Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-26

the HeSSian his discharge. Soon after
this, Julia and were left clone in the
house, both our father and mother be-
ing absent on visit until the following
day, and we happened to be without
female servant at the moment flor we
only kept one). So Julia and / had
been remarkably busy since early morn
ing making various household arrange
ments with which we intended to sur
prise and please the old people upon
their return, and being unusually weary
proceeded to our chamber at an carly
hour in the evening We had partially
disrobed ourselves when Julia turned
hastily to the window.
81 declare she said, 1.-THE evening is
so pleasant that it is pity to remain
indoors. / don't feel bit sleepy; let's
go down upon the lawn" -..'....
We descended the stairs. How little
imagined what was in Julia's heart!
Harry Irving came up just as we
reached the lawn. He was only casual
ly passing the house. Julia engaged
him in conversation and he came and
joined US. My sister was more than
usually lively and engaging.
"Where are Tom and Edgar, and
WHIP" she asked, alluding to his
brothers. .... ..-.. .
"oh," replied Harry, ''they are over
at uncle's- They will be coming back
soon" ...... f.. .....
His uncle's farm was a mile off, and
his own house was about half that dis
lance. The three young men soon ap-
peared upon the road; and, to my sur
prise, Julia arose and proceeded to meet
them. Then she returned to Harry and
me, and called US aside from the door.
'Now, Mary, you need not be nerv-
GUS" she said, keep quiet and do not
speak above your breath. There is
man under our observation-disclosures and
she clapped her hands over my mouth
"a man under our bed, and the young
Irvings are going up to secure himp'
They all provided themselves with
heavy sticks; and then, guided by Ju-
liza, assembled the stairs,
AS TO myself, could not follow them,
but remained trembling and moaning
upon the doorstep, Never did l expe-
Fienee a greater sense of relief than
when the assaulting party descended,
looking partly ashamed and partly
amused, having found nothing to justify
their sudden armament Julia was in
an agony of modification and wept
piteously, for, although but half con-
yineed that her apprehension had been
groundless, the idea that she, who had
never till now feared any thing, had
placed herself in a light so ludicrous in
the eyes of those young men, was in
supportable. The man, she said, must
have taken the alarm and fed out of
the back door, for she could not have
been so deceived. Our young friends,
moro in pity for her modification than
from any belief in the reality of the
night intruder, offered to remain in the
vicinity till morning. but she would not
listen to the proposal, and they thus
took their departure. ....
was very sorry to see them go, and
watched their forms till they were out
of sight, for the affair of the evening
had almost frightenedm me into Mysteries.
Julia, however, at once rushed to the
| chamber, and hinging herself on the
! bed, continued bitterly weeping. She
| had exhibited herself in a character
which she despised, and her man under
the bed would be the talk of the neigh
borhood. I followed her, but neither
of US could compose ourselves sufR-
GENTLY to sleep.
| The clock on the mantel piece struck
| eleven; and then ''tick, tick, tick" it
went on for the next dreary hour. Julia
at length ceased weeping and lay in
thought, only an occasional sigh betray-
ing her wakefulness. Again the clock
struck, ''ting. ting, ting;;" but it had not
reached the final stroke when Julia,
springing lightly from the bed. flung
| herself upon an immense chest at the
further end of the room.
"Oh, Maryr' she cried, "quickl quickl
He is herel l can not hold the hd-he
will get outl Quieki quickl'
! There was indeed some living thing
inside the chest; for, in spite of Julia's
weight, the lid was lifted, and then, as
the instinct of self-preservation over
came my terror, / sprang to her assist
ance. Whom or what had we caught?
Imagine yourself holding down the lid
of a showman's box, with a beacon
strictor writhing beneath; or keeping a
cage top in it's place by your weight
alone, with hyena struggling to tear
his way out and devour you But we
were not long in suspense. Horrid
excavations, half German, half English,
chilled our very hearts, and we knew
that there, in the midnight, only the lid
of an old chest was between ourselves
and Hans Schmidt At times it started
up, and once or twice his fingers were
caught in the opening. Then, finding
our combined weight too much for his
strength, it would become evident that
he was endeavoring to force out an end
of the chest. But he could not work to
advantage. Cramped within such linn
its, his giant power muscle was not
wholly available; he could neither kick
nor strike with full force, and hence his
chief hope rested upon his ability to lift
us up lid and all. Even then, in the alb
soIute terror that might have been sup
posed to possess her, queer feeling OF
exultation sprang up in Julia's heart
81 was right, Mary" she cried; they
won't think me fool now, viii they2
I shan't be ashamed to see Harry Irv-
ingr'
Poor Julia! Under the cfrcum-
stances, the idea was really ludicrous;
but nature will everywhere assert her
self, and Julia hated a coward Thump!
thumpl thumpl Lid, and side, and end
alternately felt the eramped but pow
| A1oxuo Than oauaa tho 1fft-fha