, 1888-12-09
A SUCCESSFUL BURGLAR
HE TELLS 1T.

hOllieT unu the girls were quite IN en-
stasies over the new house. The masct-
line members of the family were inclined
to be dubious as to its advantages. The
chief objection which we had to II was
that it was n of a row of eight, all ok
actly alike, and it was extremely difficult
TO be sure of the right door.
A weeks practice, however, made that
all right; ours was the fourth house frbm
the south end of the row; as | walled
from the Office along the street immeli-
ately south of us, / soon became accus-
toned to taking the exact number of
steps, after turning the corner, which
would bring me to the door.
Besides, the hour at which Icame home
Il am Il proof reader on a morning paper
and my duties usually kept me at the
Office until after ga. n.y. made 1t nects-
sary for me to carry a latchkey. While
knew that of course our neighbors had
exactly the same conveniences which we
enjoyed, and looked for light to windows
in the same portion of exactly similar
rooms, and experienced the annoyance
smoky chimneys when the wind was in
the particular quarter which affected
ours, / did not dream that the houses
were so precisely the same that the KEY
of II would unlock the other.
We had lived here about a week when
the street car line near by began running
owl cars. This was a boon for me, as it
saved me a walk of some length. The
car line ran within half n square of the
house, being on the next street north
of us.
The first night that I rode home 1 was
so sleepy when / got out of the car that !
scarcely knew what | was doing. Hith-
erto II exercise of walking had kept me
wide awake until l got into my W room.
managed to unlock the front door,
however, and get upstairs, habit making
my movements noiseless, as | knew that
my mother was easily awakened and did
not readily go to sleep again.
The room which I occupied was over
the dining room, the door being nearly
opposite to the head of the stairs. Some
what to my surprise the gas was not
burning on the landing; the girls had
probably forgotten to light 1t before go
ing to bed. Igroped my way carefully
along, and at last reached the door of
my room. Ientered; it was like the hall,
pitch dark. / tried to find the table, on
which there should be a lamp, and my
hand came in contact with something
else. drew n match from my pocket
and struck it. AsIheld it screened by
my hand l saw that the room was a
strange one. Suddenly, all was dark; it
was not that the match had gone out,
but the brain was Swallowed; l knew
nothing more.
SHE TELLS IT.
l was always rated courageous; I
seemed to lack that instructive fear
which causes some to shrink. from dark
ness and loneliness. My brothers and
sisters often declared that / would never
be frightened; not even, added May,
with a shudder, If Il burglar We're to pre-
sent himself before me and demand my
y~aluables. These would not tempt any
well regulated burglar, being small and
of little intrinsic value; but / should not
like to lose them, and | have always de
termined to defend my property stoutly
If threatened, providing, of course, that
Ihad sufficient warning of the robbers
intentions to enable mo to act.
l awoke n morning at that proverbial
darkest hour, just before the dawn. /
had no idea what time it was, as the
whole house was wrapped in silence and
darkness; it is from after vents that 1
am able to say that it was nearly morn
ing. l had started suddenly from sleep,
but at first / could not tell what had
aroused me. AS l lay listening for some
sound to follow that which had recalled
me from the land of dreams, my thoughts
turned instiffctively to our next door
neighbors, who had been domiciled in
the row for about q week.
Nobody knew them, although several
of the older residents had spoken of call
ing upon them-perhaps; for we liked
the looks of the ladies and they seemed
inclined to be friendly. The men, how
ever, seemed to be home all day and
away all night. They were not work
ingmen-one could see that by their
hands, their clothing, their bearing-and
we were afraid they were not just what
they should be. We recalled certain
grewsome stories of counterfeiters, bur-
glars and other criminals who settle In
respectable neighborhoods and only ex-
cited suspicion by the unreasonable hours
which they kept.
Was that u step up the stairs9 l lis
tened more intently, my wandering
thoughts recalled from all other subjects.
Surely it was, and that was another.
There was II burglar in the house. /
sprang out of bed and enveloped myself
in n circular which CHANGED to be hang
ing on n chair, as l had worn 1t out into
the rain the preceding evening. If I was
to receive u burglar was determined
that the proprieties should not suffer; /
would have something on besides my
NIGHT dress; while if he went to any other
room ! could steal along the dark halls to
alarm my brothers and be less noticeable
in this dark wrap than in my night
gown.
In spite of my boasted courage, my
heart beat very loudly as the step was
heard ouce more, and this time upon the
landing just outside my W door. ]
grasped the poker firmly, however, try
ing to restore my wonted courage by the