Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-11-09


OF refined culture not in keeping with
his present forlorn appearance, and
while the young host ate his supper he
held conversation with him which
convinced him OF this fact
His first intention was to throw down
some horse blankets and robes and let
him camp down before tho fire, but
this design was altered with his opinion
of the mans antecedents. and so he
finally lighted him TO a decent bed up
stairs under the roof, and then he and
the family retired for the night occu-
pying two rooms on the ground floor.
While these things we're taking place
inside OF that lonely farmhouse, some
things were occurring outside that
vitality concerned the parties we have
introduced.
Two men met in the road few rods
from the dwelling.
iii, Sam!" said one.
''Ho Ben!' replied the other.
Then they came together and spoke
in low, guarded tones.
"Well?' querled Ben.
"All right" answered Sam. "He's
home, and got tho money with him.
There arc LOO know about. that
know he brought away with him for
sure, and that ought to pay us for the
venture, If we don't get any more.
"All right, then! When shall we be-
ginP"
Il reckon between twelve and one
will be tho best time. He's been homo
about long enough to get his supper
and turn in; and after the long, hard
day and night he's had OF it we must
give him chance to get sound asleep"
'Oh, OF course! | don't think we'll
have much difficulty in finding the
money somewhere about his clothes or
the apartment. but without the chloro-
form he might wake up and become
troublesome, and then we might have
to silence him. and midnight murders
are not the most pleasant things to have
to provide against"
"Well, the womenP"
"They won't bother us, reckon. l
don't intend they shall know any thing
about it till George Chalmers, after
coming to himself, goes to look for his
pile, by which time we'll be safe enough
out of the reach of all"
without any blood on our handsP"
"That' the way l want it."
''But sooner than be taken or dis
covered, SamP"
why, you know. Bon, I'll cut every
throat and burn down the house with
the bodies in it. Taken or discov-
eredP Heavens! Death sooner than
either!"
That's so. It would be a bad thing
for us, and horrifying thing for our
families and friends. In any case we
must wear our masks. l suppose
we're to enter the general sitting-room
frstP''
That's tho best. His room adioins
it on tho south When he fastens his
door at all it is with the key, which
he'll likely leave in the lock. I'll
turn that " ith my nippers If he docs.
I'll use skeleton key If he don't. It's
a good night for us-dark, windy and
rainy--s that slight noise won't be
heard.
The two evil plotters got under
shed and waited till the time fixed upon
for their burglarious work.
There were no shutters to the win
inside fastenings.
To enter, they decided to cut out
middle pane of one of the two family
room windows. pass an arm through,
remove the fastenings, and crawl
through the lower half
They cut the pane with a diamond
near the sash, but in trying to get con-
troll Of it they pushed it inward, and 1t
fell into the room with sharp crash
and jingle.
The noise disturbed the sleeping host
without fully waking him, and he
out "Whats that?" in tone
that showed he was sound asleep again
by the time the words were fairly ut
tered.
Then the two burglars. their faces
concealed by black masks, worked
their way into the room, each assisting !
the other, and flashed light all around
them from the bulls eye of the lantern
they carried.
To their surprise, they found the
door of the young mans sleeping room
partly open, instead Of being shut and
locked. and they were disposed to take
alarm at it till they heard his steady,
heavy breathing.
Then both. after another sharp sweep
Of the light all around them, noiselessly
advanced to the bed OF the sleeper -one
with the chloroform to seal up
his senses, but both ready to murder
him rather than fail in their purpose.
just at that critical point OF time
another human figure, unseen by them,
came silently gliding through the dark
ness. and stealing up behind them.
1t was the tramp.
In his hand he held a rope with a
moose at one end not unlike lasso.
He stopped so near the two midnight
providers that he could have touched |
hem, and poised the hand that held
he rope, while every nerve secretly
with intense excitment
1t was a moment big with fate fer all |
A single mistake, the slightest err
.or. might cost his own and other hui
nan lives.
The robbers, both intent upon their
,vil design, did not look behind them.