Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-01-28
picious of my slightest movement.

| turned upon him Indignantly. 81
suppose | may change my seat, if /
like" said /.
And without waiting for his per-
mission / walked deliberately over to
the desk and sat down on the revolv-
ing chair that stood before it. At
the same time / threw my work down
on the desk in such way as to cover
the battery, which instrument my
companion had probably not noticed
at all. Perhaps he would not have
known what it was if he had.
sat there a moment, listlessly
twisting the chair back and forth, and
trying to make up my mind what was
best to do.
Just then there was a slight noise
on the hall stair and the man became
uneasy, stood up and looked at the
library door as if he was about to go
toward it. Then he turned again to
me, and with threatening gesture
said:
"You jest set there while 1 go into
the hall a bit. And if you stir or
make a noise it will be worse for ye.
Do We mind that %
He went softly in the hall.
Feeling that now was my opportu-
nifty, l put my finger on the knob, land
as silently as possible sent my sig
nal over the wire, into the night, down
to the mills and Harry Randall.
"Harry, are you there?'
In another instant [ was leaning
back in my chair and moving an ink
stand on the table to make noise.
How my heart was beating and my
ear was strained to catch the sound
that-if I might in Gods goodness
hope it-might possibly come to me !
Almost a minute-it seemed an
age-I listened, and my heart sank
as no answering signal was heard.
Then-click click click came the
sounds, sweeter to my ears than the
sweetest music, and [ knew Harry
was there. These sounds were to
some extent covered by the drum
ming of my thimble, but to me were
as plain as spoken words.
Instantly 1 sent back my answer,
two excited words, run all together:
"Robbers Help!''
The total silence that followed as
sured me, after q minutes anxious
waiting, that Harry had comprehend
ed my message, and that doubtless
he would come at once to the house.
Fortune had favored me, for had
heard the man creeping up the hall
stars, and thus escaped the results
of any suspicious he might have had,
had he heard the clicking of the in
strument.
/ did not look at the clock, and so
can not say how long sat there in
silence. It seemed to me that it was
hours.
Then there was the sound of whis-
pering in the hall. The next moment
there appeared in the doorway a Sec
ond stranger, rougher and more des-
perate, if possible, in appearance
than the first, and close behind him
was our man Joseph. They both adj
vanced into the room, the one look
ing angry and disappointed, the other
with sheepish air as he caught my
eye.
''We have found the key of the
SAFE" growled the second stranger,
''but all for nothing. The money
wasn't in it, and we have looked high
and low and can't find it. But Joe
here sticks to it that it is somewhere
in the house, and he thinks" looking
fiercely at me, ''you know where It's
no use, Miss, we haven't any
time to spare, and we won't have any
nonsense. You know where the mon
ey is, and you've got to tell
He had advanced while he had been
talking, and now was quite near. [
arose from my chair, fearing he might
lay his hands on me. And at that
instant-my ears painfully alert to
any noise-I was certain | caught the
sound of football outside the win
dow, and l gained fresh courage.
''And why have l got to tell?" l
demanded, purposely raising my
voice so it could be heard outside the
house. "What right have you to
break into this house this way" -
The man caught me by the wrist,
uttering at the same time fearful
oath.
sEYou make another sound above a
whisper" he cried in voice hoarse
with rage, ''and PIP
He did not finish his sentence.
There came loud crash at both win
dows at once, and the next moment
Harry Randall, with two watchmen
from the mill burst into the room.
The rescue was complete so far as
saving our lives was concerned. The
robbers attempted no resistance.
In an instant, before word could
be said, or blow struck, that man
raised his hand and dashed the lamp
from the table. In the darkness and
confusion the burglars j oseph among
them, made their escape. And al
though every effort was made, both
then and after, to secure their arrest,
they never were taken.
However, as [ said, our lives and
the money that had been confded to