Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-02-15
Supporting hts aunt s head upon his knee.

Supporting his dunts head upon his knee.
For long time all was silent within
the house. The light still stood motion
less as though Mrs. Westmacott remained
rigidly in the one position, while from
time to time shadow passed in front of
it to show that her midnight visitor was
pacing up and down in front of her.
Once they saw his outline clearly, with
his hands outstretched as if in appeal or
entire Then suddenly there was a
dull sOund, cry, the noise of fall, the
taper was extinguished, and dark fig
ure fed in the moonlight, rushed across
the garden and vanishe. amid the shrubs
at the farther side.
Then only did the two old ladies un-
derstand that they had looked on while
tragedy had been enacted. "Help!"
they cried, and ''help" in their high,
thin voices, timidly at first, but gather
ing volume as they went on until The
| Wilderness rang with their shrieks.
Lights shone in all the windows oppo-
| site, chains ratified, bars were unshot,
/ doors opened, and out rushed friends to
the rescue. Harold, with stick; the
admiral, with his sword, his gray head
and bare feet protruding from either
end of long, brown ulster; finally DR..
Walker, with a poker, all ran to the
| Westmacotts. The door had been al
ready opened, and they crowded tu-
multuously into the front room.
Charles Westmacott, white to his lips,
was kneeling on the floor supporting his
aunt's head upon his knee. Sne lay out
stretched. dressed in her ordinary clothes,
the extinguished taper still grasped in
her hand, no mark or wound upon her
pale, placid and senseless.
Thank God, you are come, doctor" !"
said Charles, looking up. do tell me
how she is, and what should do"
DR.. Walker kneeled beside her and
passed his left hand over her head, while
he grasped her pulse with the right.
s'She has had terrible blow said he.
at must have been with some blunt
weapon. Here is the place, behind the
ear. But she is woman of extraorti-
nary physical powers. Her pulse is full
and slow. There is no stertor. 1t is my
belief that she is merely stunned and
that she is in no danger at ALL"
Thank God for thatr'
1--WE must get her to bed. We shall
carry her up stairs, and then l shall send
my girls in to her. But who has done
this?'
Some robber," said Charles. You
see that the window is open. Sh, must
have heard him and come down, for she
was always perfectly fearless. wish
TO goodness she had called me-"
But she was dressed"
Sometimes she sits up very late.
81 did sit up very Late" said a v ice.
She had opened her eyes and was b .,k-
ing at them in the lamplight. "a il
lain came in through the window I'd
struck me with life preserver y u
can tell the police so when they come.
Also that it was little fat man. Now,
Charles, give me your arm, and shall go
up stairs"
But her spirit was greater than her
strength, for as she staggered to her feet
her head swan round, and she would
have fallen again had her nephew not
thrown his arms around her. They car
ried her up stairs among them and laid
her upon the bed, where the doctor
| watched beside her, while Charles went
off to the police station, and the Denvers
mounted guard oyer the frightened
maids