Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-07-04
OUR ADVENTURE.

Verely, clicking her ivory needles TO-
gether by way of emphasis, Il never
could understand how any person
man or Woman, could re quietly and
let q miserable thief rumma ge through
the house. Of course one might be
little startled, but | should be so angry
al the impudence of the man in ven
turing into my house that L should
order him out at once.
Perhaps he would not go, mother,
said |, lnischieyously; L have heard
that, as a class, burglars are not very
biddable. His first act would probably
be to tie US in our chairs and gag us
SO that he could investigate at his leiS-
ure and without fear OF being dis
turbed."
My mother looked at me Indignantly.
"Do you suppose, said she, that 1
would sit still to be tied? The burglar
would have to catch me first, and |
promise you L would lead him a pretty
chase
laughed involuntarily at the picture
thus cOnjured up OF my mother, who
was no longer very slender or agile,
flying around the room, lodging our
suppositious burglar, but hurt look
In her dear eyes sObered me, and |
said:
We'll, supposing d thief should walk
IN Oh Us now, the best thing l can
think Of would be to hide Hilda under
the table, then when Mr.. Burglar went
into another room she could slip out of
the back door, find the nightwatch and
tn rs
l smiled at the little German maid
who sat at my feet holding a skein Of
yarn on her patient hands, and she
smiled lntelligently in return, though /
was by no means sure how much she
had understood of the conversation.
Hilda was quite Il recent importa ton
from Deutschland" She had only
been with us IA few weeks and her at
tempts at our language were SOmetning
fearful and wonderful, but her cars
were becoming educated much faster
than her tongue.
My mother and | had lived alone to-
gether for many years i'll what had
been the outskirts of West Ripley.
But the manufacturing interests Of the
town had been developing 50 fast that
1T was reaching out in ali directions,
and we who had been glad to lave
neiShbors within half mile now had
them i'll the same block.
But with the growth of the town and
the increase OF prosperity there had
come also an influx of disrepulable
characters and an increa Sc of such
petty crimes as theft and burglary,
and at las my mother had taken ihe
hitherto unheard OF precautiOn of nav
Ing Il Yale lock and chain put on our
front door. We were, however 80 I'M
accustomed to the necessity of lock
ing ourselves i'll that more frequently
than not we would go to bed and sleep
peacefully through the night without
turning Il key anywhere.
On this particular day we had been
hearing some unusually circumStantial
and narrowing accounts of recent bur-
SEriouS exploits where our own ac-
quaintances mad Deen the Victims and
my mothers Indignation had been
greatly aroused by the pusillanimous
conduct of one OF the 'burgled' ones,
who had quietly covered his head with
the bgdcIotheS and let the thieves take
what they would. Woman us she
was she had declared, she would
not be such Il coward
AS it drew near bedtime my mother
looked up from her knitting and said
TO me:
Marion, did you lock the front
door,"
Il ann not sure, mother" L replied,
but | will go and see
Never mind, child she said, with
a queer little smile; IN go myself as
soon as | nave knit this row. Then |
will know it is done"
Her ivory needles clicked Il little
faster. My head WAS bent over 10y
embroidery frame, for /, too was
anxious to finish another row" iitia,
still on the low stool ut my feet, ana
almost hidden by the cover Of the
table against which she leaned, was
sorting the bright woods, When SUD
denly low, gaSping cry IRON my
mother made me look up. Our sit.ing
room door had been quietly opened anu
man had entered. y NANCY fur cap
was pulled down over his forehead and
ears and a Dandana handkerchief eff
his face In his hand he held 4 COM
mon Case-knife, but both blade and
point had been Sharpened until dhey
glittered murderouSly. He seemed TO
make but one stride to my mothers
side, ana laying his hand on her shout
der said: That's right, old lady. Don't
you say norhin' and you won't get hurt.
As for you, young woman" turning to
me with sudden ferocity, If you let
out so much as one yell I'll stick this
knife into you
The threat was unnecessary, for l
was dumb With terror, and watched
him i'll mute fascination while he tied
my mothers hands together at the
back of her chair, and deftly whipping
her handkerchief out of her pocket
bound it over her mouth.
Now then" he said, with evident
satisfaction in his work, you amt a
goin' to run away, and if you should
feel like hollerin' you'll have chance
to think twice before doing it. Just
bear in mind, too, ma'am, that me and
this young woman are gOin' to take a
stroll through the house loollin' fol
valuables, and if you try to raise a
fuss I'll cut her pretty throat before