Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-11-15
THOSE BURGLARS.

80
a5 Emergency.
t''Ellery!'' hoarsely whispered Mrs.
Wiggleswor:h.
"Ellery!" she repeated, shaking biz,
by the shoulder. -
+, "Whatyerwan?'' muttered Mr.. Wig.
ellsworth i'll oEa word Then he pushed
his head father jnto The pillow and
trilled little spore. 'ssssS
CELERY Wiggleswortlp' exclaimed
bis wife, using q never failing elbow.
II tell you I hear somebody down
stairs!' ..,~...... 8
Mr.. Nigglesworth came bolt upright
in an instant. .... W.. ..,s.
"Sh!" he Kissed loudly. "Don'tye
know any better than to stick sharp
elbow into my back nnd make me yell:
He might have heard mep.' @,..
"Who might?'' Mrs. Wigglesworth
walled. ooh, Ellery, you don't mean
to tell me there's q burglar in the
house?''
II tell yei'' echoed Mr.. Wiggles-
worth wrathfully. "Didn't ye wake
me up and say there was? Don't ye so
laying the blame on my shoulders.
There was something blood curdling
in this whispered conversation, carried
ON under cover of the darkness, with
ears strained to catch some sound and
every nerve wrought to highest tension.
Then time, which for season had
seemed to stand still, resumed its on
ward flight.
II guess it wasn't anything" Mrs.
Wigglesworth concluded.
"Dry up, can't ye?" commanded her
husband. "What's the use bellering
round so till ye find out2 Want to see
me shot down defending my own house.
don't yer" ~. -s..@... T..
"Harkr interrupted Mrs. Wiggles-
worth, straining her eyes into the black
ness. II know heard something then.
Oh, do get up, Ellery, and go see."
Mr.. Wigglesworth blew loud blast
through his nostrils.
"What ye want?" he said savagely,
glaring at his wife through the gloom.
"Think I'm going ont there and have
my lungs cut open with knife? Reckon
I'm Napoleon at the bridge of Arcola,
don't YET"
There could be no Disgusting the fact
that somebody was moving stealthily
about in the lower part Of the house.
The noises were mufled, with now and
then subdued clinking sound. e
Mr.. Wigglesworth got cautiously out
of bed, made two faltering steps and
put his feet on his wife's slippers. No
married man ever got out Of bed and
took step in the dark with any other
result.
"There they are againp' he howled
as loudly as he dared, kicking the slip
pers viciously.
"Don't let them stab you!' cried
Mrs. Wigglesworth Historically, putting
her head under the quilt. q. "
But her husbands muttterings as he
stumbled about the room brought her
forth again. ~2
"Do hurry up and light the lamp"
she pleaded.
"That's it," returned Mr.. Wiggles-
worth. "Ye know the thing to do in
an emergency. Want to illuminate,
dom ye, SO anybody can shoot through
the keyhole ard break the looking
glass.
In the closet was heavy cane, which
Mr.. Wigglesworth succeeded in laying
hold Of. With that his spirits rose lit
tie.
"Why don't ye come out Of that bed"
he directed. IT think they re after ye?"
Don't do anything rash, I beg of
you, Ellery," said Mrs. Wigglesworth
agitatedly as she found skirt and put
it over her shoulders.
eye go ahead there and open the
door," said Mr.. Wigglesworth, land if
any of 'em show their heads I'll take
and knock hole in 'emv'
IL don't dare!' Mrs. Wiggles-
worth whimpered.
"What's the use to be sniveling
cowardi" retorted her husband. "Ain't
I here to protect ye:''
"You-you go ahead" volunteered
Mrs. Wigglesworth.
"What kind of way would that be?"
clustered her husband. "S'pose they'd
jab Ratchet into me first thing, what
would become Of ye, I'D like to know?"
Stimulated by these encouraging ar
guments, Mrs. Wigglesworth softly
turned the knob and stole into the hall.
Mr.. Wigglesworth peered through the
door and watched her dimly moving to-
ward the stairway. ~. ,.'.
''See anything?" he Whispered.
''There's a light in the pantry" r.
turned his wife. her teeth chatteriug.
"Go down the stairs, y suggested Mr..
Wigglesworth, partially closing the
door. I'D t So,
Il is dreadful thing to be left alone
in your room, the darkness intense,
with creepy sensations going up your
back, and only one poor cane between
you and death-death at the desperate
hand Of burglar. The weight Of the
situation pressed cruelty upon Mr.. Wig
ellsworth. Would his wife never come
baok2 He cautiously opened the door.
Had she in sudden accession OF femi.
nine courage gone down the stairs ant
been chloroformed perhaps BEEN
Mr.. Wigglesworth g heart turned over.
and his hair made a sudden gesture Al
though it would stand ON end. Slowly
- IL k40o he