Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1890-09-25

dogs, lightning, or fire. He even dared
to right now and then. On the whole
he was as plucl1y as the average man in
spite of his conviction that the time
would come when he would have trouble
with burglar and a suit at law with an
old maid.
Durston. as you know, lives in a hand
some house on an uptown cross street.
He has always held that the maiority of
bgrglaries are effected through the
treachery of servants. He has, there-
fore, kept bachelors hall for many years
with the aid of only one aSsistant-an
OLD woman-a kind of heirloom in his
family. As he generally. dimes at his
club he has managed to live very COM
fortably without keeping boarding
house for men and women who might be
in league with robbers. His aged house
keeper is not ambitious. He feels con-
hdent she will never sue him for breach
OF promise nor permit burglar to make
a breach in the house.
Durston's library and bestr DOM are on
tho second floor. The old woman sleeps
in back room on the floor above. She
is very deaf, so when Durston wishes to
call her he touches button at the head
of his bed. This sends a mild electric
current through the reclining form of
the housekeeper upstairs. She approves
Of this process in the belief that it
tends to hold her rheumatism in check
1t seems very shocking way to treat
an old woman, however. And then
Durston must find it unpleasant to
discharge servant two or three times
day.
But let US return to our burglar. One
night last winter Durston reached
home rather earlier than usual. As
was his custom, he examined the doors
and windows in the lower part of the
house and then went to the library. He
found his smoking-jack and slippers
in their accustomed place. wood
fire was cracking in the crate and de-
canter Of whisky and box of cigars
tempted him from the center table,
Durston smiled contentedly as he drew
an easy chair toward the fire. Life
was very pleasant to him. He was one
OF those happy bachelors who have no
regrets. Not. that Durston lacked
sentiment. Far from it. Ia fact. he
was not at al: what the world calls a
practical man.
No, Durston was inclined to look at
the romantic side Of life, and as he
smoked perfecto and slipped hisiwhisky
and settler in front of the blaze that
night he INDUCED in imaginings that
would have shocked the hard headed
houselseeper upstairs worse thandi her
private electric current the day the bat
terry was overcharged. =. j
Durston had for the moment forgot
ten all about old maids and burglars.
He was in a condition . of bodily
and mental @rcpose that drove into
outer. darkness all the, unpleasant
things of life. Finally the convictions
came upon him slowly that it was time
to go to bed. He fought hard against
the proposition, but there was no escape
for him. Looking at his watch he. found
that itwas long after one o'clock.
Tuning out the lights in the library he
entered his bedroom. He was still i1I'sa&
state OF sleepy eontentme Just as he
was about to put out the gas he was
startled by a Slight noise. that seemed
to come from the cellar. He. listened
in.ently, Five minutes passed, but
there were no further, sounds from hes
low. Durston surrounded himself. by