The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-18

was over and shrank down behind il
dcspairicgly.
But fortune was kind, the burglar
still searched busily, and Mr.. Murfree,
gathering himself for grand effort,
and nervcd to a point of desperation,
made flying leap, and, landing with
doris, grabbed the revolver, yelling:
Police! Thievcs!-Oh!-w
Over he went bumpety bump, and rs
he found himself PROSTATE upon the
floor with chair and something soft
and thick over him he finished his en-
clamation with g. it."
"Oh! Ulysses! Ulyssesr screamed
Mrs. Murfrce, tangling herself up in
the bedclothcs in her efforts to rise.
"Hclp! Where are you?"
Mr.. Murfrcc was on his feet in n
fash, holding in his arms the harmless
cause Of his fright and disturbance,
Mrs. Murfrce's fur cape, which she had
hung over the chair-back in front of
the dresser, and which, with its high
shoulders and collar, had looked in the
dim light like STOPPING figure.
Men think quickly sometimes, and
Mr.. Murfrce realized the situation with
remarkable speed, and, being on his
mcttle, determined not to be made a
fool Of
Knocking Mrs. Murfrcc's jewel case
from the dresser us lie fled, he rushed
ont of the room pell nell, stepping on
the cat the author of the mysterious
noises that had first awakened him.
With n savage kick he sent her ahead
of him. as he few down the frcnt
stairs and banged the door open and
shut.
Then he painted brcathlcssly up
again, sinking on the top stair, sore,
bruised and mad, just as his wife sue
ceeded in lighting the gas.
Burglar" he gaspcd
Where, oh, where?" she screamed,
eNcitedly, half helping, half dragging
him into the room.
Conc" lie managed to say; ''llnocllcd
him ovcr-got away-front door-scc
thcre!' pointing to the jcwclry strcwn
around the floor
Mrs. Murfrec gave one look, and
then. with that faithful sense of obli-
CATION to the tradition of her sex which
the average woman seems to possess in
an emergency, she proceeded to faint
away.
Mr.. Murfrcc dumped her into chair
He was too weak to hold her, and be-
sides he felt n iicnd:sh emulation in
glorying in his superior strength of
mind; SO, when She recovered, he was
picking mp the clcverly scattered
Jrinllcts with as bored an air as he
could assume.
"What are you scared of?" he said,
scorniully, mans gone, I'm here; !
rather think l have protected you,
even if ! am Il coward. Perhaps YOU
will leave the. light burning after this,
SO that shall not be Obliged to strug-
gle for my life in the dark"
And he wiped from his forehead n
few drops Of blood trickling from Il
scratch he received in his encounter
with the large pin on his cape burglar,
milking his face rs CORY as possible
with the small amount of material.
Mrs. Murfrec looked at him a moment
III u hystcrical way, and then, falling
on his neck, alternately implorcd for
@ivencss and wcpt over her former Sc
verify, calling him her hero and all the
delightful names which M. Murfrcc's
soul was thirsting for
I'll never say such mean things
again." she sobbed, never. ncvcr"
There! there" said her spouse
Strengthening up and putting on a
patronizinG air to conceal the nervous
shaking of his mnsclcs-scarce over the
recent shock. You sit down and
will search the house, so that we can
feel easy during the remainder of the
night
So while Mrs, Murfrec hid be-
hind the bed curtains, for fear of an
other visitor her Ulysses went out in
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