Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-03-17

Therel forgot to open the window for
air. I'll do it now."
Out of bed l got and lifted the window
shade and stood for a moment gazing en-
the lawn. The sky had been overcast In
the early evening, 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 ard shade weirdly beauti-
full, particularly about the large ever
green trees swaying in the gale.
As watched the dark shadows they
cas- on the snow when the moon peered
through the cloud riffs, my attention
was directed to the tree nearest my win
dow. It's shadow seemed strange,
thought, and at times looked as If some
thing or somebody was moving under or
around the dense branches.
Finally 1 whispered to Kate to come
take peep, too.
"There's something alive there, that's
certain, she SAID, after moments in
tense gazing, "but don't let it see us.
Keep out Of the moonlight. Goodnes''
it's a man-two of them. What can they
be up tor
"Mischief, Katel They must be bur
glars going to rob us. Seel That's the
end of a ladder sticking out. Now, my
college herOinel your chances to dis
tinguish yourself has cOme-and mine.
It's lucky We stayed up late. Slip on
something quick, and we'll nip their de-
sign 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.
I showed it to Kate, and she grasped
it fearlessly. "Its fortunate, Luce,
tshe spoke low and without a tremor)
.'that I'm tomboy enough to like fire.
arms. They call me crack shot down
South when I'm home. But where's your
gunl"
"Pm more afraid Of a gun than a bur
glar. Stop! Yes, there's a hatchet in
the closet. I'll take that" and l did.
Snow, then, Kate" 1 quickly whis'
pered, ''Im in command, for know the
house. See the fellows are taking the
ladder around. They'll evidently try
the back window Of the fireplace hall.
We'll sneak down aud lay for them, one
of us on either side of the window.
While they are forcing an entrance you
shoot and I'll chop-but not till l order.
Remember If we don't capture, or at
least, wound them so they don't leave
tracks, no one will believe us. Instead,
we'll be laughed at. YouI nerves arc
steady, Katel You don't want to yell
for help, do youl"
"Lead onl I'll follow" smiled Kate,
with a look that showed a true college
girls courage.
"All right, thcn," l cOOlly answered,
Attention, company Shoulder arms
Forward, march,"
Hatchet and pistol in hands we noise,
lessly made our way past the old clock,
whose ''tick took tick took" in the dark
ness and stiffness sounded like Ego back,
90 back" past the ancient knight in
armor, whose grim, ghostly form seemed
bigger and fercer in the expiring glow
of our log fire, till we reached the rear
window of the hall. It's 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 ladder go up and
the shutter tried.
In the almost pitch darkness of the
ghostly hall we took our positions, Kate
to the right aud at the left of the win
dow, aud waited, wondering how the
burglars intended to break in. 1t seemed
an age before we heard slight sound of
boring by some tool the robbers were
using. Then it stopped and fer while
we thought the attempt had been given
up to find another and easier entrance.
The suspense was more dreadful than
when we knew what the villains were
doing. While enduring that awful
terror, something couldn't see touched
my dress. In spite Of myself | almost
screamed. BIT, happily, it only was the
cat and / whispered 50 to Kate for fear
it might give her the shock l had re-
ceived.
A faint noise Of saving on the shut
ters luckily came then to dissipate our
panic and restore our nerves for action.
Scarcely perceptlble was the sound as
we listened with loudly-bcatiug hearts
and without knowing exactly what it
pOrtended.
Suddenly the moonlight shone through
small square opening in the shutter on
my side and huge, black hand in
serted itself and fumbled around TO find
and unfasten the bolt.