The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-08-31
A CAPTURE.


side and leave him i'll possession of the
house. Then a person can stay ont rs
late as he likes He may smoke i'll any
room in the house. He may even go to
bed with his boots OH if it SO pleases
him.
Billy had expected to stay at the sea
for couple of weeks, but telegram
had recalled him to town after being
day or two away, and he came joyfully
back, for the sea bored him, and there
was nothing lively going OH at the re-
sort his family had chosen. Before he
left town Billy had told the police of
his suburb that the house would be
closed for Il fortnight, and he asked
them to keep All eye on the premises.
Billy's faith i'll the force was somewhat
shaken when he unexpectedly returned,
found he had left his latchkey at Ma
rineville and was thus compelled to
climb in at a window after midnight,
yet no notice was taken of him. He got
out In the Same way next morning and
telegraphed for his keys. He roamed all
over tho house with lighted candle at
various periods of the night but the
guardians of the peace never disturbed
him, and Billy made up his mind that
the next time he went away he would
take out burglar insurance and not
trouble the guardians who guarded so
carelessly.
On Saturday afternoon Billy, having
n day off, took Il day on, as it We're, and
went for long spin through the coun-
try OH his bicycle. He had dinner at
waysidoin inn and got home late and tired
Putting his machine i'll its shed, he en-
tered the house, poured ont for himself
glass of cooling stimulants, and rested
his weary body III his most comfortable
armchair, slipping the gratifying mix
ture i'll accordance with the directions
on the bottle.
The house was very quiet, and soon
Billy dropped off to sleep. He woke up
suddenly and found everything still
very quiet and very dark us we'll, yet he
had the feeling within him that he had
been awakened by Il noise He listened
intently, sitting still III the comfortable
chair, and presently the chandelier
above his head gave slight rattle, us it
was i'll tho habit of doing when some
one was walking in the room overhead.
Billy did not believe III ghosts, for lie
be said to believe III anything. Again
the chandelier jingled, yet there was no
noise of Il footstcp overhead and it
dawned upon Billy's scarcely awakened
faculties that whoever was above him
was going around in his stocking feet,
trying to BIO rs silent as possible. Billy
regretted that he did not own such /.
thing as arevolver, for ho felt convinced
that at last burglars We're in the house
He vaguely saw himself writing All ac-
count of the incident, headed "Desper-
ate Encounter With n Burglar Heroic
Conduct of a Suburban Householder. "
Fired by this thought and in spite of
the distinct creeping of his scalp which
we eXaggerato into terming the sensa-
ton OF tho hair standing on end, Billy
grasped tho poker that lay on the fender
by his chair and cautiously crcpt ont
into the hall, making his way like cat
up tho stair, fcrvontly hoping that no
step would creak.
AT tho landing above Billy pccred in
to the bedroom from which the light
issued and WAS appalled, 10 see. not one
burglar, but three. This exceeded I3illv's
most ardent expectations He had been
prepared iol II desperate encounter with
one, especially if he could have crcpt in
on him and landed ON his head with the
poker before tho burg lar was aware that
there was anybody else III the house,
but fight With three was too much of
a good thing.
One of them would be certain to have
pistol, which would make things even
more interesting 6 lad as he would be
to have an exclusive item for his paper
he had no desire to have some one else
write 1t up and head it. "Dastardlv
Murder of q Reporter IN Lonelyville y
There arc some sacrifices that a man
does not care 10 make, even for his pa
pNl. Moderation III all things was
Liny y E no
The burglars had evidently come tc
the conclusion that there was 10 one in
the house, FOR no guard was set. They
moved about quietly, but that merely
came from long practice in an arduOu.
profession where there was much nigh,
work and little thanks from Gallon.
Go PNg ga not pause TO thinl
again. moe ma 10 Saturday night
exports csoi aost inauau.ou.
-four ini people were sound asleep
year. Ccy think that our own partic
freely. an i0'i 49, thc ino'' draw backs
clined az '-se'' - VIZ u'Scoi'i'i'S o.
49,. vas holding bag open anf
, were creeping about fill
lotion itacle with various article.
surplus of uoisscnrs and collectors.
sied over fe've got as much as we cal