Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-10-21

heart sank heavily, to remember that
there was no one there TO greet her.
Still, she tried TO keep up show of
cheerfulness, as with laughing "Open
Sesame" and three loud knocks she
unlocked the door and entered. Til
dy bastened 10 prepare supper, while
Fanny slowed the boys in their cribs.
Then the two women sat on the piazza,
talking as women will as long as they
dared. When no excuse could serve
10 keep Miss Jones up longer my wife
ruefully lighted her 10 our pretty guest
chamber, dreading beyond expression,
no doubt, the return TO her own quar-
tiers.
IL hope you don't feel lonely. dear,
away up here ?" she said at last, TAX
ing up her candle.
"N-n-o. not lonely exactly" re-
turned the girl "a little afraid per-
haps."
Afraid ?" cried Fanny, and the
cold chills crept along her spine.
Eyes. little, because you were all
away so long and the house was left
alone. only thought some tramp"
Fanny interrupted her, saying as
calmly as she could
Then come down and stay with
me. l shall be glad of your COM
pany." How good my wife was 1 am
afraid Miss Jones guessed by her eager
invitation. She told me that if Miss
Jones had finished the sentence about
the tramp she should have tainted.
So the two descended to my wife's
room, which was in the "L" and open.
ed into the nursery, as well as upon
the piazza. / suppose that they I'm.
consciously frightened each other, fol
they carefully inspected all the fasten,
ings, which Tidy had secured hours
before. and began to prepare for bed
They talked till they were tired, thei
each tried to make the other believ,
she was asleep, lying with wide-opel
eyes and ears strained to catch tn,
hum of an insects wing. What .
comfort it would have been if the cal
of some watching sentry could hav,
assured them hour by hour that al
was we'll
AT last sleep fell upon them, bu
how long they slept they could neve
tell. Fanny was wakened by fain
sound as of some one trying the door
A lamp had been left burning in sue
a position that the door could be dis
tinctly seen. AS she listened, it slow
ly opened.
"Shut that door," she cried, witt
the voice of a clarion. 1t slowl
closed. Up sprang Miss Jones il
mortal fear, her face as white as he
pillows. The poor things looked a
each other in silence. Again the doc
began to open, and once more Fam
commanded it to be shut. The orde
was obeyed; but suiting the actio
to the lurking falter in my wife's voic'
no doubt, the movement was lie:
prompt than before. With one boun
Fanny sprang to it and turned tn
key, which was still inside. Then tn
women held a long and anxious cor
sultation. neither trying this time t
conceal her fears. There was no us
in waking Tidy, who would only ad
to the panic by rousing the sleepin
children. Dreadful as it seemed tn
only alternative was to call for hell
So they crept upstairs, and thrustin
their heads out of the windows, the
both yelled like Indians: Murder
Fire !" "Thieves p "Helpp Ala
their only neighbor was mile off an
deaf at that, and echo only answered
They descended and waited. Not onl
did the noise continue, but they dis
tinctly saw the knob turn. They ha
begun to barricade the door, whe
Tidy appeared. Miss Jones after
ward told me that Tildv's black eye
cleaned out of her white face, Xix
the eyes of the brothers of the Mi.
ericordia," from behind their masks.
Just then the baby lifted up hi
voice. My wife hurried to the nul
sery, and had only succeeded in redu,
ing his shrieks to simple whin,
when Tidy uttered a bloodcurdlin
cry:
Teddy is gomez"
Satisfied that it was too true, Fam
took up the alarm with variations
my boy is gone They have stole
my Teddy! !" AS near as have bee
able to get at the facts, the uproa
was at its height, when a muffle
pounding took the place of the tinl
ering sound which had so long bee
Gant I'M