Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-09-02

their spies if they're on the lookout
Then back. again after dark with our
shooting irons, and it'll go hard, but We'll
see some fUnr'
But what do you expect Sinfire and
me to dor demanded mother in some
CONSERVATION. Spend the night in the
woods in wagon?"
1--WE can arrange to have you go quiet
ly and put up at one of the neighbors', "
said |.
Il want to be herel" exclaimed Sin
fire. Let me stay in the house."
My dear, You would be murdered in
your bedr mother said.
81 shouldn't go to bed she returned
Il should be perfectly safe, and | might
/ be Of some USE"
THE house doesn't need ventilation.
Or you might shoot holes through the
doors with your derringer," said Henry
laughing.
Il should open the door before shoot
ing" said she, laughing back at him
Otherwise might happen to hit John
or you'll"
81 wish you wouldn't all talk in this
way" put in mother seriously; at
makes re feel very uncomfortable. OF
course it's out of the question that you
should stay here alone, my dear And
none Of the servants would dare stay
with you, or would do any good if they
did. But really, John, don't approve
Of the plan in any way"
Don't worry, mother" he returned
good naturally; 'nobody's going to get
hurt. We shall use our revolvers just
to make them stand quiet and be hand
cuffed, that's all. don't suppose there
are more than two of them, or three at
the outside And we shall be q match
for any three men in this county-eh.
| Frank"
"Who shall go and lay the bait in the
village?" inquired.
Henry has the best gift of the gab,"
replied John, land can go with him. in
case any loud talking should be neces-
sary. We can give them good dose
between us"
at is my opinion that there ought to
be no untruth," mother declared. I'VE
should not do wrong that good may come
of it. Nothing can justify falsehood,
and to deceive even burglar is to bring
! yourself down to his level"
BLESS your dear SOUR chuclled
Henry Il should like to be the one ras-
cal in a world made up of people like
you! But you needn't be anxious. moth
err. We are going to camp out, sure
enough, as soon as we have provided our
burglars with safe lodging. There may
creep in some trifling ambiguity about
the date, but It's not in mortal man to
avoid all error, even in burglar huntr
| We chatted over the matter till late
in the evening, examining it from all
points of view and perfecting the details
of the scheme. Mother dropped asleep
after awhile in the midst of formulating
some moral criticism, but Sinfire was as
wide awake as an angel, and her eyes
had a CLEAN in them which if not angelic
was at least demonic, and she was more
fertile in ideas than any Of us. She seem
ed to hold the whole scene in all its com
] plexities before her. noting any imper-
! fections in the plan and Immediately pro-
/ yiding remedies for them. My expert
ence, certainly, has never brought me in
contact with woman's mind so bril-
liant, original and replete with resources.
/ 1t was strange to think of us three sitting
! there with her. each of us regarding her
so differently and yet all united in one
thing.
! Only she and |, however, commanded
the entire simultaneously we knew the
inner secrets-but the talk never touched
on or turned toward the hidden things.
We spoke on the surface and of it.
confess, too, that | do not altogether
comprehend why her interest in this
affair should be so intense. What bear
ing can she suppose it ito have on her
/ fate? Probably it merely relieves the
strain of other thoughts Indeed can
not otherwise account for my own alb
sorption in it. As for Henry, it amuses
him, and he may have other motives;
| there is no telling. He may intend to
/ Captivate Sinfire by some deed of valor.
John is the only unimpeachably sincere
one among us. He wants to capture the
/ burglars, and that is all. 1t will be a
permanent to enjoy it.
The next day we began to put our
scheme in operation. Tom drove John
and Henry in the farm wagon. had
I intended going with them, but some
/ singular twinges in my right leg from
the knee to the foot prevented me-
I thought ! must have rheumatism and
deemed it best, in view of the coming
/ adventure, to run no risks. Tom has
not yet been admitted to a knowledge of
the whole Of the mystery. He believes
that we are actually going to the lake on
/ Friday evening, and this persuasion of
his viii greatly increase the spread of
the delusion among those whom we wish
to reach and will also obviate any pos
sible indiscretion on Toms part, for
there is no telling but the one particular
and confidential crony to whom alone he
would venture to confide the great secret
might turn out to Be the very individual
/ to whom it would be of the utmost pos
sible use. In times like these your near
est friend may be your deadhest enemy
So it behooves TO keep your eyes open.
OFF they went and in due time came
back, having fully succeeded in their OBJ
ject, at least so far as filling the neigh
borhood with news Of our proposed ex-
I petition was concerned They had also
loaded themselves down with sardines,
bologna sausage, smoked beef. canned
soup, hardtack and all other such mis-
cellany as amateur pioneers are supposed
TO want. We could have Jared snmptu-
onsly in the wilderness for month on
the supplies laid in for single "a hours
TO be sure, most of the things would be
as good next year as they were now, and
this was probably not their first year
either.
.'The arny's stores are ample, said
Henry at last after we had all been talk
ing and laughing together for awhile,
'.but how about the armory and the drill
Which OF the warriors here present can
perforatc green turtle soup can At q
pacesy