The Penn's Grove record., 1894-07-27
cosy, lust as II the master ofthe hous

Howard" she Soliloquized, and seat
, ing herself at the pretty little desk
! which had been n Of her wedding
! presents, she wrote a postal card
After giving the business message
from her father, she added one for
| herself. When the card was ad.
! dressed she went to the window and
looked out, wondering why she had
not thought to write it earlier in thd
evening. There was a mall bod
diagonally across the street On thf
corner.
s.Ill lust run across and mail it,
ri leave the door open-it won't
take a moment"
Taking a wrap from the hat-tree In
the hall, she threw it about her, saw
that no one was passing. and slipped
ont 1t took her only q moment to
drop that card in the box and run
back to the house. The door was ajai
as she had left 1t, no one was on tha
street; but in that moment
It was past midnight Mrs Bas.
comb was reading a very interesting
novel. She was surprised when thu
clock struck the half hour, and laid
her book down. Not that she fela
, sleepy, but she had just determined
that she would sleep downstairs in
the new foldlng-bed in the back par
lor. There were portieres between
the rooms, but these were drawn
back and hung limp on either side.
The 'bed" was a large handsome
bookcase, with brlc.a-brac on its ton
shelf. Mrs. Bascomb let 1t down and
admired it from all sides. 1t took up
all the space between the walls, ex-
ceps lust room enough for her to pass
to the little table under the mirror,
where Howard'sreyolver lay. She now
pushed this further back and laid her
watch and chain-her wedding pres
ent from her father-her diamond
graduation ring, and her purse which
she took out Of tho pocket OF her
dress, on the table In a shining heap
I II wonder If he married the tall,
thin one, or the short homely one"
she said to herself, and, going out
into the parler. picked up the book
again, and was soon deep in the plot.
A noise reused her. She looked at
the folding doors leading into the
hall They were locked, she knew.
Then she turned her eyes toward the
back parlor.
''It's the new folding bed getting
used to being open." she thought,
conscious Of a slight e~xhilaration in
the region of her heart Then she
glanced at a mirror, in which she
saw the f%ull-length figure Of a map
standing back of the portieres.
have heard 1t said, or read some
where, that every man is ready to
protect a woman from every other
man except himself. At that mo.
ment Lottie Bascomb would rather
have seen a tiger standing ready to
devour her. Her next surprise was
at his manner Of address:
Good evening, ma'am," and he
stepped from the portlere and. stood
before her. "You needn't be fright
ened. ! amt goin' to hurt you"
"What do you want??" Her voice
did not even tremble.
II want the money yer husband
brought home that he's goln' to take
to New York tomorrow" &.
II don't know what money you
mean, but my husband Is on his way
to Ne" York now. He left to-day
noon"
She had risen from her chair and
started forward to reach the revolver.
Rut she could not outwit the disap.
pointed and enraged burglar.
He sprang to intercept her, and
struck his foot against the folding
bed, throwing himself across 1t In his
attempt to retain his balance. There
was a grinding, whirrlng sound and
a complete disappearance of n of
the principals in this affair.
On that same night a belated citi.
zen hurrying home was accosted from
the lower window Of a house he was
passing in the residence portion of the
city.
'Sir, oh, sir!"
He stopped, for it was a wcmap;s
voice, pitched at an'alarm key.
"Will you please ind the policeman
on this beat and send him here In
stantlys"
'Can I be of any assistance?"
"No. It's a burglar, and I have
him safe"
The policeman arrived, and with
him the passer-by she had accosted,
whose services were not required,
however. The policeman went ia
the telephone and summone ed help
Meanwhile he took up a position
where earlier in the evening the fold.
lng-bed had stood. 1t was now shut
up, and looked merely a massive
bookcase again.
When the patrol wagon arrived,
this desk became an object of lmme
uiate interest ono DIue-coated Off.
ciai was stationed on either side and
two at the foot Mrs Bascomb and
the now awakened Kitty were de.
tailed at a little distance.
"Nowl" said the sergeant, and be
manipulated the desk as Mrs. Bias.
comb had shown him how to do, a
moment before.
1t came down on the run, and
there limp, and half-smothered. was
the trapped burglar, his forehead cut
ana bleeding from a chance incision
as the bed had shut up with him in
explosive embrace.
80, Clever Jim, you're at it again.
Here you are" said one of the police.
men as he snapped the bracelets on
his wrist You're pals not in it
this time" as he handed him over to
two OF the force.
''That's him." said Kitty, sthat's
the man that was lookin' for a girl as
he said was his sister. Oh, the Will
yun!" !
He was taken away, tried and con.
victed and sent up for Ave years, but
never opened his mouth as to his
method Of getting into the house. 1t
is quite safe to infer that Mrs Bas-
comb never resorted again to that
very common practice of ladies who
mail late letters, of leaving the
house door ajar. And the folding