Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-11-02

clItng SuDlecU OF the rOnDlnH IN re-
Elections upon his spouse's want of
reverence for the family emeralds,
which had adorned the persons of
every feminine Van Cooyer since the
year one But the young people were
not so easily diverted, and their con-
versation turned upon burglars and
burglary, until, when the clock struck
eleven and bedtime approached, the
girls in particular were in anything
but an agreeable state of mind.
Mr.. Fotterall had been sitting be-
side Madge in the group around the
fire, but only Sally's quick eyes had
detected the glances they had not
intrequently exchanged lnthe hustle
attendant uDon separation for the
night nobody noticed how long the
gallant Tommy was 10 handing his
charming neighbor her bedroom can
dlestiek, nor how the rich crimson
flushed not only her cheek, but her
throat and brows. as her fingers lay
not unwillingly in his strong grasp.
Sally few into the room they occu-
pied together and was already
nestled among the pillows when
Madge sauntered slowly in, her
eyes dancing and new ex-
preston on her face that caused Sal
ly to look again with surprise and
wonder if she were really growing
pretty after ALL
"Come to bed, 2 ordered Miss Cor
ham, sleepily.
Pm coming, responded Madge, in
an absent way.
But she proceeded, nevertheless, to
put on wrapper, and let down her
beautiful hair preparatory to brush
ing it out and putting it up for the
night. 1t was long and thick and
curly, of n warm red-brown, and it
hung about her like veil,
softening her harsh features until she
said TO herself in a whisper of par
donable pride, i am almost pretty
with my hair down! How | wish
She never finished the sentence. 1t
died away in smile which fingered
about her lips as she wound the plen-
tiful waves and ripples into a careless
knot on the top of her head, and SAL
down ON the edge of the bed, lost in
meditation as pleasant as it was
profound.
At last she looked up.
Sally was sleeping the sleep of the
just, with one dimpled hand under
her cheek, the other lying idly on the
coverlet. The old Dutch clock on the
landing of the stairs below chimed
out a melodious midnight, and
Madge began to think seriously of
bed.
AS she glanced up, however, her
eyes beheld sight which caused
every drop of blood to stand still in
her veins.
In the mirror opposite her she saw
the door of a closet on the other side
of the bed open slowly, and the face
OF a man pop slyly out--a bad,
brutal, scar-seamed face. with blood
shot eyes that scanned thes2ene with
evil accuracy. They saw the slum-
bering and unconscious ally, the
motionless figure ofMa4a evidently
about to follow her friends example
and retire for the highland the lit
tie heap ofrings and pins that gilt
tered on a tiny table near by. With
a grin of hideous satisfaction the
face was noiselessly withdrawn, and
the door shut softly again, while
poor Madge laid q hand upon her
heart and tried to still it's wild beat
ing.
What should she do? Wake Sally,
who would be certain to cry out in a
frenzy of fright, and give the wretch
a chance to annihilate them before
they could escape? Fly down stairs
to the smoking room, where she
could hear some OF the men still talk
ing over their cigars, and abandon
Sally to her fate? She raised her
head once more in despair, when lol
an idea!
Lightly, trembling, she rose to her
feet, Lightly crossed the room, and
suddenly Heavenl how the floor
cracked; suddenly she turned the key
in the lock, and had her prisoner
safe!
How he swore and stormed and
beat against the door, while Sally
woke screaming, and the household,
in state OF dire alarm, appeared up
on the scene! The men rushed up
from the smoking room and pro-
ceeded to extract the offender from
his impromptu dungeon, and to de-
liver him over to the officers of the
peace, who were summoned by a
watchman's rattle, welded vigorous
ly out of the window by Mrs. Van
Coover in a paroxism of fear.
There was an immense amount of
gable and explanation going on, I'M
stinted praise of Madge's courage
and presence of mind, and then gem
eral rendezvous in the hall below for
sleep was felt to be impossible after
all that had occurred. But on the
way down stairs, on the dusky lanCs
ing, where the old Dutch clock hnd
stood for years and told no tales,
Mr.. Tom Fotterall and Miss Madge
Palliser were detained moment be-
hind the rest. quite by chance of
course, and unnoticed by day. The
red brown locks were in q sad state