Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-14

uiost enOugn 10 nave tnc carpet w0V(
by this time. Six dollars, they say, it'll
cost me. They never charge no such
price as that back East"
The can in which she kept the money
was on shelf behind the stove. She
went over and took it down, and than
sat down in an old rocking-chair, not
far from the window. The moonlight
shone in brightly. She took the cushion
out of the top of the can and emptied
the money into her lap. There was
quite pile of it.
"One would think there was con-
siderable more there is, to look at it, y
she said, lingering the money. ''If You
could call these pieces dollars Std OF
nickels, t would be. Might as we'll say
five-dollar pieces while I'm about it, /
suppose
She began counting the money, drop
ping each piece into the can as she did
50. She enjoyed the sound of the moneys
rafting. Two or three times
she forgot her count, and emp
tied it back into her lap and began
again. Suddenly she started, gathering
the money mp in her dress. She went
over aud looked out of the window.
The prairie was flooded with moonlight.
The light from the fire in the mover
camp lit up the white canvas covered
wagons. Everything was perfectly still.
She went over aud locked the door.
t. 81
over the moon. They arn't any chance
of persons gettin' out of sight as quick,
unless he Just went round the house"
She stood listening for some time.
sit Is all my imagination, Pm going
to put the money right back and go to
bed. They amt no such great rush
about its being counted, anyhow"
She sat down and put the money care
fully back into the can. She did not let
it fall in this time, but put each piece in
carefully, counting it as she did so.
There, they's five dollars aud fifty
five cents,-'most enough, " holding the
can between her hands aud looking to-
ward the shelf and then toward the win
dow.
"Now I'm goin' to bed. | amt goin'
to be so silly as to think any ones goin'
to get it. They'd never think of lookin'
in this can anyhow. They'd never know
it was can.
She put it back on the shelf, thea
turned and looked quickly toward the
window, trembling.
''Well, l didn't think I was SO silly,
but seems like | see somebody gnin' By
that window again. hadn't any bust
ness countin the money and thinllin'
about it. That's what's upset me. If I'd
lit the lamp and put down the window
curtain aud gone to bed in natural way,
I'd been all right.
She lit the lamp and drew down the
curtain. 1t was dark green paper
shade. Then she went into the little
bedroom, uudressed quickly, blew ont
the light, and got into bed, leaving the
door into the other room open. Sue did
not go to sleep, but lay there listening,
the fear growing every minute stronger
aud more beyond her control.
Once she SAT up and looked out into
the other room. Thea she got up anl
pulled aside the curtain in her little bed
room and looked out The moon had
gone under heavy cloud and the night
was growing dark. She could see the
other houses of the town from this
window. There was light burning in
the back room of her sons house. IT
gave her wonderful sense of security.
She went back to the bed and was soon
asleep. Some time near one o'clock she
woke suddenly and sat up in bed. The
wind was blowing around the house and
it was raining.
"There, that rain trough amt put up,
SOS III catch any water in that barrel!
The tubs ought to be put out, too. |
amt had any soft water to wash with !
don't know when"
All the fear that she had in the even
ing was gone. She began to think of
putting on her clothes aud going out to
place the tubs. As she sat there in bed
the window in the other room was opened
softly. A spool of thread that stood on
the upper casing fell to the floor She
heard the green paper shade give way
then she knew that some one was in the
room.
"Well, l wonder if I'm going to set
here stiff and let them take that money, "
she thought. "Just as like as not
they'd kill me if Id interfere. They no
doubt have their weapons ready
Everything was perfectly still for some
time. Then she heard the movement of
some one crossing the room.
Sounds as if they was maxim straight
for that shelf! They are! l can feel
their hand movin right along the shelf
toward it"
She sprang out of bed and shut the
door between the two rooms with such
force that the house trembled. At that
minute the can containing the money
fell with crash to the floor. The coins
few in all directions. Mrs. Dyer partly
opened the door and looked out. In
the dim light she could see the form of
man. He had one hand on the win
dow-sill ready to spring through the
oPeu "inoo"'
"lf you've got ANY of that money, you
drop it, Mrs. Dyer screamed, forgetting
all fear aud coming out into the room.
Don't you leave tAis house till you
drop every cent you stole
The man disappeared through the
WINDOW. Mrs Dyer went and looked
out. She could see him for short