St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-02-22
Selected Story
A THIEF In THE NIGHT.

intentness OF a maiden lady's mid
night ears.
She had heard something.
The noise was repeated. 1t was
the sharp icy cracking made by d
diamond cutting glass.
Miss Abigail softly slid from the
bed, and felt noiselessly about with
her bare feet until she touched her
quilted and beribboned bedroom
slippers. Leaning forward, she put
them on. and reached out to the foot
of the bed for her dressing-robe. Just
as her hand touched its heecy brittle
crack warned her to lose no time.
She put on the robe and knotted its
silk cord in front, listening keenly
meanwhile for what she knew would
be the next sound in the long-expect-
ed and Often-rehearsed series.
A muffled scraping assured her
that the burglar, having removed
the pane of glass, was pushing back
the windOw-cat
II must make hasten' whispered
Miss Abigail,
Stepping with atlike silence across
the room, she opened the top draw
er of her bureau, and laid her hand
upon the revolver in the front right
hand corner Then from behind a
portrait of the Admiral, her father,
she drew forth small dark-lantern.
Meanwhile her quickened hearing
followed the whole process of rails
ing the window, though it was on
the floor below. Two deadened
thumps, barely distinguishable at
that distance, called out a whispered
comment from the lady:
"Awkward boOr he jumped in !"
With a sulphur match she lighted
the lantern, saw that 1t burn freely,
and then softly drew the slide. The
light, that had shown brightly for
but an instant, became condensed
into d single bright ray as she closed
the front of the lantern, and disap-
peared totally when the slide was
draw n.
Miss Abigail then retired TO the
side of her room furthest from the
door, and seated herself in a favorite
rocking chair. Cautious footsteps
brushed to and fro upon the floor
downstairs.
He must think I'm a fool if he ex-
poets to find the silver downstairs ~
remarked Miss Abigail, under her
breath She was becoming i'm
patient; inaction was nervous
state to her. Presently her brows
relaxed in the darkness. She heard
the burglar coming up stairs. He
paused at her door; she heard him
breathing. Then she felt a cold
draught about her ankles. He had
opened the door
That" Miss Abigail reflected,
''shows that he has prepared a way
of escape downstairs. The cold
draught shows that beyond a
doubt" A shifting sound gave her
another thought. He smells the
tin of my lantern-and its odor GER
tainlv is not pleasantly she admit
ted to herself. But it's no time to
be fussy. Here goesl" Then, snap
ping back the lantern slide and level
ling the revolver, Miss Abigail said,
sharply,
Put up your hands!'
She had pointed lantern rays and
revolver at the foot of the bed, and
Lighted as by a calcium raw, there
stood within the illumined circle a
sallow thin man, closely buttoned
into a frock-coat, which (as Miss
Abigail noted even them was very
shiny. and lacked two buttons. His
hands hung at his sides, and bis
mouth was wide open. His jaw had
dropped.
Put up your hands ,"
The repeated command brought
him to his senses.
We'll, I'm d"
Don't you swear; and put up
your hands !-or I'll blow your
brains out" added Miss Abigail, SO
coollv that the mans hands went up.
shes a regular" the man began,
but was interrupted.
"Hush'' Miss Abigail. Il will do
the talking just now. Go sit down.
There's a chair back of you; but
keep your hands up"
The man backed slowly until he
struck a chair with his heels. He
looked around to make certain of it's
position, and then sat down.
Miss Abigail had kept both lantern
and revolver accurately ranged upon
the moving figure. The burglar had
not been unmindful of this, as his
next question showed.
Beg pard'n, MIN" he began,
softly, and waited to see whether he
might go on.
Eyes ?"
But are you Miss Oakley?"
Miss who ?"
Miss Oakley, m'm-that shoots
in the Wild West, MIN Buffalo
Bits, m'm?"
Miss Abigail was not above tax
ing a suggestion from the enemy
Then you've seen me shoot ?" she
inquired, easily.
ooh, yes, M" said the burglar.
Il seen you Dustin glass balls only
- 200 And Ii WAS done