Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-12-31

4 mlon. der rear OF DelnR rODp6u SeenSu 70 DO
/ fast assuming the proportions OF monoma-
/ MIA; she was forever abiding to the strong
| box in the dining room, which Chris in vain
| urged her to have removed to some place OF
| safety, and these illusions were as often as
not made while Martha was in the room.
'Since you distrust poor old Martha so
much" Chris could not help observing one
| day, 81 wonder that you are not moro careful
| OF what you say before her."
"My dear" returned Miss Ramsden, II
| that women intends letting thieves into the
house, it is better that she should know where
my valuables are than that she should bring
| her confederates into our bedrooms to cut
our threats. Even as it is, can't rest for
| thinking Of what may happen, though she
| surely must be aware that there Is nothing
worth stealing in this room. Yesterday after
| noon, when you had left me all alone,
thought would try to read the newspaper,
and the first thing saw was dreadful lead
ing article about the burglary season being
| at hand"
Chris also had read the leading article in
question, and it had made her a little uncom-
Portable. 1t referred principally to the I'M
pleasant habit adopted by the modern burglar
of arming himself with a revolver, and the
conclusion arrived at by the writer was that
modern householders could not do better
than follow his example. Chris had no re-
volver; but she took to sleeping with her
Spanish knife under her pillow, and she Ike
wise took to waking up with q start three or
four times in the course OF the night Her
aunt had so harped upon the probability OF
the house being broken into that she felt as If
the occurrence of that catastrophe was mere
question Of time.
As for Martha, she frankly confessed that
she double-locked her door when she retired
for the night. "And / wouldn't stir if card
any one movin' about below, my dear-no,
MOTOR snythink you could offer me. Let 'em
take all they can get; it won't be much, you
may depend. Don'tyou believe a word about
Miss Rebecca's box as she says is full of
money. She's a deal too cunning to run such
risks as that"
One night Chris was awakened by a tremu-
lous tapping against the wall which separated
her bedroom from that in which her aunt
slept. She jumped up at once, slipped on her
dressing-gown, and presently found Miss
Ramsden sitting up in bed, pale and trem-
bling.
at has come at last" the old woman whis-
pered; ''I knew it would There's a man in
the dining room"
care you sureP" asked Chris.
Perfectly certain. 1 distinctly heard
window opened, and then a fOotstsp in the
hall"
Chris stood for moment listening in
. tently. "I can't hear a sound" she said.
olcourse you can't and thatis what shows
+ that he must be in the dining room. We
should hear him If he were in the drawing
. room, which Is just underneath this. But no
doubt he has been told where to CO."
"Well," said Chris, quietly, "if there is
: really anybody there, we mustn't let him get
-: off," And she moved toward the door.
'Stop, stopl' exclaimed Miss Ramsden, in
an agitatsd whisper. "What are you thinking
Of chldi Do you suppose you can do any
thing against great strong BURGLAR"
"I can identify him, at all events, J." answered
Hbr;o. "a har &c faar nd
.. monstrances, she left the room and stole
: softly downstairs, her knife ready in her
hand.
She had been nervous enough before the
! danger presented itself; but now that 1t had
2 come, she had no notion of showing the white
feather.
Chris approached the dining room door on
! tiptoe, and pausing for an instant, with her
ear close to the key hole, was made aware
that she had been aroused by no false alarm.
|. Somebody was undoubtedly in the room, and
y was moreover making use of file with very
: little apparent regard to the noise produced
by his operations. For one moment Chris
= hesitated. She had heard that BURGERS sell
y dom go to work single-handed and 1t was evil
y dent that II there were two men there, she
4 would not only be overmatched, but would
= have no opportunity given her to use her
y weapon. However, she determined to chance
. that. She turned the handle of the door
|. which did not yield 1t was locked on the
inside. This check, which might have been
y anticipated, did not discourage her for any
l. longer time than it took her to reflect that
o there was no possible way of escape through
the dining room window, which overlooked a
q broad ana deep area, protected by spiked
" ratings, and that the robber must needs eff
l. feet his exit, as he had made it his entrance
through the hall window, which, as she could
>; see, was wide open. She returned to the door
y knelt down beside it, and listened.
She could tell as well as if she had been in
e the room what the thief was about. He was
II trying to force open the stronghold, and he
had found himself obliged to file through the
"a heavy iron clamps which secured it. 1t was
o. long business, and he did not seem to be
- making satisfactory progress with it
.. for Chris could distinctly hear him mutterine
"a and cursing under his breath What reas.
y sured her was that no responsive murmurs
y were audible, so that it might safely be con.
II Guided that he had undertaken the job with.
n out help. That being so, she did not feel muct
u afraid of him. She was prepared to spring
10 upon him the moment that he came out, an6
% rs he would be taken by surprise, there was
70 o very fair chance mat he might be forced Il
Eelinquish his booty.
3. At the expiration of quarter of an hour
VI during which time not d sound was heard IL
any other part of the house, he appeared tc
az make up his mind that he could not force thu
/; box open and must carry it away with him
1t was plain, from his scufling movements
and laborod breath, that he was lifting somC
4 heavy weight; then his footsteps slowly drew
K near the door; then the lock was turned anC
d then h "mergad-a tall, slight man, STOPPING
under the load which he bore upon hi
W shoulder.
Is Chris, who had retired few PAGES, had hin
y practically at her mercy, and if she failed Il
III tallo as complete advantage of her opportun
y fly as she might have done, that was perhaps
because, when it comes to stabbing anybod,
81 Owen thief-in the back, hereditary instinc
er is apt to enter protest. Be that as it may
10 the wound which she inflicted upon him wa
a mere scratch. Her knife just glanced owe
his right shoulder, ripping up his coat ant
scarcely more than grazing his skin; but tn
effect Of the onslaught was all that could hav
~ been desired, He uttered sharp crv droppet