The Penn's Grove record., 1894-01-05

s ttMischief, KAtei They muss De DUR
glars going 70 rob US. seel That's the
end1of q ladder sticking out. Now, my
college heroinei your chances to dis'
tinguish yourself has come-and nine.
IT'S lucky we stayed up late. Sup OF
something quick, and we'll nip their de,
sign in the bud. I've got a pistol and
0 know how to shoot, if / don't"
1t was my brothers revolver l re,
ferred to. During my aosencs he used
the room, and that loaded weapon was
in its case in q bureau drawer.
showed it to Kate, and she grasped
Il fearlessly. cts fortunate, Luce"
(she spoke low and without a trenor)
'sthat I'm tomboy enough to like hie'
arms. They call me a crack shot dow
South when I'm homo. But where'syour
gun"
"rm more afraid of q gun than a bun.
slar. stopl Yes, there'ss Ratchet In
the closet. I'll take that" and l did.
SNOW, then, Kate" I quickly whiS'
pered, sPm in command, for ! know the
house. seei the fellows are taking the
ladder around. They'll evidently try
the bsck window of the fireplace hall.
Wen 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. Your nerves ara
steady, Katei You don't want to yell
for help, do you2"
s'Lesd onI I'll followl" smiled Kate,
with q look that showed o true college
girls courage. -,
Gan right, then," I coolly answered,
"Attention, company Shoulder arms!
Forward, march,"
Ratchet and pistol in hands we noise
lessly made II way past the old clock,
whose stick took tick took" in the dark,
ness and stiffness sounded like ''go 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 reai
window of the hall. Its solid shutters
were tightly bolted, aud 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 u positions, Kate
to the right and I at the left OF the win
dow, aud waited, wondering how tho
burglars intended to break in. 1t seemed
an age before we heard slight sound of
BORN; by some tool the robbers were
using. Then it stopped add for a 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 l couldn't see touched
my dress. In spite of myself 1 almost
screamed. BIT, happily, it only was the
cat and I whispered SO to Kate for fear
it might give her the shock I had re-
ceived.
A faint noise Of saving on the shut
tiers luckily came then to dissipate our
panic aud restore our nerves for action.
Scarcely ~perceptlble was the sound as
we listened with loudly-beating hearts
aud without knowing exactly what 1t
~portended.
Suddenly the moonlight shone through
a small jquare opening'in the shutter on
my s-de and q huge, black hand in
serted itself and fumbled around to find
and unfasten the bolt.
Quickly l raised my Ratchet to chop
then a more daring and less horrible
plan Of action came to me.
Dropping my weapon instantly, l
grabbed the burglars hand with both Of
mine and bracing n knee against the
windowsill 1 pulled that demon paw in
farther and held it.
Hal hadn't pulled stroke oar in our
college crew for nothing. Nowmy gym
nastic demonstrating myself hand over
hand up ropes ard swinging on trapez
| bars-served me we'll.
Vainly those coarse, hard fingers tried
| like snakes to wind about mine ald hut.
them. Vainly that strong, rough, muir
derous hand sought to tear itself from
my college learned grip. The more it
tried the tighter I held.
"Shoot, Kate! shoot-right through
the shutteri Qu~ick-belore I weaken"
I yelled.
"Bangi" went a bullet. "Bangi
Bangw two more. I felt the muscles
relapse In the hand I clutohed. Mine
did, too. Then I let go, heard a fall
and shouts outside-and (they told me
afterwards) i tainted.
Kate and I both lay in heaps on the
floor whom father and my brother rushed
to our aid.
One burglar was captured alive after a
smart chase in the moonlightei snow.
The other-wM found where he fell.
But they never told that to Kate till the
coronsr's inquest and then they had to.
Detroit Free Press.