Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-03-12

when heard some one coming up the
steps. The front door opened readily to
latch key and was closed after some
fumbling at the lock. 1 was just on the
point OF calling out when distinct CLEAN
of light was flashed through the glass
door 1 was simply paralyzed with fright
for a moment. 1t took no long course of
reasoning to convince me that there was
only one door between me and burglar.
The door was tried but it was deadlocked
and would have to be forced. [ heard
him move stealthily down the hall. [
turned out Of bed, replacing the covers as
if the bed was still occupied. then L
opened the door leading from my bed
room to the kitchen, thanking my lucky
stars that L had oiled the hinges after
washing the door. 1t opened noiselessly
and | was at the kitchen door by the time
his burglarship was at the other side, cal
culating how best to force tho door. I
blessed the heavy oaken door. T knew it
would require time to open it. But what
should 1 do with myself when it was
opened? My revolver contained the only
cartridge-one-th that we had. I knew
how uncertain one shot was, especially in
the hands of woman. l didn't care to
open battle where the odds might be
all in favor of the enemy.
So while he was on one side of the door
deciding how to open it, L was on the
other planning escape, or war,by strategy.
The idea of escape by the window while
he was busy at the back door did not
seem to me feasible. He might have an
accomplish, then would leave my house
to be ransacked. I procured the revolver
and took my stand by the door, pressing
close against it, for the burglar had be-
gun boring holes around the lock which
he could with ease then run out. The
lock was on the inside and couldn't be
gotten at any other way, though the door
swung into the hall to make more room
in the little kitchen. My plan was to
wait till he opened the door or looked in
through the hole he vas making then
shoot him.
As we stood there I white and tremb-
ling, nervously lingering my revolver, he
working away for dear life or plumber, L
got to thinking. If 1 should shoot him
he would die right there. Maybe he
would bleed all over my foor-horrible
thought, when the sight of blood makes
me sick always! But how was L to kill
him if didn't shoot him? / hadn't any
poison in the house except rough on rats,
and hesitated about offering rat poison
to even a burglar for it always seemed to
me a lack of delicacy for people to kill
themselves with rat poison. I shouldn't
do such thing. would take laudanum
or something aesthetic.
Then suppose that my revolver should
miss fire. 1 might be the one to suffer
death. Would be gazed at by vulgar
crowd and infinitely described by the
irrepressible reporter? Would the kodak
fend get a snap shot at me. then alter the
picture to the common type with stream
ing hair?" You know in those awful
pictures OF corpses of women the hair al
ways streams" Would Jack care?
Would he cry whole lot? I should
have cried in sympathy with Jacks i'm
aginative tears had not 1 been warned
just then that the lock was ont and 1
must prepare for the firsl stroke.
In imagination could see my man on
the other side. The door was now free
to swing out. He steps to the left lit
tie. His back is toward the trap. He
reaches out to open the door. My whole
plan is changed in the flash of a thought.
I will push the door, scream, point my
weapon at hum and be will fall backwards
down cellar. Without a seconds elaps-
ing, with wild prayer that he may not
have closed the trap, scream that would
have rent my throat at another time, I
hurled the door open. struck at the
masked face OF the terrified burglar, who
stood lamp in hand, with my revolver and
burglar and lam venk making doxn