Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-02-20
As the tran cost nothing my wife Il i'll

| AS the trap cost nothing my wife did
| not object to my setting it every night
| for the present. Something might
! happen, she remarked, and it was Just
| as well to be prepared in more ways than
| one, but there was point upon which
she was very positive.
ssWhen George William is old enough
| to go about the house by himself she
said, '.those decanters must not be left
exposed upon the table. Of course do
not expect him to so about the house
drinking wine and every thing that he
| finds. but there is no knowing what :.
child in the first moments of his invc<-
tigatiye existence may do"
For myself | became somewhat tired
of acting my part in this little farce
every night and morning, but when
| have undertaken any thing of this sort
am slow to drop it.
1t was about three weeks since | had
begun to set my trap when | was
awakened in the night by sudden
noise. | sat up in bed, and as | did SO
NY wife said to me, sleepily:
''What is that? Was it thunder?
There it is again. she exclaimed, start
ing up. '.What crash. 1t must have
struck somewhere" l did not answer
1t was not thunder. 1t was something
in the house, and it flashed into my
mind that perhaps my trap had been
sprung. | got out of bed and began rap
idly to dress.
what are you going to do?" anxious
ly asked my wife.
Il am going to see what has hap
pened," said /. At that moment there
was another noise. This was like two
or three heavy footsteps, followed by a
sudden thump, but it was not SO loud as
the others.
John" cried my wife, don't stir an
inch, it's burglars and she sprang out
of bed and seized me by the arm.
Il must go down. said; ''but there
is really no reason for your being fright
ened | shall call David, and shall
carry my pistol, SO there is really no
danger: if there are thieves in the house
| they have probably decamped by this
time, that is if they are able to do so,
for of course they must know that noise
| would awaken the soundest sleepers."
My wife looked at me and then slow
ly withdrew her hands from my arm.
You promise me-" she said, IF you
find burglar downstairs in the posses
sion of his senses you will Immediately
come back to me and George William"
| promised her, and slipping on some
clothes | went out into the second-story
hall. I carried no light. Before / had
reached the bottom of the back stairs |
heard David, my man, coming down. To
be sure 1t was he and not burglar |
| spoke to him in a low voice, my pistol
raised in case of an unsatisfactory reply.
Il heard that noise, SIR" he whis-
pered, land was going down to see
about it,
care you ready if it's thieves?" I
whispered.
Il have got the biscuit-beatcr," he re-
piled.
s'Come on, them" said l, and we went
| downstairs.
| had left no light in the library, but
| there was one there now, and it shone
| through the open door into the hall
way. We stopped and listened. There
was no sound, and then slowly and
cautiously we approached the door of
| the library The scene I beheld as
y
back a step or two. So did David, but
| in an instant we saw that there was no
| need of retreat or defense. Stretched
upon the floor, not far from the door
| way, lay tall man, his face upturned
| to the light of bull's-eye lantern
which stood by the mantel-piece. His
| eyes were shut, and it was evident that
ne was perfectly insensible. Near by,
| in the wreck of the small table, glasses
and decanters, lay another man, APP
parently of heavier build. He also was
as still as corpse. little farther
| back, half sitting on the floor, with the
upper part of his body resting against
the lounge, was another man with a
| black mask over his face.
| Are they dead?' exclaimed David.
| in an undertone of horror.
NO said I, ''they are not dead, they
| have been caught in my trap.
And | must admit that the conscious
ness of this created proud exaltation
| of spirit within me. / had overmatched
these rascals, they were Frustrated be-
| fore me. If one of them moved David
and | could kill him. But ] did not be-
| lieve there would be any killing. nor
any moving for the present.
| In high whisper which could have
| been heard distinctly all over the house
| my wife now called to me from the top
of the stairs. '.What is it?" she said.
What has happened?'
stepped quickly to the stairway.
Every thing is all right" | said in
| loud, distinct voice, intended to assure
my wife that there was no necessity for
| caution or alarm.
81 will be with YOU presently
81 am glad to hear that nothing is
the matter" said Aunt Martha, now for
| the first time opening her door. Il was
afraid something had happened"
| But | had business to attend to be-
fore l could go upstairs. In thinking
/ \ I / 4 -
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