The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-19
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[coPYnIcHr. 1891

name that shrewd real estate man has
given to row of suburban residences
he has put up for rent
Terrace Park place consists OF thir-
teen dwellings,. These dwellings wero
constructed by contract and are all
alike.
Jack Atherton, my best friend, with
his wife. lives in Terrace Park place.
was there the morning after the great
Fortescue diamond robbery. The pa
pers had given much space, under the
larges: and most sensational headlines,
to the robbery, and l had read it
through in all its details My mind
was full of this affair when called on
Jack
Il bought me new ring yesterday"
said my friend, and proceeded to tell
me why. Il never wear much jewelry," ;"
he said, but like to own little as an
investment. This one cost nae fifty
dollars. and is certainly worth one hun
dred and fifty dollars. You must see it
and admire it,
could not help seeing something of
the other contents of Jacks box, and
at once took him to task for his care
lessness in keeping so much property
of that sort in his house, especially
when it was not worn and used
Jack laughed at me. THE whole
boxful wouldn't sell for a thousand
dollars" he said, land the risk of TAX
ing and disposing of it is too great to
make the speculation paying one.
tell you. Dick, they can't play the
Fortescue game on me!'
'Pshaw!' said l, you would be no
harder to rob than anyone else. Any
one could come in here, without the
slightest difficulty, and take every
thing you've got"
"Tll bet you five hundred dollars on
it," said Jack.
"I'll take it," replied !.
But determined to teach Atherton a
lesson. l was gong to rob his house.
as friendly proof of the truth of my
opinion.
The night selected was the darkest
one had ever known. The rain fell
in torrents. l had purchased, from
time to time, and in various places. an
outfit that seemed to include all that
was necessary. The last thing, pro-
cured only that day, was good dark
lantern.
At about midnight climbed over the
alley fence, and proceeded to light my
dark iantern-or, rather, proceeded to
try To my intense disgust every
match / had was so thoroughly water
soaked that ignition proved absolutely
impossible.
l threw away the dark lantern; 1 had
to. moved carefully onward toward
the house, and stepped and stumbled
on to and over every imaginable sort Of
rubbish and debris
l found basement window un-
fastened, absolutely unfastened. 1
hadn't thought of a thing like that.
The circumstance almost took my
breath away. l wondered, rather re-
sentfully, if Jack had left it SO on pur-
pose. if this meant trap of some sort
for me.
1opened the window and slipped in
and let myself down as far as l could
while holding on with my hands. /
swung my leg around, searchingly but
carefully. felt nothing suspicious.
found nothing dangerous. So let go
and dropped in. then tried to find
chair, which / did, after so long a
search that it almost seemed as though
the furniture must be alive and play
ing blind mans buff with me in the
darkness. / placed it carefully under
the open window. An easy way out,
for fellow in hurry, might possibly
be a great convenience later.
Then, went upstairs.
NV progress was necessarily slow,
for had to be very careful. l think L
was fully an hour in getting to the
door of the room in which l expected
to get Jacks box.
Slowly, fearfully, l had gotten to
that door. / felt furtively about in
the darkness. half hoping, fear. that
should find it locked and be compelled
to withdraw, But, on the contrary, it
was not even closed; it stood wide
open. And inside l could hear the
slow and rhythmical breathing of the
sleeping individual against whom the
night attack was planned. There were
several reasons for being glad that
Jacks wife was absent at the seashore;
and not the least important one was
the fact 1 feared 1 should break down
job had in hand. l thought of that
revolver Jack had mentioned and my
blood run cold But had good men
tai picture of the arrangement of the
furniture in the room. l felt sure |
could readily find my way to the fel-
lows dressing table where l expected to
find the treasure OF which | was in
search. sank noiselessly down upon
my hands and knees and began voy |
age of discovery that seemed to me
fraught with more Of doubt and danger
than the great westward journey of (
Colum bus could have seemed to him. !
discovered a chair with my head. | |
hurt my shoulder on table. Jack had I
evidently been extravagant In the way (
OF getting new furniture and eccentric I
in the matter OF placing il. After a
time, however, I reached the dressing /
table; | got my hand on the big square !
box.
! crawled painfully out of the room. /
tiptoed cautiously downstairs. clinbed /
out Of the window which / left open .
behind me, found a gate IN the rear (
fence which l easily opened from the
inside and got away from the vicinity 1
of Terrace Park place, while the rain
still roa-ed and the darkness was un- !
broken When I reached my bache- 1
lor's quarters | put the precious box on
my bureau. undressed hurriedlv and /
plunged into bed 1t was almost noon +
when / awoke