The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-03-15
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mug u get hu1y. ppm a fool. No
wonder Samantha said so. ! will cer.
talnly find out what is outside of
those curtains and this time Sa.
mantha shan't bave a chance to brao
over mt Perhaps l shall be able tn
DO something for once"
he carefully put n foot out of
ned and as soon as he pluckea up a
sufficient amount of Courage he
pcered cautiously through the cur.
talns. With difficulty he repressed
an exclamation of horror.
The moons rays fell across the
dressing table, bringing out each ar.
ticle on it with a weird d%istinctness.
and just in the shadow before the
cheval glass was the stoouing figure
Of a man.
lie was evidently searching the up-
per drawer and Mr.. Murfee gasped
for JOY as he distinguished on the ton
OF the cabinet to the glass the miss
ing revolver.
Mr.. Murfee, gathering himself for
a grand effort and nerved to a point
OF desperation, made a flying leap,
n landing with terrific force upon
the burglars shoulders grabbed the
revolver, yelling "Police! thieves!-
Oh!'
Over he went, bumpety, bump, and
found himself PROSTATE on the floor,
with a chair and something soft and
thick over him.
'Oh! Ulysses! Ulysses!" screamed
Mrs. Murfree, tangling herself up in
the bedclOthes in her efforts to rise.
'Help! Where are you?"
Mr. Murfree was on his feet in a
flash, holding in his arms the harm
less cause Of his fright and disturb
ance. Mrs. Murfree's fur cape, which
she had hung over the chair back in
front Ofsthe dressing-table. and which,
with its high shoulders and collar,
had looked in the dim light like a
STOPPING figure.
Men think quickly sometimes, and
Mr.. Murtree realized the situation
with remarkable speed, and, being on
his mettle, determined not to be
made a fool of.
Knocking Mrs. Murfree's jewel case
from the dressine table as he fled, he
rushed out of the room pell nell,
stepping on the cat, the author o: the
mysterious noises that had first
awakened him.
With a savage kick he sent her
ahead of him, as he flew down the
front stairs and banged the iron door
open and shut. Then he painted
b%reathlessly up again, sinking on the
top stair, sOrely bruised, and mad,
just as his wife succeeded in light.
ing the gas.
Burglar" he gasped.
"Where, oh, where?" she screamed,
excitedly, half helping, half drag
fling him into the room.
Gone" he managed to say:
''knOcked him Over--gOt away-frOnt
dOor-see there?:" pointing to the
jewelry strewn around the floor.
Mrs. Murfree gave one look, and
then, with that faithful sense Of o.
legation to the tradition of her sex,
which the average woman seems to
possess in an emergency, she pro-
ceeQeQ 10 IdllC away.
Mr.. Murfee dumped her into a chair.
He was too weak to hold her, and
besides, he felt a fiendish %eXultation
in clarifying in his superior strength
OF mind, so when she recovered he
was picking up the cleverly scattered
trinkets with as bored an air as he
could assume
What are you afraid OFF" he said
scornfully. "Man's gone, I'm here;
l rather think 1 have protected you,
ever if l am a coward"
Vertically the tables were turned.
Mrs. Murfree looked at him a mo-
ment in a ~nystcrical way, and then
falling on his neck, a~lternatiyely i'm.
plOred forgiveness and wept over her
former severity, calling him her hero
and all the delightful names which
Mr.. Murfree's soul was thirsting for.
'.Ill never say such mean things
again, never, never"
Wont I just gloat over Mrs.
jerks" exclaimed Mrs. Murfree, as she
convulsively patted the pillow into a
more accommodating shape. "Oh,
Ulysses, I'll tell every woman in the
street."
Just then the ludicrOus side OF n
thing struck Mr.. Murfree, and he
stuffed the corner of the sheet in his
mouth and shook cOnvulsively.
whats the matter, dear?:" cried
his wife. ''What's the matter, Uly:"
AS 0 O as he could speak he NUT
tered:
..Only a chill-don't bother about
it-guess l took cold"
s'Shall / get you something hot!"
asked his wife anXiOusly.
Nonsense he replied, controll-
ing himself with difficulty; '.just 60
to sleep-I'm tired"
ALAli nixht daar n {.