Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-04

~@@~~~A midnight prowler, he could not be ex- pected to protect his, neighbor's prop erty-the property of a neighbor who had called his family gang
 But, horrorsi The man was no fruit thief, for he had taken the ladder to- ward the Maytham house-placed 1t in the shadow cast by the moon, and stood motionless a moment as if to rest. Xvi dently he was burglar and knev his business, for it was town talk that the Maytham house was expensively fur nished, and contained much solid silver ware, besides great deal of bric-a-brac worth Its weight in gold. Probably the windows, inside the blinds, were wide open-all country windows were during the dog days. Let that ladder once be raised, and the thief at its top, and Zenas was sure that the frail blinds would prove no obstacle to the fellows wicked designs
 But what could the unsuspected ob- server do2 He could not move toward his own house without being seen and heard; even were he within his doors he had no firearms, no telephone, no bur glar alarm. He might slip out through the shadows to his gate and thence to 
 away, but before any officer could come the robbery would be accomplished Worse still, the fellow, flushed with success, might move the ladder across the fence and enter the Bortley home. True, Zenas owned no valuables ex- cept his wife and children, but the thought of the ruAf1an prowling about his sanctuary was not to be endured for T1,,ll hn fho %ol10sry away by making a noise? Perhaps; but he had heard of burglars who ran right at noise instead of away from it. Should the burglar attack him, there would be nothing to do but give up the ghost at once, for his heart was al- ready in his throat, and he felt unable insured for only @ thousand dollarsl
 Terror and excitement had made him so wild that exhaustion speedily fol- lowed, with its consequent apathy. Even his conscience followed the lead of his will and became utterly demoral- ized. It was too bad, on general prin- ciples. that a house should be robbed, but that particular house. probably fur nished with the wages of Maytham's crime-well, the little man recalled without bit of shame, and to his great satisfaction, the infamous old saying that "the second thief is the best owner" And really-this as his con- science attempted to rally-might not spoliation be a Judgment upon the woman who had been so blind, insen- sate and brutal as to call the Bortley family-the larger and better part oft, 0 "gang?"
 But why all this worry and terrorP Probably the man was after all only @ common fruit thief. Only few feet from where the ladder had been dropped was @ great tree of "straw- berry" apples, which the Bortley chill dren had been seying wistfully for a fortnight, as the blush on the fruit had deepened to crimson. Such apples com manded @ high price, as Bortley had learned to his sorrow. Well, if the tree were robbed his childeen would be de- | livered from farther temptation; such ! trees were not safe when he was @ boy. He recalled, with wicked chuckle | which was almost audible, how he once had braved bulldog and shotgun to de spoil just such tree. Perhaps Q tree of apples might not seem worth
 much to that proud woman.
 Just then the man began to raise the
 ladder, not to the apple tree, but against the side of the house. At
 the same instant Bortley's heart and
 head began to throb as if they would
 burst. He feared heart disease and
 apoplexy. He closed his eyes and tried
 to think of something else. What was | in his mind moment before? Oh, yes
 that proud woman-womap-w
 In on instant the little fellow slipped
 out of the hammock, and, with jaws
 tightly set and nerves and muscles like
 bundles of steel wires, had bounded
 across the fence and toward his neigh
 bor's house. Short though the distance
 was, he had time, as he ran, to realize
 that his wits had never before been SC
 clear since the night he proposed to the
 angelic girl who afterward became his
 wife. The ladder had touched the wall
 making considerable noise, but tho
 burglar did not seem to mind this, fo
 he already had foot on the loves
 round when Zenas, springing in iron
 of him, gave the ladder a push ant
 shake that threw it backward. Tn
 unknown man sprang off quickly, bu
 in an instant Zenas had him by tn
 throat, and, bearing him backward, go
 him upon the ground.
 For a moment or two there was
 fierce struggle; then the man, appear ing to yield, turned on his side. Zenas } fearing he had killed the fellow, re faxed his grasp, but in an instant h saw hand drawing a pistol from
 jacket pocket. Quickly the weapon wa wrested away and tossed aside, and tn struggle by natural arms began again Zenas recalled as if by magic all tn F ongforgotten fstic lore of the schoo yard and village green, but his antag onist was larger than he, so the littl ? fellow devoted himself to lodging, an even some skill at this art did not CT
 tirely save him. First he became COT B scious that he could not breathe throug r his nose; then he lost the sight of on l eye, and his chest ached dreadfully, bu Q he availed himself of another youthfr |, trick, practiced by small boys wh t were attacked by bullics-he got behin ? his antagonist and secured a tight co r lar-grip with both hands, brought u n hia lxnea SharDlv oroiDSt the burplar