The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-01-30

A&SAASGs4OA4OOs
But I didn't suppose he was after
anything valuable in my room, except
one thing, andy the way, you are
the unluckiest fellow in the world"
"Ho VS. thatH" growled my visitor.
''Well, I have a very good watch,
but if you want to get it you must pay
a visit to the watchmaker's after you
leave here, for l had what l considered
the bad but what now seems the good
fortune to break the spring yesterday
and left it for repairs"
You're a precious cool one," he
said, evidently astonished at my indif
ference.
What's the use of my getting ex
cited or attempting to resist you9 You
are armed, and you see I am not. And
if you had no weapon, your fighting
weight must be at least Is stone, while
mine is not more than 81. had no
idea of interfering with you. If the
room were filed with diamonds, /
would not lift my finger to save them.
Take all you can find. I am going to
sleep-so don't make any more noise"
Hold on !" said the fellow. where's
your keysT
81 suppose you want to make as
much of a haul as you can," 1 said.
80 look in my pants, hanging over the
bedpost there, and you'll find my
pocketbook with a few stamps in it. :"
1t was nearly time for the police to
pass, and I paused to listen. I must
in a few moments put my plan into
execution.
A glance, quick as lightning, showed
me that the key Of the door was On the
outside.
Ny listening expression did not
escape the sharp and practical ear of
my grim visitor. 1t was a curious
scene, no doubt. I was sitting in my
nightclothes, unarmed and this stall
wart r%ufian, pistol in hand, glaring
half suspiciously, half ferociously with
the attitude of a tiger about to spring
upon his prey. But there 1 sat, coolly
converting with him, the necessities of
the moment keeping my wits too wide
awake to allow my fears to get the
upper hand for an instant.
What are you lisening tor asked
the burglar.
I thought / heard q cry of fire"
In that instant and in the dead still
ness of the night l heard the tramp of
the policeman. 1t was still some dis
lance off.
"You will find" said, "some clothes
of mine in the press. They will, how
ever, be too small for you. Good night.
The keys are in the middle drawer"
He turned to the drawer indicated.
and, as he did so, with one tremendous
bound l cleared the space between my
bed and the door, slammed and locked
it upon him. Oblivious of my disha,
bile, l sprang to the steps. l had two
fights to descend and open the door
before I could reach the yard, but it
was hardly possible for him to descend
the ladder more quickly. Bounding
rather than running down stairs, I
flung back the bolt and rushed into
the yard. He Yves half way down the
ladder. Shouting "PoliceI' Justify,
seized the ladder at the bottom, and
using all my power brought it and the
burglar to the ground with a crash.
The pistol he held in his hand fell from
his grasp. 1 made a dash for it, and
he, springing to his feet like a cat,
rushed at me, and as I stopped, seized
me b, the nape Of the neck. I turned
the pistol upward and pulled the trig
ger. 1t merely snapped-there were
no more charges in it. With a terrible
oath the baf1ed villain wrenched the
weapon from my grasp and raised il
aloft to deal me what might have
proved a fatal blow when there vas a
rush behind him, and he was felled tC
the ground. The policeman had heard
my shout and was just in time tc
rescue me.
The burglar was soon secured, and
in my excitement I wes about to relate
the story I have told, when the police,
man, with a smile, suggested that
might "ketch cold in them clothes"
1 then remembered, for the first
time since 1 had sprung from bed,
that I was shoeless and stockingless,
and had nothing on bat my night shirt,
and beat a hasty retreat. With long
drawn breath, I took my fine gold
repeater, which had such a narrow
escape and was not at the wetchmaker's
after all, from under my pillow, looked
st the hour, turned in and after a little
while fell asleep.-ErchGn0e.