Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-03-22
house IN a distant town. Like my "a.
tiers 1t was spacious, and showed eyi.
dence of the wealth itacontained

house In a distant town. like nv IA.
tiers 1t was spacious, and showed EVIL
dence Of the wealth itscontained.
One evening after supper and while
we were gathered in the pnrlor n tele-
gram was brought in and handed to
my Cousin Alice. OF course nv de.
tective curiosity was aroused ut the
similarity Of the event and when It
turned out to be almost Identical in its
reading with the one sent to me the
night before the burglary, I instantly
knew what was coming. So did the
rest, for they, as you may guess, were
not ignorant of the affair.
For some moments we gazed ut each
other in speeches. astonishment. Then
Uncle John, bound to joke, no matter
what happened, asked me with mock
seriousness If would like the expected
trunk set In my room, which, being the
guest chamber, was the right place for
It,
Ny look Of terror made him smile in
spite of his straight face.
mo! No" gasped. II should die at
sight Of it. o Uncle John, do send for
the police at once. I'm sure We'll all
be murdered IN our Sleep"
eyes, but we want to trap your bur-
glar FRIEND" he laughed, land may be
recover your jewels. However, If you
are SO unacceptable, perhaps Alice will
take the stranger in.''
But Alice, with face more scared
than mine, declared positively that she
wouldn't.
'Well, then, 1 will do the honors,"
said uncle, glancing mischievously at
his frightened wife.
John! you shall do no such. thing,
spoke up auntie, with trembling voice
"I'll have the trunk thrown down the
we'll as soon as it arrives. No burglar,
dead or alive, comes into my room.
The ideal"
Finally we settled down to business
and fixed on a plan to catch the COM
ing burglar red-handed and without
any danger to ourselves.
Early next morning I moved from
the guest chamber to room with Cousin
Alice. Then my deserted apartment
had it's windows securely barred, SO
that our expected guest could not es-
cape through them should he feel so In
clined. and its door was fixed to be
strongly bolted from outside, In the
hall. Some old watches and jewelry
| of small value were carelessly left on
the dressing-case to tempt the rascal
and keep him in innocence of our Graf
ty scheme.
Several we'll armed men were to be
stationed quietly in and about the
house, to do whatever fighting might be
necessary, though our plan was to lei
| the burglar rest in fancied peace. II
possible Then, after his departure IN
the trunk, we were to follow and cap
ture his pals in the city, and so re
cover the previously stolen articles.
| Ills needless to mention our excite
| ment, of waiting all the next day fol
! the trunk, or our scarcely concealed
| agitation when, toward evening, 1T az
rived.
Uncle John himself, loudly proclaim
ing his gladness at the pleasure of the
visit it promised, helped the unsuspect
ing expressman up the broad staircase
and carefully left it in the guest cham
Der. right side up and where it coult
be observed from the hall by peepins
through the key-hole of the we'll fast
ened door.
Before dark mustered courage
enough to steal in stockinged feet tt
the key-hole and peep in.
Yes, the trunk was the very one
had entertained and even sat on II
nv room at home, with never a though
| of it's horrid occupant. Ugh! The sigh
of it sent chills through pe and aroused
a feeling on my scalp, as if my hal
was trying to erect itself. Hastily
ran away from that worse than BLU
Beard chamber, and never stopped
shiyering till supper was over.
You may be sure no eyes We're CLOSED
in the house that night. The mer
| guarding the hall heard the knob Of thu
prison-rooln door softly tried, but, O.
course. it didn't open, which was luck.
| for the rascal within.
At last daylight came and relieved u
of some of our awful suspense. Afte
breakfast Uncle John noiselessly I'm
bolted the door and, carelessly hum
| ming q tune and concealing hand!
| weaDon, entered the room. The trunl
stood Just as it was left the cvenin,
before. But the jewelry and stuff hat
disappeared from the dressing-case.
When brave uncle John returned t.
us to report his eyes shone with {
hunters delight. His game wa
trapped and ready to be bagged whel
the time came.
Just before dinner the other tele
gram, almost a duplicate of mine, ar
rived, and after it the expressman TO
the trunk. Again uncle and the still
unsuspicious man lifted the burglar
receptacle and placed it on the Wagon
to 20 to the railroad station.
Then, as we watched it driven ava!
with uncle and rair OF constable
\ following in buggy, we dared spear
above a whisper.
The rest of the story uncle told u
on the following day, when he cam
home safely from his hazardous Trip.
e. s. z