Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-09-06


''He's not asleep yet, +" a voice said, and
4 l knew the speaker was our man-servant,
Robert. He always sits up o. Friday
night to count the money and sort it
-out."
"sure he's got it?" said strange
tvoice.
"Sure2 OF. course d'm sure. Don't
I drive him over every Friday of his
blessed life to.draw it out O. bank2"
"We can get it now, then. If we knock
him on the head, there's only lot O.
women in the house"
"No," said Robert. "Well get the
money, but I'm,not hankerin' for rope
round my throat yet. Well wait awhile. !"
"Lets go-outside andesee if the light
is~burning in his room yet"
Creepingasoftly, slowly they crossed the
hall to the!kitchen, and 1 lay almost un-
conscious, too much terrified to move. 1t
was some minutes hter when light
came across the room, striking the glass
of the clockface, and heard my grand
father say:
Him! I was mistaken. 1 thought
only one often went to bed. That brat
is coddled ito death! Sleeping down
here next!*
! He pokedlabout awhile, stirred up the
shawls, on the sofa and went off, having
passed the entire time in muttering abuse
of my mother and myself.
''Let the1nsstealhis money!" thought,
in guilty delight. "Let them knock
him on the head. Serves~him right"
| Then in the darkness I seemed to see
| him with a great gaping wound in his
gray hair, and the blood streaming down
! his face. Would / be hung, too. if the
men killed hin2 I'would have all his
money!
| 1t was terrible-was it not?-for a
childfo hesitate, butI did and when
crept out of the clock-case and went
softly up the stairs, fingered, half re-
solved TO go to my'Inother'and let the
robbers do their worst.
My timid knock was answered by q
snarling permission to enter. Before the
torrent of abuse 1 saw preparing was
uttered, I said:
'Grandfather, Robert and another
man are down stairs, waiting for you to
go to sleep to steal your money and kill
youm
A grim look came into his face.
| "That's q nice lie he said.
cit is true. They came into the sit
ting room, and I was getting warm.
They did not see me, and they said they
would wait till you were asleep, because
Robert don't want to kill you"
''Highly considerate of Roberto
''You don't believe me, said, 'but
it is true! They are watching your win
dow now, to come in when your light is
OUT
81 do believe you. Will youhelp me
to save my life and my money!"
Eyes" l answered, afraid to refuse.
''They cannot jump from these win
| dows, and there is only one door. Tn
going for the police, to Stockton. l can
| slip down to the barn, and saddle Jupiter
while they are at the front watching my
light. Will you stand close to the door,
and as they creep in, will you shut it on
them, and lock it? Wait until you hear
me bark like dog, then blew out the
candle, stand close to the door, and trap
them. Can trust you?"
eyes! will do it,"
Cold as ice, my heart beating like
hammer, saw my grandfather wrap up
for his cold ride, take the cash box out of
the room, and go softly down the stairs.
In one hand he held pistol.
sin case meet them" he said.
| But he did not. | could hear his
stealthy steps cross the hall, creep through
the kitchen, and, aftera time that seemed
hours to me, heard the bark like dog
1 blew out the candle and pressed myself
against the wall close to the door, Colder
and colder l grew, my heart seemed chok-
ing me, my head ached frightfully, but 1
never stirred.
After what seemed hours of time, the
creeping steps came up the stairs, and
two shadowy forms passed me into the
room. / caught at the door, shut it, and
turned the key. One shout l heard in
side and then fell in dead faint in the
hall. My grandfather came at last with
policemen and found me on my mothers