The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-19
BOOK FIVE.
LADY BE4U1I'iS SORROW
CHAPTER l.
SOPHIA IN A NEW CHARACTER.


charged with terror, broke her short slumber
"Sophial Sophia!' she heard her mother
uttering in her ear.
Wide awake in an instant, and alarmed by
the way in which her mother spoke, she sat
up in bed Mrs. Temple was standing beside
her in her night dress, and, by the dim light
of the lamp which burned in her room, she
saw that the old woman's face was almost
lifeless from its expression of intense alarm
Mamma! mammal" she cried out. What
is the matter"
Hush hushi' the mother answered, mo
tioning her not TO speak so loud. "lt we are
heard we shall he killed"
What is the matter" Sophia asked again,
now almost as terrified as her mother
There are robbers in the house." Mrs.
Temple answered, gasping for utterance.
Come here-softiy."
She motioned Sophia TO the door, and, step
ping out on the landing, bid her listen. All
was dark and still, and for moment Sophia
either heard or thought she heard her
mothers heart humping against her side.
But the house was perfectly silent
ITS nothing, mamma" Sophia said at
last, beginning to speak in her natural voice.
You made mistake
'Hush!n the mother cried in the same ter
l'iied Whisper as before. 81 heard them in
the house. l tried TO ring the bell in my
room and find it wont work. 1t was quite
right yesterday This is planned robbery.
The servants are in it; we shall be killed,
Sophia, murdered o, what shall dor
And now, indeed, Sophia, straining her
ears to listen, did hear strange sound below
stairs, and, bending over the balustrade, she
plainly saw one CLEAN of light hastily vanish
ing, as if a lantern had for an instant been
turned in the wrong direction. Nearly dead
with fear she listened again, and soon after
sounds in the entrance hall, as if a heavy box
were being cautiously moved, convinced her
that her mother was not wrong. She took
the cid woman's shaking hand and led her
back to her own room
I'VE must try my bell, mamma; we must
ring that The noise VIII brighten them"
Try it, try it," the mother answered. She
could hardly articulate, and the words came
from between her motionless lips as if she had
not uttered them.
But when Sophia tried her own bell the re-
| suit was simply that the wires pulled lightly
and no sound was made These, too, had
been put out of order.
a knew it," the old woman gasped "The
servants are in it. We shall both be muir
dered here, in this room"
And i'll truth the position was frightful
enough. Their windows overlooked the
garden, and to open these and cry for help
would have been not only vain, but would
have added danger to danger Mrs. Temple
had sunk upon the bed, and in the paralysis
| of terror seemed to be losing CONSEQUENCES
and Sophia, although she tried to keep her
senses, felt as if she herself would swoon
away
There is nothing to be DONE" the old
woman said I'VE must wait till they come
and kill US. Q, Sophia, Sophia can't you
| do anything to save me?"
| 1t was surprising to see how utterly pros
trated with fear the active energetic woman
had become in few moments And Sophia,
the quiet and delicate girl, was even now
| growing more collected. She remembered
| that the former owner of the house had
| erected in one wing kind of belfry, with a
| bell of sonorous tongue hanging in it: for he
| was a nervous householder, dwelling in fear
| of thieves The girls knew this belfry-sc
| they called it--well, and had more than once
rung the bell in the daytime in sport; and
| now Sophia thought that if she We're only
| there she might easily raise such an alarm
| as would effectually brighten away the rob
bers But how to reach the belfry9 The only
way was across the very hall where the rob
hers were now at work Sophia could moi
| make up her mind To go even a step down the
| stairs; and as to consulting her mother in her
present paralyzed state, that was altogether
useless. She stood irresolute, herself almos;
| losing her senses with fear but neither NOV
| ing nor speaking III til the old woman called
out again:
Sophia, Sopbial can't you do anything tc
save me-"
This appeal had wholesome effect Nerv
ing herself by an almost superhuman effort
the brave girl replied:
II will try, mamma, but you must stay
| here"
Not alone, Sophia she answered ~ dal,
not stay alone You shall not leave me"
81 must, mamma" she replied a mus
leave you. You can lock your door benin,
me. | don't think they will come upstairs
Quick; follow me and lock the door"
She stole out and her mother rose up ant
went after her just as she was going GU
the old woman caught her hand again,
Sophia, you NUT not leave me; | shal
die before YOU come back"
Lock the door Sophia whispered again
And her mother heard her; for, as she stol
into the dark passage, the door was softl,
shut upon her and the key was turned.
1t was truly irghtful position for tn
girl Nearly mai as she was with fear, sh
| xat nv, how she Lnayy M
to steal few steps down stairs. Aud nov
the noises in the hail were quite audible, am
again she was just about to fly back an,
take her chance i'll her own room with he
mother. Just at this juncture little bit q
courage seemed TO kindle in her breast an
she waited moment, and then stole tire
steps down stairs. Here, at the turning, sh
saw plainly that there was light i'll the hail
! and somehow the sense that she was in tn
darkness and the robbers in the light CAV
her sensation of returning security. Sh
listened, tremblea, and then with shakin
| limbs ventured three steps down the seCon
flight She could distinctly hear the burglar
talking, and us one of them gave low
brutal laugh she sluddered to think whs
wretches were near. Sophia always declare
that the next few steps she took consciously
and that she only knew herself when 81
, found she was peering from The dark ang
Of the stairs into the hall.
/ Tire. men were there. II was evident tn,
they had mistaken an old oak chest which stoq
against the wall for a der ository of valuabes
and this thy were now trying TO force oper
They we're quite occupied for the moment
and Fl ON her dark angle Sophia could plainl
Observe their movements. 1t was curiou
that now. when fear might altogether hav
overcome her, she began to feel a renewal c
; courage She looked across the dark hall {
the passage on the other side which sh
wished to reach, and she resolved while tn
robbers were still engaged upon the chest
make a dart across. Several seconds -sh
waited, until she saw an opportunity, anf
while the men were trying to force the oake
lid, she flew acress the hall, and was in th
passage on the other side, hidden from view
But now, as she slowly CROPPED her VIZ
along the passage, new terror arose. Whf
!, if the belfry door should be locked' I'll
room was never used, and it might well
that the key had been taken away. The bal
idea so terrified her that she scarce dared |
creep to the door, lest her fear should be yer
!, fed But there was no returning, and tt
" next moment she felt tho door, and .findin