Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-11-30
A MARINE BURGLAR.

People said l was very foolish when I
bought 10 acre island three miles from
the shore and built my summer house on
it. bat laughed and said quiet was what |
sought and there | would have it, far from
the madding's crowd ignoble strife. Being
a bachelor, with few wants. took with
me only my man Henry, who was an excel
lent houscneeper and cook.
don't think | ever enjoyed myself mere
than the first four weeks | spent on the
island. In the morning | took to the
water or took a walk for an hour or so;
then I wrote for three hours, and the after
moons ! read and loafcd, and at night [
slept. Some days ! would row over TO the
mainland, and every day Henry went over
after the mail, unless it was stormy. Some
times had 4 friend or two to drive with
me, but no woman WAS allowed to come
ashore there.
was rigid in my discrimination on tins
point, for had not one Isabella entnor told
me two weeks b, fore | bought the island
that she did not thinl, ] was the kind of "A
man any woman ought to marry2
She had, and for that | had 1orsworn al!
women.
As say, was supremacy happy all by
bella had done me and | thill, that was
healing slowly, when one night the entire
scheme was overthrow.
That night WIS u dall, one but quite
still. and | went to bed feeling fairly com
Portable, as Il couple OF my friends had
been with me until o'clock and We're to
return early in the morning with n sail
boat for a fishing trip ont to deep water
About ! o'clock, on perhaps later, | was
awakened by hearinga disturbance of some
sort down stairs, and before l had my eyes
fully opened Henry rushed into the room
slammed the door ard locked it.
What s the natter" / exclaimed
Tor Gods sake, major" he 2asped, "get
mp and help me. There's burglars in the
house, and I'm done for"
Then Henry WenO down on the floor in a
heap, and lit a lamp, as there came a ter
rife banging on the door
The light showed me Henry covered with
blood, his throat slashed, lying there dead
or dying, as ! supposed
What TO do did not know, for the only
arms in the house were across the hall, and
the burglars had me shut off from that di-
rection and were rapidly demolishing my
door.
They swore and pounded, entirely regard
less Of the ordinary rules of burglary, for
they knew that so lar away from the shore
they we're perfectly safe.
go down stairs and get thataX." | heard
one of them say, "and we'll have this
id door out of the way in a minute.
We've done up one of 'em, and now we've
got to do up the other so there won't be
any tellin tales out OF school,"
Then he laughed, and | heard footsteps
down the hall and stairs
| knew there was no help for me there
and only a chance anywhere, and | took
that. One window of my room opened out
on back root and from that it was only
short distance to the ground Once out
of The house ] had one chance in Il million
OF escape In Il minute | was out of the
window, over the shed and on the ground
had on only my paiamas, and the sharp
stones cut my feet cruelty, but did not
think of that 1t was life, and life is very
sweet to us, even though some fair Isabella
may have slipped a drop of bitter into it,
Over the rocks and stones I flew, going l
know not where, thinking Of nothing but
escape.
What brought me to my senses some
what was my rushing into the water, and
Mt first thought of swimming out and
trying 10 reach the mainland, but ! was
only poor swimmer, and knew | should
lie drowned or caught and knocked on thu
head in the water by the burglars as a
hunter might knock muskrat on the
head, and the horror Of it drove me back.
Then / thought Of my boat but before |
started that way ! remembered that my
friends had moved it over to the MAINLAND
to return at daylight with the sailboat,
leaving me only my rockets to signal the
shore in ease of need, and what were sig
nails now Only a means whereby the muir
derers might discover me.
one thinks rapidly at such moments
fancy, and all this took place in much less
time than it reQuires TO tell it, but there
was time enough for the burglars to learn
was not in the room and with their quick
eyes see the window through which | had
escaped, and heard some OF them coming
along the course | had taken, and one go
ing down toward my boat landing to cut
me OF there
Then ainlessly again and utterly dazed
/ began to circle the little island, running
on the beach. They could not sec me, aud
my bare feet made no noise in the sand
and | rushed madly ahead, when all at
once / went down with terrible crash over
something on the beach. They were near
enough to hear my fall, and one of then,
Shouted
Here he is, Bill. We've got him D.
him for giving us so much trouble, we II fix
him now"
| thought about as the burglar did, but
RS | tried to get up found was in boa,
drawn half way up on the sand
almost shouted with JOY when / made
this discovery. 1t was their boat and once
in it and on the water | was safe. by this
time l could hear their footsteps along the
shore, which was quite rocky and rough
here, except the little bit of beach where
the boat lay, and they could not make sucl,