a visitation would occur
| now We had good girl in The Kitchen and
Miss Joyce had promised to take mothers place
as far as possible. With the exception of st.
Clair, we were all up to see them off. Mother
would not allow him to be disturbed; she kissed
his rosy face, still wrapped In slumber, and
quickly drew down her veil.
The day was clear and bright till almost noon;
then the air grew turbulent and the sky murky
and threatening Later heavy black masses of
clouds piled themselves into formidable bank,
| out of which came angry rumblings and htful
| lurid flashes, that augured brewing storm
close at hand. Miss Joyce closed the school
early, and we reached home just as the big drops
| began to fall.
| 1t proved the heaviest rainfall of the season.
| The flood gates OF heaven seemed to pe opened,
and the rain fell in torrents all the fore part
| of the night. while the house Ia solid, sub
stantial piece of masonry groaned and shook
with the violence of the wind. After
midnight the ferceness of the gale spent
itself, but the rain still fell in gentle, measured
cadences. We children went to bed early. Mark
| and were both tired and out of sorts. The
morrow would be Saturday and we had planned
| to have some rare sport Such weather would
spoil all our fun and we did so hate to be cooped
up in the house. After time lost conscious
| ness, and slept profoundly The particulars OF
| the awful tragedy enacted during that terrible
| night we learned the next morning from Miss
| Joyce's own lips, and were eye-witnesses to the
fearful evidences OF the crime. MissJoyc had sat
up late writing letters During fathers and moth
| ers absence she was to occupy their apartment,
| which was front room on the ground floor, and
| opened into a little room back whore slept Mary
| Marthy and St Clair. All the windows of the
house, up stairs and down. had strong. massive
| shutters, which securely fastened inside with
heavy iron clamps. AS said before, Miss Joyce
| was writing letters till late hour and did not
| retire till after midnight It was some time
after this before she dozed off into slumber. She
| was always a light sleeper. The least noise
! seemed instantly to arouse her, not into that
| drowsy semi-consciousness which usually pre-
cedes full awakening. but at once into alert cog
nizance. And on this particular night. when her
| nerves were tensely strung by the rigor of the
ally acute
| How long she slept. whether minutes or hours,
she did not know, but she was suddenly
| awakened by the sound of something falling.
| And the impression received by her in that
second of time, as the mind leaped from slumber
| to consciousness, was SO distinct and real that
she could have taken oath on the Bible that the
sound she heard was that of some metallic sub
stance, dropping with sharp ring upon hard
| floor. The sound would have been dulled had it
| fallen on the thick carpets of the rooms imme-
diately adjacent. In the more remote parts of
the house distance would also have deadened
the sound
Her thought instantly few to the wide hall,
covered with oilcloth, into which mothers
room opened. The door of the room had been
left purposely ajar that she might the more
readily hear if anyone called. What metallic
substance would be likely to fall but the hall
door keys And she remembered distinctly,
when she locked the door during the evening, to
have turned the key to prevent that 1t must,
therefore, have been returned and pushed in
ward from the outside. How swiftly the mind
leaps from link to link in the chain of cause and
effect She threw on woolen wrapper, and in her
stocknged feet, glided noiselessly into the hall.
| and laid her hand softly on the lock; the key
was gone At the same instant key was in
serted from without Her heart stood still.
Had she forgotten the bolta Swiftly her
hand sought it, No, thank God! The
bolt was drawn, and was both stout and
strong But-great heavens! They were not to
be foiled Hist! With brace and bit they were
boring perpendicular holes parallel with and
close to the lock, through which the light from
dark lantern made ghostly lines upon the floor.
She took in the meaning of it all at once. and
realized that they were working with the rapid
ity and skill of experts. Some natures cool
est in moments of greatest peril. By the time
the last hole was bored little MISS
Joyce had decided upon the only
course left to her. She wisely
judged it best to leave the rest of US undis-
- Il - koh
ard, and we boys were too young to exercise the
proper caution. At all hazards, the burglars
there proved to be three of them must not
know that my father was away The knowl' dge
of that fact would put completely at their
mercy. She determined to face the danger
alone She knew my father had firearms. but
where he kept them she did not know, and be-
| sides there time to procure them. Al