The free press., 1894-03-08

oooh VilGiu Ouu, Threw Inem aS1ue
and opened the window. 1 slipped in
and let myself down as far as L could,
while holding on with my hands. /
swung my leg around searchingly but
carefully. A fellow wouldn't want to
drop into tub of water or onto a
sleeping dog, even if his best friend
was sleeping upstairs and had an easy
way of believing all he heard and for
giving all he suffered.
Then L went upstairs
I think 1 was fully an hour in get
ting to the door in which [ expected
to find Jacks box. And / hadn't
found locked door anywhere. L
had, however, found more furniture,
in the dark, than / should have sup
posed was needed in the entire thir-
teen houses in the row.
The door was not even closed; it
stood wide open. And inside could
hear the slow, rhythmical breathing
of the sleeping individual against
whom the night attack was planned.
There were several reasons for being
glad that Jacks wife was absent at the
seashore, and not the least important
one was the fact 1 feared 1 should
break down and surrender before /
had finished the job 1 had in hand. L
thought of the revolver Jack had men,
toned, and my blood ran cold. 1
sank noiselessly down upon my hands
and knees and began voyage of dis
covery. / discovered chair with my
head hurt my shoulder on a table.
Jack had evidently been extravagant
in the way of getting new furniture
and eccentric in the matter of placing
it. After o time, however, L reached
the dressing table; 1 got my hand on
the big square box.
just then the man turned over. He
breathed as man never did when
asleep. Then he seemed listening in
tently. heard him raise himself up
on his elbows. A movement he made
was dreadfully suggestive of the steal
thy withdrawal of a weapon from be-
meath a pillow.
1 remained standing, and in most
unpleasant posture, for so long time
that l wondered vaguely if the cur
tains were not so thick as to utterly
exclude the light of day-making ex-
istence there one protracted night.
At last the man sank slowly down
upon his bed again. He stretched
himself and grunted luxuriously. Oh,
how tired / was! He gradually raised
the key and increased the volume OF
his breath. He was sound asleep
again. I crawled painfully out of the
room, tiptoed cautiously downstairs,
climbed out of the window, which L
easily opened from the outside and got
away from the vicinity of Terrace Park
place, while the rain still roared and
the darkness was unbroken. When L
reached my batchelor quarters put
the precious box on my bureau. Iun-
dressed hurriedly and plunged into
bed. It was almost noon when l.
awoke.
l came back to my senses very
gradually. When / looked about me
there was the box, Jacks box-only-
seemed-larger- different-
and
1 sprang out of bed. rushed over
to where the thing stood. lit was
different. 1t wasn't jacks at all. My
limbs shook. My hands trembled
violently. 1 almost fell down under
the excitement of the moment. L got
out heavy screwdriver, one OF the
tools 1 had bought for my burglarizing
exploit, and then decided not to take,
and I pried the box open. Diamonds !!
Diamonds! Great gems In the most
exquisite settings. Rings, bracelets
necklaces, brooches, earrings! What
glory of flashing beauty And l
lifted out tray after tray, only to hha
the tray more and more emphatic the
deeper 1 went. l had to sit down lor
few minutes to get my breath anu
steady my nerves.
I tumbled the diamonds into the
trays; I bundled the trays INTO the
box; I put the box into bureau.
drawer, carelessly scattering pie Oh
clothing-handkerchiefs, stockings,
gloves, ties, and SO on-over III l
locked the drawer and dressed as las'
"a cou1d. II must get DOWNSTAIRS