Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-01-18
CATCHING A BURGLAR.
The Result of Listening to Blood-CurdIin
Yarns just Before Bedtime.

The Result of Listening to Blood Curdline
Yarns just Before Bedtime.
1t was cold winters evening. Just
such one as nature gives for the
proper coloring to stories of the inn
aginative character. Ghosts could be
seen dancing and holding high carni-
val on the glistening snowbanks out
side, and fairy forms and hobgoblins
seemed to burst forth at every crack
of the bright logs in the big open gate.
1t has been long time since we four.
my two girl cousins, Minnie and,Flora.
my Uncle Fred, and myself, had been
together, and we were making the
most of the reunion.
As we sat there in the parlor of the
big farm house, watching the glowing
logs, we fully bent ourselves to the
surroundings and our imaginations
had full sway. Uncle Fred related
long and blood-curdling yarns which
he had heard in the west, the girls
told some wonderful ghost stories.
and fairly let myself loose in anec-
dotes of crime which had come under
my observation as police'reporter.
When at last we went to bed our
minds were keyed up to a very high
pitch, and l noticed the girls used ey-
the doors and windows. The fact that
Il couple of suspicious-looking tramps
had been turned AWAY earlier in the
evening by my grandfather also tended
make us more than usually careful
The girls retired to a V-room, lust at
the head of the stairs, great big
chamber, such as is always set aside as
the spare room, furnished with big
double bed, with four old-fashioned
high posts. My Uncle Fred and l slept
in the low-ceiling chamber in the other
wing of the house. A long, narrow
hall, winding around the top of the
open staircase, separated the two apart
ments.
Uncle Fred and 1 had been asleep
about two hours when we were sud
denly awakened by the sound of a
struggle. For n moment we listened
and then we heard Il high soprano,
which we recognized as Flora's, scream
ing:
Help! help. There's a man in the
room''
AT the same instance another voice,
which we knew at once was Minnie's.
gave another and even more unearth
Iy yell of: Help. He's killing me-
Fred was on his feet in an instant
and as he pulled his pistol out of the
drawer / grabbed the lamp. II only
took us a minute to rush out in the
hall, but in that sixty seconds of space
we heard enough to convince us that
= most horrible sight would meet our
eyes.
Around the hall we bounded and a
kick from Fred sent the door of the
girls room bounding inward. He
cooked the pistol and l showed in the
light. As the rays from the lamp
=shonc round the apartment we failed
to discern any traces of the man. A
glance at the bed told the story. Both
girls were sitting upright. Flora had
a tight grip on Minnie's bangs and Min
ME was clutching Flora's hair with
both hands. Both We're Screaming at |
the top of their voices and both were |
sound asleep.
1t didn't take us long to solve the |
mystery after getting the girls awake |
Flora in her slumbers had dreamed of |
burglars, and tossing about had grab |
bed Minnie by the hair. AS she did so |
she dreamed she had caught burglar |
and yelled. Minnie, who was also |
thinking of the ghost stories, instantly |
:surmised that a ro5ber had her. and in |
.self-defense she had grabbed Flora,s |
hair. Both had pulled for dear life |
and had yelled at the same time.
When the matter was explain ed at |
the breakfast table next morning |
grandfather put an emphatic embargo |
ON any more ghost stories--Philadel-
phia Times.