The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-29
4 CAPTURE.

NA N'A' '"' S '
Of rest and peace which comes to a man
when his wife and family go to the sea
side and leave him i'll possession of the
house. Then a person can stay out as
late as he likes. He may smoke in any
room in the house. He may even go to
bed with his boots on if it Sc pleases |
him.
Billy had expected to stay at the sea
for a couple Of weeks, but a telegram
had recalled him to town after being a
day or two away, and he came joyfully
back, for the sea bored him, and there
was nothing lively going on at the re-
sort his family had chosen. Before he
lett town Billy had told the police Of
his suburb that the house would be
closed for a fortnight, and he asked
thsm to keep an eye on the premises.
Billy's faith in 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
tSltSI dpIlCu III Ills htNS ,. L VI GA
over the house with o 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 mex time he went away he would
take u a burglar insurance and not
trouble the guardians who guarded so
carelessly.
On Sat,rlor nftorrno,, ptllr hnyIrp
a day off, took a day on, as it We're, and
went for a long spin through the
try on his bicycle. He had dinner at a
wayside inn and got home late and tired.
Putting his machine in it's shed, he en-
tered the house, poured out for himself
a glass Of cooling stimulants, and rested
his weary body in his most comfortable
armchair, slipping the gratifying mix
ture in 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 as well, yet he
had the feeling within him that he had
been awakened by a noise. He listened
lntently, sitting still in the comfortable
chair, and presently the chandelier
above his head gave a slight rattle, as it
was in the habit of doing when some
one was walking in the room overhead.
Billy did not believe in ghosts, for he
was a newspaper man and could hardly
be said to believe in anything. Again
the chandelier jingled, yet there was no
noise Of a fOotstep overhead, and it
dawned upon Billy's scarcely awakened
faculties that whoever was above him
was going around in his stocking feet,
trying to be as silent as possible. Billy
regretted that he did not own such a
thing as a revolver, for he felt convinced
that at last burglars were in the house.
He vaguely saw himself writing an ac-
count Of the incident, headed: "Desper-
ate Encounter With a Burglar. Heroic
Conduct Of a Suburban Householder
Fired by this thought, and in spite of
the distinct creeping Of his scalp which
we exaggerate into terming the sensa-
ton Of the hair standing on end, Billy
grasped the poker that lay on the fender
by his chair and cautiously crept oct
into the hall, making his way like a car
up the stair, fervently hoping that DO
step would creak.
At the landing above Billy peered in
to the bedroom from which the light
issued and was appalled, to see, not one
burglar, but three. This exceeded Billy's
most ardent expectations. He had been
prepared for a desperate encounter with
one, especially if he could have crept in
on him and landed ON his head with the
poker before the burglar was aware that
there was anybody else in the house
but a fight with three was too much O.
good thing.
One Of them would be certain to hav'
a pistol, which would make things ever
more interesting. Glad as he would b.
to have an exclusive item for his paper
he had no desire to have some one els
write 1t up and head it, BASTARD,
Murder OF a Reporter III Lo~nelyville.
There are some sacrifices that a ma
does not care to make, even for his pa
per. Moderation in all things wa
Billy's motto.
The burglars had evidently com t
the conclusion that there was no one j
the house, for no guard was set. The
moved about quietly, but that merel
came from long practice in an arduor
profession where there was much nigh
work and little thanks from a callor
public. Billy did not pause to thin
that these men had no Saturday nigl
of, and that they were most industrio,
while other people were sound aslee,
Nc rarora1 1r thirtr th,$ ovr n.,, xork,
ular occupation has the most drawback
giving little heed to the discomforts
others.
One man was holding a bag open al
ths other two were creeping about I'll
ing the receptacle with various articl
priced by connoisseurs and collectors.
NJ think we've got as much as we c,