The Opelousas courier., 1892-11-05

hall downstairs, before the door was
shut, in order to spend the night on it
when all was quiet; / had forgotten to
look for him, ard had fastened him in.
Then I heard voices outside of my door,
mems voices, and some n said:
"Confound that curl he wonld raise
the dead; the girl must be awake"
The head of my bed was just at the
door, and I heard distinctly. Isat up
in bed, instantly, my heart beating
loudly, SO loudly, that it seemed to me
I could hear it, for the unexpected had
happened, and these were certainly
burglars. My first thought was fol
something to put against the door, but
there was nothing | could move except
a small table full Of books, which was
on the other side of the door from the
bed. / knew it would not be much
hindrance, but concluded that the over
turning of the table and the books, in
case the door was opened, might EN-
barrass and delay them for a few min
ties; being top heavy, it was certain to
overturn if pressed against.
The knob was turned as I moved it,
and the door shaken heavily from the
outside.
"open the door, said a rough voice,
Cor I'll kick it down. suiting the action
to the word by a vigorous kick.
Another voice said:
"Hand out that money and them
Diamonds, little gal, and we won't hurt
you"
How my courage was screwed up /
don't know, for I was too frightened to
speak. lMlt I remembered a little pistol
which had been given me, and which,
being very pretty, / kept lying on my
bureau. it was so small as to be almost
a toy, but it carried one good sized
cartridge. knew where to put my
hand on it in tho dark and Selling it, i
placed it against the door panel, just
where the voice seemed to be, and fired.
There was a loud oath and a cry, and
q voice exclaimed no
stThe little vixen has hit me. inst
let me get at her and I'll twist her
neck," while the kicking and shaking
were renewed so violently that I knew
the doer could not possibly hold out
many minutes. did not wait FIJI it to
burst open, but rushed to the FROM win
dow, and threw open the blind@ the
night was a bright moonlight one, and
looking out / could see that one blind of
the parlor window below was open, and
the top not so far below that mPfoot
could not reach it while holding to the
window sill above.
swung myself out, holding On to my
own blind as I did so, and after several
efforts steadied myself on the lower
blind. I dared not let go, but swung
there for a moment, sick and dizzy.
Then I saw that the edge of the roof
over the porch was not over two feet
beyond the edge of the blind when wide
open, and up the side of the porch were
stout, wooden strips, nailed across to
support a honeysuckle, which had been
growing there so many years that its
stem was almost as large as that of a
small tree.
Idon't know how I ever did it; in
the day time, and in cold blood, it would
have been impossible for me to do it
again, but I managed to catch the
turned.up edge of the tin gutter around
the porch, and swing myself SO that my
feet caught OF mi Of the supports to the
honeysuckle, and, step by step, managed
to Chamber down. As the ground was
reached there was a crash upstairs, the
door having given way, and, with it,
down came the table and books.
/ waited to hear no more, but, half
crazed with fright, few, across the lawn
towards the side fence, 9 few yards be-
yond which stood the house of one of
the tenants. In order to get to it I had
to leave the shelter of the trees and come
out into the bright moonlight, my white
night-dress making me conspicuous as
did so.
There were two windows to my room,
one on the side as well as one in front,
and | heard a voice say from the side
one, stThere she goes; shoot her down
before she rouses the country on u.s."
There was the sound of a shot, and /
felt something like a cut OIL my arm,
which, all at once, became wet. / did
not realize that I was shot, but rushed
on over the grass in my bare feet, tumbl-
ing over the fence in some sort OF
fashion. and finally falling against the
window of the tenants house I cried
with all my strength:
nOh, Mr.. Jonesi save me, save mel"
Fortunately the house was low TO the
ground, and the windows within easy
reach, and I fell with such force against
the bedroom window that a pane of glass
was broken and both Mr.. and Mrs. Jones
awakened.
i remember nothing more until
woke to find myself on the lounge in
Mrs. Jones's room, while she stood by
me bathing my bleeding arm. Mr.. Jones
had reused his three sons, aud, Selling
their shot-guns-always kept on hand
for ~game-they had called the dogs AMI
gone after my two burglars. The moon.
light and the dogs had enabled them tc
keep close on their track, and / had the
satisfaction of hearing next morning that
they had been caught, tied hand and
foot and guarded safe to the county Jail.
They had taken nothing from my
room, having been too uneasy about
their own safety to linger after they
found I had escaped. / had shot the
man / had seen that day in the shoulder
and he was sons weeks in getting well.
The papers male a great ado about my
''heroic conduct as they were pleased