Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-07

did not seem chccrful; tho lamp was
not burning so brightly as usual. and,
once safo in her pretty, berth, Madge
could not sec to read as she had in.
tended.
She trios to sleep, bu. mover folt more
wido awake, and now six bells arc
struck, and she reflects with joy that in
an hour a, latest her husband will be
back. All is wrapped in stiffness. No
sound falls on her car but the twash of
tho wave on the yachts side at her
head, and tho drip, drip. OF the rain on
deck. But stay! that surely is louder
sound than tho water that ripplos so
close to her. 1t is too muiil,d to be
oars; all tho sam, there is q distinct
splash, and sort of j,r on tho ships
side. Maigc sits up to listen, and her
sense OF hearing seems to become pro.
'ernaturil!y sharpcnod; sho hears
fooisLcp. soft as velvet, on tho deck,
right overhead. That is not the wa,
Bcrlio would come on board, let alone
the party who, hcadcl by tho captain,
had gono ashore.
Now shc hears moro footsteps, AMI
thcn-ohl what is it that IS going ONT
-thcro comes low. deep growl from
Ch.viot, "A growl that ends in an odd
kid Of gurglc, and noise of some.
thing heavy falling.
Light stcpi seem to cross the d eek
and como down the companion, and
,hrouy h the key hole of her door shine,
the !ain:cst g.immcr of light; in ono
moment she il out OF her berth and at
her door-alasl it has no key, and
those, in the yacht. whoever they arc,
have got her at their mercy.
For n few minutes tho moor child
feels utterly coafusoI, and thon all of
sudden ilcr senses return to her; sho
rolls herself in long, dark boat cloak
that is hanging on hook. puts out her
light, and cau,iou'ly-'or her life de-
pcnls on it-opca, the door and looks
out
There is a little bis of prs,agc BE-.
tween her and the min cabin, from
which comes dim light; faint cash
Of metal can be heard, but neither
voice nor sound
Tho companions ladder is between tho
Two cabins an1 the passage is nearly
pitch dark, while there is always the
fricrdly shelter of ono or two unused
cabin doors.
Shall she wait in her cabin, perhaps
to be caught like II rat in n trap; OF
shall she crawl along tho passage,
make dash for the companion, and
s It OH decS somehow to give the alarm
10 tic salorsl She cloc;s to attcmpt
the latter
Three stops and sho il crouching nj
tho foot of the stair, and can sec into
the saloon. On the floor, with his back
to the door. one man knccls, and she
sees him filling an empty bag with all
the yachts silver. Tno door OF Bertic's
DIE sing room is open. and another
bcc:lc-Drowcd and brawny Italian ruff.
;ian las his hands on heap of sovcr-
cigna. the broken cash box being ON
the floor at his feet. A third man is
III The main cabin. Ho is standing be-
side an open drawer, his head partly
turned away from the door, but Madgo
fees he is tho greatest danger, and that
mt any moment hc may look round.
AS she stands there her eye falls en-
the strong key that is in the lock of tho
main cabin door. She can almost touch
It. II she did but just reach it, could
she lock them in before they could stop
her! Above all. would the key turn?
She knows nothing about its locking
powers, aud it might easily be rusty.
But Madga Hepburn is no coward and
The fighting blood of wild border
strain run, holly in her veins As she
made up her mind, she acted.
Concealment was now Of no use; she
sprang at the door. and as she did so
the third man turned and saw her. Two
steps and he was across the room, but
onc second had ,sulliced for Madgo.
TIC door banged to; tho key was still
indecl, but terror gave her fingers a
strength she did not know they pos
scssed, and before tho burglar actually
touched the door h,ndlc tho bolt shot
home A volume of Italian oalhs, and
n blow which all but knocked n panel
out of the door followed, but Madgo
seemed rs il she had wing,
to her feet. She flew on deck, and
now2 What is that which falls
on her cars but the blessed sound of
oarsa But alas What is that black
form tina. at the samc moment she secs