The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-11-19

fore sic began to speculate upon it.
While she was specializing it ceased, and
after short interval she distinctly
heard a stealthy step upon the stair, and
the handle of the passage door before
mentioned was gently, very gently,
turned.
Jane has some of that quickness of
perception which has been of such use
to myself through life. In moment
she had grasped the situation. Some
one was in the house. In another mo-
ment she was hanging out of her bed
room window, springing the policemans
rattle which she had had by her for
years with view to an emergency of
this kind, and at the same time-for she
was a capable woman-blowing pierre
ing strain on claimants whistle.
To make long story short, her extra
ordinary presence of mind was the saw
ing of us. With her own eyes shs>saw
two dark figures fly up our area steps
and disappear round the corner, and
when policeman appeared on the scene
half an hour later he confirmed the fact
that the house had been broken into by
SIlOWluS us 1lOW jill dIlCS 1lotu UC0u
effected through the kitchen window.
There was of course no more sleep for
us that night, and the remainder of it
was passed by Jane in examining the
house from top to bottom every half
hour or so, owing to a rooted conviction
on her part that burglar might still be
lurking on the premises, concealed in
the cellarette, or the jam cupboard, or
behind the drawing room curtains.
By that mornings post heard, as I
expected I should do, from Sir George
Danvers, but the contents of the letter
surprised me. He wrote most cordially,
thanking me for my kindness in under
taking such heavy responsibility Il am
sure never felt it to be so) for an entire
stranger, and ended by sending me
pressing invitation to come down to
Stoke Moreton that very day, that he and
his son, whose future wife was also stay
ing with them, might have the pleasure
of making the acquaintance of one to
whom they were SO much indebted. He
added that his eldest son Charles was also
going down from London by a certain
train that day, and that he had told him
to be on the lookout for me at the sta
ton in case was able to come at such
short notice. made up my mind to go,
sent Sir George a telegram to that effect
and proceeded to fish up the jewels out
cf the tea caddy.
Jane, who had never ceased for one
instant to comment on the event Of the
night, positively shrieked when she saw
me shaking the bag free from tea leaves.
Good gracious! the burglars!'' she ex-
claimed. ''Why, they might have taken
them if they had only known"
OF course they had not known, as
had been particularly secret about them;
but wished all the same that | had not
left them there all night, as Jane would
insist, and continue insisting, that they
had been exposed to great danger. |
argued the matter with her at first, but
women, find, are imperviOus, as q rule,
to masculine argument and it is a mis-
take to reason with them. It is, in fact,
putting the sexes for the moment on an
equality to which the weaker one is I'M
accustomed and consequently unsuited.
A few hours later was rolling swiftly
toward Stoke Moreton in comfortable
smoking carriage, only occu lied by my
self and Mr.. Charles Danv rs, a hand
some young fellow with p'tle face, and
that peculiar tired MAJ ner which
Though, as soon found, natural to him)
is so often affected by the Jung men Of