Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1891-12-11

ing ouI VI " blrs. fOyer went over 10
the window and. looked out.
. ''It does beat me how soon night
comes out he9s' sha said; "back in
York State we had little between time.
There's the moon shinin. away as il tho
sun hadn't only just left. You can see
the movers plain as il It was day.
They're much as half mile away, too.
They've got a big fire. IT amt likely
there's any more Aarm in them than
there's in me. I'm going to get out that
money and count it. They must be
most enough to have the carpet wove
by this time. Six dollars, thoy say, it'll
cost me. They never charge no such
price Us that back East"
Tho 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
fur from tho window. The moonlight
shonc in brightly. She took the cushion
out of the top Of the can and emptied
tho money into her lap. There was
quite pill, IF it.
"Ono would think there was con-
siderable more'n there is, to look at it,
she said, lingering the money. eff you
could call theso pieces dollars std of
nickols, It would be. Might rs well say
five-dollar pieces while I'm about it, 1
suppose"
She began counting the money, drop
ping each piece into the can rs she did
so. She enjoyed the sound of the moneys
rattling. Two or three times
she forgot her count, and emp
tied it back into her lap and begun
again. Suddenly she started, gathering
the money up in her dress. She went
over and looked out of the window.
The prairie was flooded with moonlight.
The light from the fire in the movers
camp lit up the white canvas covered
wagons. Everything was perfectly still.
She went over and locked tho door.
at must have been n cloud passing
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.
at 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 rs she did so.
"Thcre, they's five dollars and fifty
five cents,-'most enough" holding the
can between her hands and 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, then
turned and looked quickly toward the
window, trembling.
"Well, didn't think was so silly,
but seems like see somebody gnin' by
that window again. hadn't any bust
ness countin' the money and thinkin'
about it. That's what's upset me. If I'd
lit the lamp and put down tho window
curtain and gone to bed in natural way,
I'd been all right"
She lit the lamp and drcw down the
curtain 1t was dark-grccn paper
shade. Then she went into the little
bedroom, undrcsscd quickly, blew out
the light, and got into bed, leaving the
door into the other room open. She did
not go to sleep, but lay there listening,
the fear growing every minute stronger
and more beyond her control.
Once she sat up and looked out into
the other room. Then she got up aud
pulled aside the curtain in her little bed
room and looked out Tho 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. 1t
gave her a wonderful sense of security.
She went back to tho 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.
"rherc, that rain trough amt put up,
SOS I'll catch any water in that barrcli
The tubs ought to be put out, too.
amt had any soft water to wash with 1
don't know when"
All the fear that she had in tho even
ing was gone. She began to think of
putting on her clothes and 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, 1 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 I'd 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 stroight
for that shelf! They are! 1 can feel
their hand movin' right along the shelf
toward it'll"
She sprang out of bed and shut the
door between the two rooms with such
force that the house tremblcd. At that
minute the can containing the money
fell with crash to the floor. The coins
flow ir,o oil