The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-02-01
A DOUBLE CATCH.

saw a face more terribly battered and
bruised, aud sympathy for him was as
quickly stirred as curiosity to know how
he had received such injuries. His words
to the conductor, with their soft and lag
gard enunciation, betrayed to me his outh-
ern birth. and as the southern nature is So
ciable, genial, easily approached and does
not repel kindness and politeness as intru-
slve, 1 soon managed to open conversation
with Colonel Harden. CThe southerner
does not travel without his title.) With
dellcacy the colonel referred to his condi.
ton, seeming to feel that he must be Il re.
pulsive sight to all who looked upon him
He old me the following experience, which
increased not only my sympathy, but my
ADMIRATION Tor the fearlessness which had
been wiling to a desperate foe:
My HON is in Alabama" the colonel
began. Il am on my way back to it now
A month ago l was called to St. Louis on
business aud was invited to stay at the
home of my friend there. Judge Ryan. His
house, located on b street, was a fine
one, and l was charmed with his family-a
wife and two daughters.
1T was just the kind of house that would
prove a temptation to burglars, for wealth
had filled it with everything to reward the
entrance of such nocturnal visitors.
1t was the third evening of my visit that
we sat around the library until so late an
hour we were all prepared for speedy and
sound sleep.
1T must have been shout two hours past
midnight when a wild. piercing shrek
from Miss Ryan's room made me spring
from my bed in full consciousness that
danger caused the cry. In an instant she
screamed again and continued to do SO.
Stopping only long enough to jerk my
trousers on, l rushed into the hall and
bounded toward her door. AS ! did so a
large, rough looking man, the outline Of
whose form | could see by the light of q
lamp in the side street, dashed by me, JOS
thing me as we came together. With the
quick comprehension which danger awak-
ems, | took in the situation. A burglar had
entered Miss Ryan's room, had been dis
covered and was now on the bound Tor
freedom. Quicker thar a flash | was on the
bound for him as he went leaping blindly
through the dark hall, with which he was
evidently not as familiar as myself. So
Unexpectedly pursued, he did not, in his
terror and excitement, take the means of
exit which we afterward found he had pro-
vided. | got my hand on his shoulder, but
with a violent plunge toward the floor he
pulled from my grasp and darted into the
bathroom with a bang of the door, which
be locked.
by this time all the family had reached
the hall ana We're demanding aud plead
ing with me not to risk my life, but that
wild cry Of Miss RyAn's aud the SHIT Of
the bur!y, Ua>tardIy villain had fired my
blood. | l~icrccly threw myself agaius. that
door, ordering him to open it, or he should
ule for bis vIIlainy.
"The wretch replied with anger and bit.
terilr>S that he wa, armed to the teeth and
ready for M if | attempted to get in. HIS
words and tone only intlamed my deter
mlnatiOn to get my hands on his miserable
throat. ! launched myself against the door
with all the force of body which | could
command. 1t gave way, dashing me SO
violently against the brute that he stag
gered back to the wall, and his pistol fell to
the floor.
HE could not recover himself before |
was on him and at him with blows that
stunned and partially disabled him. But
did not have things my own way. He
fought like a wildcat, as my wounds and
bruises attest, kicking, biting and striking
in every way possible, but | got him down,
seized his pistol from the floor and placed
it to his temple till Judge Ryan, who, being
an Invalid, had not attempted to aid me,
rushed in with a policeman, summoned by
his telephone. The wretch, frothing, ours
ing and threatening vengeance, was hand
cutfed and landed safely in Jail. When |
saw him leave the house, a terrible reaction
overcame me, ana | sank upon my bed weak
and unconscious. had received blows over
my head and about my temples and heart
that gave the physician who was called
grave fears of my recovery, but / came out
all right, barring this terrible laceration
and bruising about my face and throat.
1T turned out that l had fought and
brought to justice one of the most notori-
GUS characters ON the continental crimi-
nal whom detectives had been tracking for
years without being able to lay hold OF.
There being more than one charge against
him, the length Of his sentence will likely
give him ample time to forget who was in
strumental in closing his inglorious career.
Now, my friend" and here a gentle
smile played over the colonel's face, now
comes the romance of the tragic affair. l
am not a married man, but my battle in
! Miss Ryan's defense has won me the hope
and expectation that | soon will be-as
soon indeed as | can stand at the altar
without looking as if l had just come out
from a street fight or d barroom fracas.
THE burglar and | were both taken pris-
oners in Judge Ryan's home-he by the Off
GERS of the law, | by his sweet faced daugh-
ter. 1t was worth all the damage l sus-
tanned to have that lovely creature coming
daily to inquire for me and asking over
and over again what she could do to repay
me. never put but one value on the serv-
ice rendered, and when l told her my price
one day, right in her fathers presence, for l
was too honorable to attack her otherwise
or to take advantage of her sympathy for
me, she lifted her beautiful eyes, first to
rae, then to her father, and said with a
smile that made me think of heaven: 'Fa-
ther, don't you think it's worth it2 l am
sure neither of us ought to question his
right to what he asks"
Here the hero was overcome-he was too
full to say more. My heart went out to the
colonel. | grasped his hand and begged
to be informed when his wedding came off.
In a few weeks an invitation came to me,
n l never bought a wedding present with
such pleasure in my life as the one l sent
the colonel's bride.-Cincinnati Post.
Sir Walter Raleigh's Garden.
1t is now 300 years since Sir Walter Ra.