The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-01-20

II eerie atmosphere began to gather about
the place when the purple dusk deepened
into darkness, and the liyid masses of cloud
began to pile themselves up in tho north.
west, with here and there the sudden CLEAN
Of lightning and the mutter of distant thun.
der.
Perhaps I'd better close the bedroom
windows, and bring in those little Japanese
tables from the front porch said Rachel
ooh, DEAR" said Bessie, nervously,
60 how / wish John was home from the
depot with that last load of furniture ~
And, in Rachels absence, she ofept mt
the back parlor, secretly bethinking herself
of piling up chairs and tables against the
conservatory door in case there should be
any burglars about
The door stood wide open, -Dessies soil
tary little candle flickered specially against
the black cleaning surface of the conserya.
tory sashes, except now and then, when
sudden fash of distant lightning revealed
the elm boughs outside.
AS she stood there, half terrified at her
own audacity, one of the water-colored pic
lures which had been hung rather too care
lessly on the wall, dropped from its hook
with crash.
Dessiss candle fell to the floor, becoming
extinguished ut once, and almost at the
same instant lurid blaze of lightning
showed her white face tiattened against
the lower pane of the conservatory-a face
surrounded by fringe of shaggy black
hair. For an instant only-for, as she star
ed wildly at it, the face vanished into the
blackness without.
bessie did not faint she was not one of
the fainting kind but she ran screaming
out into the wilderness of packing boxes
that filed the hall, toward the open front
door, through which she could perceive the
Hash OF lanterns, and hear the rumbling of
advancing wheels. And, joy of joys there
stood John March's stalwart form in the
porch.
Why, Bessie :. he exclaimed, what is
the matter with you, child? Where is
Rachel? What has happened ?"
Burglars !" was all that Bessie could
gasp in reply, as she threw herself, sobbing
and excited, into Johns wide-open arms.
AT the same moment there was a rustling
among the strawberries outside, and Rachel,
with an old fur tippet tied around her head,
rushed into the porch, as if half q dozen
wolves had been at her heels.
+" john John!" she screamed, "get
your revolver, quick There's tramp in
the parlor / saw light there, and it dis
appeared the minute looked in at the con-
servatory window! l could hear the villain
knocking things about, and why, Bessie,
what is the matter ?''
For Bessie, after one prolonged stare al
the odd figure her sister made, had burst
into scream of hysterical laughter.
9 It's she! it's she !'' gurgled Bessie.
She? Who ?" demanded the amazed
master of the house.
81 She that I saw Mt the window" Shrek
ed poor Bessie. And thought the tippet
was black hair and whiskers around her
face-and it was me that she saw, because
| dropped the candle and knocked over
whole tableful of boxes and bundles. Oh,
John, John, it isn't burglars at all, it's our
own two silly ridiculous selves -
And after momentary pause of astonish
ment, oil three of them went off into peal
of hearty laughter!
And the clouds rolled away to the east,
and there wns no thunderstorm after all,
and the furniture was got safely under
cover and at nine o'clock they all sat down
to ten aad some mullins, which the thought
full John had brought up from a city bak-
cry.
6 After this, )" said Bessie, i" shall never
be afraid Of burglars again I"
Nor /, neither" said Rachel.
But the next day Mr. March's carpen ter
screwed down the conservatory sashes and
substituted hard-door for the pretty glass
portal, which opened into the parlors.
It's just as well, )" said the young hus-
band, :" to be ON the safe side"
And Bessie and Rachel agreed with one
accord that Dear John was always right"