Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-29

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knew that the basement was as still as
the grave. 1t was his frightened im-
agination, that was all. She would see
the thing out Perhaps Dick was afraid
after ALL She whispered again.
"Do you want revolver?" she asked.
"No," he answered. II wouldn't
know what to do with it if I had one.
Then she saw him disappear down the
stairs.
She went back into the parlor and
picked up his hat. She smiled as she
noticed how new it looked, just like
everything else he had. Then she tried
it on and stood before the glass won
dering if it wouldn't make a pretty
riding hat. She remembered that if
any other man were to come back into
the parlor and find her with his hat
on her head he would promptly de-
mand a kiss, after the good old custom
But Dick-no, Dick would never think
of such thing, or dare to do it if he
did. Presently she wondered why he
was gone so long. He wasn't afraid Of
the dark after all. He must have de-
cided on very thorough search. She
wished her father would come down
stairs and discover that Dick had done
at least that much in the world. But
no; she could hear her father walking
up and down the room Immediately
above her, thinking of all sorts of things
that he called important, but which
did not interest her at all. She was just
beginning to feel lonely and to wish that
Dick would get through and come back
when she heard dull sound, as though
something heavy had fallen in the
kitchen. There was silence for a mo-
ment after that, and then she heard a
great crashing of glass and she heard
Dick call Justify for the police. Her
heart leaped up into her throat. She
wanted to call him to come back to her
as he loved her, but she could not utter
a word. She ran to the front window
in her fear and threw it open.
A stockily built fellow who looked
gigantic in the half light of the street
lamps was just making his escape
through the gate and down the street,
while right underneath her, bareheaded,
but still with his immaculate gloves in
his hand, Dick ran after him, still call
ing at the top of his voice for police
man. She saw them go, forty feet
apart, down the street at the best speed
they could make. She saw them disap-
pear from the light of one street lamp
and come out into the light of another
twice, and then she saw the stockily
built fellow wheel quickly around; she
saw little sharp line of flame; she
heard loud report; and then-she
tainted.
1t was but half an hour later that
cab drove up to the colonels door, and
Dick alighted-not the Immediately
clad Dick that he usually was, but Dick
with bloody handkerchief tied around
his head, and with much dirt on his
trousers, and his necktie all awry, and
with no gloves at all. He did not have
to ring at the door, for it was opened
ere he was half way up the front steps
by the colonel himself, who came out
with his great grizzled hand outstretched
toward him.
II came back to get my hat and over
coat" Dick began to apologize.
"No, you didn't" said the colonel,
shaking his hand heartily. "You came
back to see Millicent. Did you get the
fellow"
eyes, sir; policeman caught him
eventually, and he's in the station house
now"
"We'l attend to him tomorrow" said
the colonel. SIN the meantime come in
and see your sweetheart. She tainted,
and I'll tell you right here that if you
expect to wear hat away from this
house tonight it will have to be one Of
mine, for she has hugged that one of
yours ever since the alarm was given,
and it's rather out of shape"
Millicent, still very pale, was reclin-
ing in an easy chair when Dick entered,
and a maid was rubbing her temples.
She looked very much as though she
wanted to cry. Undoubtedly she had
been crying.
"Good evening, Milly," said Dick.
''Oh, Dick! did he hurt your" she
asked.
"He hit me over the head with some
thing down in the kitchen just as dis
covered him. But don't worry; the
doctor said it wouldn't amount to any
thing"
And then of course Millicent did cry,
and Dick stood staring at her and look
ing very foolish and very much as
though, as usual, he did not know what
to do; and probably he would still be
standing there if the colonel, in his
gruff voice, hadn't said to him:
$50 over and kiss her, my boy. Don't
you see that's what she wants?'
"But I'm all blood and dirt" apollo
gized Dick.
"Blood and dirtr' roared the colonel.
"Blood and dirt! You ought to be
proud of it. Why, you're the first mem
ber of your line who has had any blood
and dirt on him since your great grand
father was wounded at Bunker Hill. &c
and kiss her."
And Dick did, and it seemed to him
that fortune had suddenly concluded to
shower on him all her blessings when he
heard the colonel saying as he went out
of the room:
"I'll give you two just half an hour to
decide when you are going to get mar
ried, and then you must say good night. "
T. w. Hall in Harper's Weekly.
Agreed with Her.
Wife-I know I do foolish things
sometimes, and you do, too, you'll ad-