Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-04-18

forgotten IN the new industry OF In
venting burglar alarms. Itwas un-
animously decided that an entrance.
would be effected first through the
cellar. So Hal, whose genius for
subtle combinations had its full
play for the first time. sent Billy
for the furnace coal shovel, while
Lolo was directed to fill pail of
water. After many experiments,
the shovel was at last SO balanced
that il the cellar door into the
kitchen were touched from the cell
lar side the shovel would topnle
.doxa amar1ly apoa Ehs biifEIsrs ]
back.
1t will cut his head of, should
not wonder asserted Billy the Kid.
But Hal expressed no concern about
the decapitated burglar. He was
engaged in suspending strings above
the door, so that if it were opened
the contents of Lolo's pail void
be precipitated upon the lnckless
intruder's head.
Il guess that II fix him, said Hal,
surveying his handiwork with az
artistic eye.
Splendid! cried Lolo, jumping
up and down in excess of sisterly
pride. Billy wanted to see how it
would work, and was only dissuad-
ed because of the time it would
take to repair damages.
l'll bet no burglar gets into this
house, repeated Hal, warming in
his zeal. Having secured the kitch-
en-, the children went into the dim
ing-rOom that led from it. Here
they piled all the dining-room
chairs one on top of the other, up
against the door, so that the slight.
est jar would send the whole lot
down with a crash. In the mean
while they had loaded their arms
with the tinware from the kitchen.
Over the front door they suspended
ali their dish pans and tin pie plates
and the wash boiler, tied together
with the inevitable string, SO that
IT the front door should be opened
q foot or so, all the tin in the house
would clatter down. 1t was a high.
studded house, and over the earlor
door, in the hall was a portrait of
their Uncle Henry, taken when a
boy. The children had never re-
garded the picture with too great
respect. Hal now arranged it SO
that when the parlor door should be
opened at certain angle the por-
trait would be precipitated upon the
burglars head-if he ever got as far
as that alive.
There was no back stairs, so they
fortified the front ones as best they
knew how. At the foot they placed
large tub filled with water. Three
or four stairs up the toboggan was
allnringly fastened, while about two
feet above the tenth step, right
under the railing in the hall above,
cord was strung. This was at
tached to another string that led
overhead, and to sever either of
them meant to bring a disused cot
bed bodily down, mattrass, stats,
and all, and when the avalanche
came, it was sure not to fall into
empty space. 1t took long time
to complete this complicated trap,
but when it was set up, it promised
great things.
If any burglar gets to the top
OF these stairs began Hal over
locking his work with the air OF a
general. why. be can have my bat.
'And will fire my skates at him.
said Billy, chattering and holding
to his brothers hand. All these
preparations had lasted until nine
o'clock, and, instead of assuaging.
their apprehensions had increased
the fears Of the little group q hun
dred fold. Every little noise, eve
ry crack of the timbers of the house
even the fall of the coal in the
CRATE of the furnace-seemed to the
excited children premonitions of
burglary and murder. So they Sc
cured their rooms and bolted thelr
doors, their breath coming fast in
their throats. At last, after many
whfsPezings and forced giggles,
itircd out, they fell asleer Hal ard
Billy snnggilag ro0eshe. ID thesr
fatzs'g ~
-:ght when Bill
:. -. "a eiawing clutch.
~. IL