Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-04-07
freshman or play tricks on profes-

SOr"
And so we bantered each other as
we prepared for our needed rest.
Then blowing out the candle, we
both said our shortest college prayer,
and jumped into bed.
But we couldn't sleep till our eX-
citement subsidized, and so we talked.
What would you do, Kate" l
asked, sin real danger. Would you
faint or go into hystercs?"
Neither, Luce" she laughed, "Im
not built that way. I'd be as cool as
cucumber, and brave as lion in
any emergency. 1 often wished !
had chance to prove it,"
That's my case, exactly" earn
estly said, Il may be frightened at
at mouse. for instance, but l don't
think a man--even a robber-could
scare me. There! forgot to open
the window for air. I'll do it now"
Out of bed / got and lefted the
window shade and stood for mo-
ment gazing on the lawn. The sky
had been overcast in the early eye-
ming, but now the broken clouds were
flying before the wind. The old
moon, lately risen, shed enough beams
on the soft snow to make the night
effect of light and shade weirdly beau
tiful, particularly about the large
evergreen trees swaying in the gale.
AS l watched the dark shadows
they cast on the snow when the moon
peered through the cloud riffs my
attention was directed to the tree
nearest my window, its shadow
seemed strange, l thought. and at
times looked as if something or some
body was moving under or around the
dense branches.
Finally l whispered to Kate to come
take peep too.
There's something alive there, that's
certain" she said, after a moments
intense gazing, "but don't let it see
us. Keep out of the moonlight
Goodness it's man-two of them.
What can they be up Jo?"
''Mischief, Kate! They must be
burglars going to rob us See! That's
the end of ladder sticking out
Now, my college heroine! your chance
to distinguish yourself has come-and
Slip on something quick, and We'll
nip their design in the bud. I've got
pistol and you know how to shoot, If
/ don't"
1t was my brothers revolver l re-
ferred to. During my absence he used
the room and that loaded weapon was
in its case in bureau drawer.
showed it to Kate, and she
grasped it fearlessly, "Its fortunate,
tremor, ''that I'm tomboy enough to
like firearms. They call me a crack
snot down South when I'm home.
But where's your gun?"
'I'm more afraid of gun than
burglar. Stop! Yes, there's hatchet
in the closet. I'll take that" and l
did
'sNow, then, Kate" 1 quickly
whispered, "pm in command, for l
know the house. See! the fellows
are taking the ladder around. They'll
evidently try the back window of the
fireplace hall. Well sneak down and
lay for them, one of us on either side
of the window. While they are fore
ing an entrance you shoot and I'll
chop-but not till l order. Remem-
ber if we don't capture, or, at least,
wound them so they will leave tracks,
no one will believe us. Instead, we'll
be laughed at. Your nerves are
steady, Kate? You don't want to
yell for help do you?"
LEAD on! rll follow" smiled
Kate, with look that showed a true
college girls courage.
'All right, then" cody answer
ed, "Attention. company. Shoulder
arms! Forward, march!"
Hatchet and pistol in hands we
noislessly made our way past the old
clock, whose stick-tock, tick took"
in the darkness and stiffness sounded
like go back, go back" past the
ancient knight In armor, whose grim,
ghostly form seemed bigger and
f1ercer in the expiring glow of our log
fire, till we reached the rear window
Of the hall. Its solid shutters were
tightly bolted, and in order to shoot
when the time came we softly raised
the shade and sash. Soon our strained
ears heard the latter go up and the
shutter tried.
In the almost pitch darkness of the
ghostly hall we took our positions,
Kate to the right and l to the left Of
the window, and waited, wondering
how tho burglars intended to break
In. 1t seemed an age before we
heard a slight sound Of boring by
some tool the robbers were using.
Then it stopped and for while we
thought the attempt had been given
up to find another and easier en-
trance.
The suspense was more dreadful
than when we knew what the villains
were doing. While enduring that
awful terror, something l couldn't
see touched my dress. In spite of
myself almost screamed. But, hap
PLY. it was only the cat and l whis-
pered so to Kate for fear it might