Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-08-08

ing, when 1t flashed across her that the
night before that brown bundle had not
been there. It is curious, she thought,
I will look again, and once more taking
the candle in her hand, she lifted the
valance and peered beneath the bed
when two fiery cleaning eyes lmet hers.
It was the work of q moment to drop
the valance and run. She burst into
Nellie's room with breathless Nellie,
there is man under my bed, we must
call some one!"
Hand in hand the two girls came into
the passage, when to their horror q
black, woolly head was cautiously put
round Clare's door. Nellie gave q
shrek and rushed into her room. Clar Q
remained where she was, petrified with
fright, till, seeing a dark form follow
the head and make toward her with
silent, rapid strides down the corridor.
she, too, turned and fed after her
friend, whom she found fainting on the
floor. She knew the man was follow
ing, and she could only trust to Nellie's
shrek having aroused the Colonel,
whose room was not very far down the
passage. She drew Nellie on one side,
and prepared to face the enemy. In
one moment he was in the doorway, and
then commenced terrible and almost
hand-to-fight. He never noticed the
unconscious figure lying there; all his
fury directed against Glare, who de-
Tended herself as best she could by
keeping him at bay with a chair. 1t
was evident the struggle could not last
many minutes, and, feeling her strength
giving way, she stepped behind large
table, holding before her the only chair
left within her reach. It was war to the
death, and she knewit! The man drew
near, seized the chair, and with dex-
ferrous movement twisted it from her
hold. As the danger increased, Glare
grew steadier, and her courage rose. It
remained for her to keep the table be-
tween them, for it was too wide for him
to reash across Backward and forward
they lodged, now waiting to gain
breath. Clare kept keen eye on every
movement of the form before her, one
slip, and she knew it would all be over.
As much Is possible she kept her ad-
versarys back to the door, 80 that,
should help arrive, he might be taken
unaWares. There was q sound outside,
and her eye frightened. An instant
later Col. Hilton entered the room, and
with one fell swoop the man dropped to
the ground.
Bhola, exclaimed the astonished
Colonel, how did he get here?" But
there was no time to waste, the house
hold were soon reused, restoratives
brought to the two girls, and Bhola
WAS securely fastened to one of the oak
pillars in the hall. Reaction had set
IN, and poor Clare's feelings were diff
cult to describe. The shock had been
. very severe one, and it was months
before she recovered her usual nerve
and presence of mind, and Nellie, nat
urally timid, although she had been I'M
conscious during the worst part of the
adventure, was in q terrible state of
fright, and needed constant reinsurance
that Bhola was firmly attached to the
pillar.
And Bhola himself, when he recov-
cred consciousness and found he was .
prisoner. made frantic efforts to escape.
but they were of no avail, and he sui
lenly resigned himself to his fate, and
to the failure Of his plan of vengeance.
The next day he was lodged in tho
county gaol. and brought up ct the fol-
lowing assizes when it trsnspired that
he had followed the Colonel to Ireland.
hidden in the strawberries near the
house. and watched his opportunity Of
entering unperceived The mistake he
made was taking Clares for Nellie, and
even when be learned that she was not
hn hated enemys danghtsr still 4 ~
0roe9h III - had been de1eated and