Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-05-14
MOLLIE'S BURGLAR.

Mary wilson hac; passed the nrst sew
enteen years of her life in a country vii
lage; then she went to the city to visit
her brother, and found its attractions so
alluring that six months passed away
and the time of ter return to country
life was, as yet, Indefinitely postponed.
For two months crevious to her visit
her country friend$ had We'd with each
other IN telling he: tales of the cunning,
the wickedness, the subtilty of city
sharpers, pickpochats and burglars, un-
til the idea became firmly fixed in her
mind that she was going into den OF
thieves; but as ye; she lad met with no
adventure worthy of note, and was fast
reaching the conctlsion that city people
were no worse tina their country neigh
bors, when some:hing occurred which
caused her, for a short time, at least, to
change her minl. But of this more
anon.
She was still ,eart whole, although
she had been sonGh; by several very ELI
gible suitors since her arrival in the
city, for she was \ pretty girl. very de-
sirable for her ou;l sweet sake, but still
more so as Mary Wilson, sister of the
wealthy and fluential Lawyer Wilson.
And this was hoSY matters stood when
one Sabbath she shanced to see stran-
ger in the pew a. Joining her brothers.,
and could not he'll seeing that the stran-
ger was regarding her with admiring
eyes, very hand-omc eyes they were,
too, but she tried to dismiss all thoughts
of him and them, as she. had done OF
others on similar occasions, but found it
impossible. These dark eyes presented
themselves to he: mental vision with a
persistency for which she could not ac-
count.
On Monday -'vening her brother
bought tickets ard invited his wife and
sister to attend a lecture, and Miss Mol
lie 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 insuffera by dull, and concluded,
after time, to return home. She whis-
pered this intention to her brother, who
saw her to his carriage, and giving in
structions to thu coachman to return for
them, he went back to his wife, while
Miss Mollie was driven rapidly home
ward. 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, a
man in the room. His back was toward
her, aud he was walking toward large
closet at Che other side of the apartment.
He opened the door and stepped inside
one glance told her that the key was in
the Jock; she ran swiftly across the
room, her feet making little or no sound
on the thick carpet. "Confound it,
she heard him mutter, "why can't they
leave things where fellow can find
them ?' YES" she thought, ''my first
surmise was correct; it was burglar" "
Like flash she threw herself against
the door and turned the key. She
was terribly frightened, and felt quite
sure that she should faint. But as her
prisoner made no demonstrations be-
yond trying the door gently, this feel
ing soon wore off. She turned on the
gas, drew chair in front of the closet
door, where she sat down to consider
what it was best 10 do. Ii she called the
servants they would be frightened ;
there would be noise and confusion, and
perhaps he would get away. If she
went down after policeman he might
get out while she was gone; no, she
would stay where she was and keep
guard until her brother should return.
She had surely caught him, and did ii
very neatly, too; and the more she
thought OF it the braver and more jubi-
liant she grew. She wished he would
speak; she was anxious TO know how
he felt about the situation. Presently
he did speak; he had very pleasant
voice; he tried the door again and asked,
"Who locked that door,"
And she answered promptly, 81 did,"
"What for ?''
"Why, to lock you in there, of course,
and don't intend that you shall get
away, either"
There was silence for minute or two,
then the prisoner remarked, Don't you
think this joke has gone far enough,
Mollie, dear? Now let me out. There's
a darling"
"Oh, you wretch, you villain. How
dare you?"
'How dare / what?''
"Why, call me that"
"Thought i. was my sister, by Jove!
he exclaimed, in low tone. Then he
bent down and looked through the key
hule. This was what he saw: grace
full, girlish figure, robed in soft, cling.
ing materials; a bright, self-reliant face
fringed with masses of fluffy brown
hair. Ii took him some time to make
these observations, for the keyhole was
.l.. l.. oo.,ll 90. h,,f n x,orf n,