Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-03-22

My Look Of Terror Made Him Smile.
chamber and not he poked away in the
cold apartment reserved for ordinary
guests.
After some trouble and complaining,
for the trunk was unusually large and
heavy, the expressman, helped by our
gardener, carried it up and set 1t
against the foot Of my bed, there to
wait for it's beloved owner.
AS I have mentioned, our house and
grounds were large and handsome, for
my father, being rich, prided himself
OH maintaining a home BETTING coun-
try gentleman. We also possessed
much jewelry and other rare treasures
and, for fear of robbers, our house was
we'll protected without by dogs and
within by bolts and bars with cleo
trio alarms at each door and window.
In addition we oil had large dinner
bells by our bedsides to ring furiously
in case of necessity, and the male
portion of the family had no end Of
guns and handy pistols.
Consequently, on the following morn
ing when we discovered that we had
been robbed during the night, we were
frightened and shocked beyond meas
IRE.
Almost every room had been entered
and nearly all our jewelry was gone.
Even watches from under pillows and
pocketbooks from fathers and brothers
trousers had been taken.
And most puzzling and alarming Of
Il! was the fact that not the slightest
sign of breaking in OF out could be
found at u single door OF window.
The electric contriyances were all un-
disturbed.
Who could have done the robbery ?
We couldn't suspect our servants of
any share in the crime. for long years
of faithful duty proved the contrary.
If burglar had secretcd himself in
the house before closing time, which
seemed probable, how could he have
gotten out and left no trace? The more
we tried to solve the riddle the more
mysterious it became to us, though
the village constable, hastily sent for,
said he'd soon have theory to work
on.
In the afternoon Of that awful day
another telegram came to our house
from Mary Norton. 1t read: Mother
suddenly i'll. Cannot come. Will send
for trunk Please deliver to express
man when he calls. Will write par
ticulars."
In an hour following that came the
expressman and, glad that Mary was
to be spared the unpleasantness Of a
visit ut such a forlorn time, we again
let our man help him away with the
heavy trunk from it's place at the foot
Of my bed.
For week we did our best, assisted,
too, by city detectives, to discover a
clue to the robbers, but all in vain.
And every day we sent to the post
office for my friends promised letter,
but none came Then anxious for fear
her mother was seriously Ill, wrote to
her. BY return mail came an answer,
saying she had sent neither trunk nor
kilograms, that her mother was not
sick, and asking what it all meant.
At once I understood our robbery.
The burglar had been in the trunk
when it came, he had passed the night,
save when he was making the round of
the house, in my room when was
alone; then with his valuable plumber
he had been shipped away in his queer
hiding place. No wonder the trunk
was heavy and big. No doubt from
peepholes in it the robber had watched
me until certain I was sound asleep.
AA-A OuL AC lAdLSC SACpV anu oAAS
thought made me shudder and feel
faint.
But. though we admired the cunning
and bold trick, we Immediately set
about tracing the trunk to where It
Went after leaving our house.
The expressnan whom we found to
be honest and unsuspicious in the mat
ter. had given it to the railroad which
on telegraphic orders, had forwarded
it to an adjacent city. There 1t was
called for and taken away by dray.
man who likely was an accomplice OF
the burglar, for no one at the station
knew him, and nothing further could DC
learned regarding the trunk, ut least
for the time being.
Now comes the strongest and mos
incredible part of my story.
Some months after our robbery J
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