River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-04-06

sleep downstairu IA tho new folding.
bed in The back parlor. There We're,
portieres between the rooms, but these
were drawn back and hung limp on
either side.
The "bed' was a large handsome
bookcase, with bric-a-brac on its top
shelf Mrs. Bascomb let it down and
admired it from all sides II took up
all the space between the walls, ex-
cept just ruom enough for her to pass
&c The little table under the mirror,
where HowarI's revolver lay. She
now pushed this further back and laid
her watch and chain-her wedding
present from her father-her diamond
graduation ring, her diasiond engage
ment ring and her purse. which she
took out OF the pocket of her dress, on
the table in a shining heap.
Il wonder if he married the tall,
thin ore, or the short. homely one,
she said to herself, and. going ot;t into
the parlor, picked up the book again,
and was soon deep in the plot.
A soise reused her. She looked at
The folding doors leading into the hall.
They were locked. she knew. Then
she turned her eyes toward the back
parlor.
IT'S the new folding-bed getting
used to being OPEN" she thought. con-
scious of a slight exhilaration in the
region Of her heart. Then she glanced
at a mirror, in which she saw the full
! length figure Cf man standing back
of the pOrtieres.
have heard il said, or read some
where, that every man is ready 20 pro
/ tect a woman from every other man
except himself At that moment Lot
/ sic Bascomb would rather have seen a
/ tiger standing ready to devour her
/ Her next surprise was at his manner of
address:
Coed evening, ma'am," and he
stepped from the portiere and stood be-
| fore her. "You needn't be frightened,
/ / amt gOin' to hurt you,"
what do YOU ysant?" Her voice did
not even tremble.
Il want the money yer husband
brought home that he's goin' II take TO
/ New York tomorrow"
] AA1AA AA0N NAANL ul0AlEN YOU
mean, bat my husband is on his way
to New York now. He left to-day at
noon.
She had risen from her chair and
started forward to reach the revolver
/ But she could not outwit the disap-
/ pointed and enraged burglar
He sprang to intercept her. and
| struck his foot against the folding bed,
/ throwing himself across it in his at
! tempt to retain his balance. There
was a grinding, whirring sound and a
complete disappearance of one of tine
principals in this affair.
Un that same night belatcd citizen
! hurrying home was accosted from the
lower window Of house lie was pass
ing in the residence portion of the city.
''Sir, oh, SIR
lie stopped, for 1t was a woman's
/ voice, pitched at an alarm key.
''Wiu you please find the policeman
on this beat end send him here in
stantlv~''
Can be of any assistance"
NO. It's burglar, and ] have him
safe
The policeman arrived, and with him
( the passer-by she had accosted, whose
| services We're aot required, however.
/ The policeman went to the telephone
and summoned help. Meanwhile he
took up position where earlier in the
evening the folding bed had stood. Il
was now shut up and looked merely a
massive bookcase again.
When the patrol wagon arrived this
/ bookcase became an object of imme-
diate interest. One blue-coatcd official
was stationed on either side and two at
/ the foot Mrs. Bascomb and the now
awakened Kitty were detailed at little
distance.
Now said the sergeant, and he
manipulated the case as Mrs. Bascomb
had shown him how to do moment
/ before.
II came down on the run, and there,
limp and half-smothered, was the
/ trapped burglar, his forehead cut and
/ bleeding from chance incision as the
bed haa shut up with him in an ex-
plosive embrace.
80, Clever Jim, you are at it again,
Here You are" SAID one of the police
men, as he snapped the bracelets on
his wrist. Your pals not in it this
time, as he handed him over to two of
the force.
That's him. said Kitty That's
the man that was lool1iu' for a girl as
/ he said was his sister Oh, the will
/ yum
! lie was taken away. tried and con-
I victed and sent mp for five years but
he never opened his mouth as to his
method of getting into the house. 1t is
quite safe to infer that Mrs. Baseomb
never resorted again to that very COM
mon practice of ladies who mail late
1 letters OF leaving the house door aiar.
I And the folding bed win remain book
| case to the end Of its days, unless it
should again be used as a burglar trap
Mrs. NJ. L. Rayne, in Detroit Free
Press.