Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-25
HER BURGLAR.

Dear me, do wish Jack would come
home-such n stupid novel The idea of
that lackadaisical you're woman, Ilya,
confronting great, L, Y burglar with
her tiny revolver and s,a.ng him into
closet, and oh, hum, oh, hum I'm
30 sleepy sighed pretty Mrs. Norcross,
lounging back deep into the pile of cushions
around her.
The slow, solemn ticking of the big H.
brary clock and an occasional subdued
snap from the fireplace were the only
sounds to disturb the profound stiffness.
Mrs. Norcross sat gazing dreamily at
the logs slowly falling into glowing Goals
and ashes, in her mind vague vision of
big, brawny, heavy booted man he ny
backed into her closet and thought she
would rather object to the crushing ler
gowns would receive in the process
"But then, Of course" following up her
train of thought rather drowsily, she
wouldn't have on big boots-they would
make noise-dear mep'-out loud
"what was thati" And she suddenly sat
erect.
Surely she had heard a noise in the di-
rection Of the dining room.
All was quiet again, however, and not
being an extremely nervous young woman
Mrs. Norcross subsided into her cushions
again, thinking she had been mistaken.
Still, an uneasy feeling POSSESSED her,
and she remembered that she had sent all
the servants 10 bed, saying she would wsnt
till Mr. Norcross should come in
She picked up the despised novel and
read few lines, but it failed To claim her
attention, and again her eyes sought the
dying embers.
The drowsiness stole over her senses,
and she had nearly dropped asleep, when
she found herself half out of her chair
straining every nerve to listen.
Yes, II is no mistake this time. She can
plainly hear the catch I'm one of the long
dining room windows rafting gently.
A deadly feeling of suspense creeps over
her, and she starts with gasping shud
der, shrinking ~ from physical blow as
the tall clock softly chimes the half hour
after L.
The window in the dining room Is gen
tly raised, ami at the sound the trembling
woman suddenly becomes self possessed
and calm.
Rising softly, she turns down the blaze
in the tall lamp, and creeping out into the
hall hastens up the broad stairs and flies
along tho corridor to her room.
On the way her quick brain has devised
course of action. The servants are all at
the other end of the house, and she is vir-
tually alone, for the burglar would surely
kill her before she could rouse them.
She resolves that as there IL no man on
hand she will herself assume mans garb
and sternness.
Entering her husbands dressing room,
she hastily throws aside her trailing gown,
and snatching down trousers and smoking
jacket from the pegs and soft shirt from
the dressing case proceeds to array herself
in her liege lords attire with .rapidity
astonishing, considering the strangeness
of the apparel.
Pulling a smoking cap over the soft
masses Of her hair, she tiptoes into the
hall, and leaning over the balusters hears
steps In the library she had but just left.
"Oh," she thought, "I don't feel so very
brave IL / am In Jacks coat. What can
the horr!d creature be doing 80 long in the
libraryf Hush-he's at the desk Iguess
I'll get Jacks revolver. I've fired papa's
any number Of times"
Softly she re-enters the dressing room
and there gets terrible shock-there is a
man advancing toward her Can there be
two Of themi
Invountarily she shrinks back in terror,
ing noiselessly, for the man does likewise
in the mirror at the foot Of the room.
Still trembling from her sudden fright,
she creeps down stairs, gathering courage
at each step as she grasps the loaded re-
volver tight In her hand. Stopping on the
last step, just out Of the broad light stream
ing from the library door, she sees the tall,
slim figure of man busted with the pa
pers I'm her hua and'a desk
Half her terror dies away as she notices
that he Is well dressed and quite the gen
tleman In his appearance until the thought
comes to her-these gentlemanly burglars
are all the more cruel and relentless-and
as the man turns his head at this moment
she determines in her own mind that there
Is a hard, steely look in his otherwise
handsome eyes.
Deciding that Il would be wiser to sur
prise the burglar than to be surprised by
him, she steps into the circle Of light and
says in deep voice:
"Well, what are you doing here, pray"
The start the man gave was not very
guilty one, and the coolness displayed by
a burglar caught In the very act stirred
Mrs. Norcross' manly mind to wrath.
"Who are your" she demanded angrily.
"and what are you doingf"
The intruder took a step forward, at
which Mrs Norcross grasped the revolver
more closely and said most courteously:
II beg your pardon, sir, but ! would
like to speak with Mrs. Norcross a mo.
ment."
Recovering from the effect OF this au-
Il I.2AN. III