The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-08-22
A CAPTURE.

4
when his wife and family go to the sea.
side and leave him in possession of the
house. Then person can stay out as
late as he likes. He may smoke in any
room in the house. He may even go tC
bed with his boots on if it so 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 q
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
left town Billy had told the police of
his suburb that the house would be
closed for a fortnight, and he asked
them to keep an eye on the premises,
Billy's faith in the force was somewhat
shaken when he unexpectedly returned,
found be had left his latchkey at Ma
rinevilIe and was TINS compelled to
climb III at window after midnight,
yet no notice was taken of him. He got
out III the same way next morning and
telegraphed for his keys. He roamed all
over the 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 a burglar insurance and not
trouble the guardians who guarded so
carelessly
On Saturday afternoon Billy, having
day off, took day on, as it We're, and
went for long spin through the coun-
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
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 noise He listened
intently, sitting still in the comfortable
chair, and presently the chandelier
above his head gave 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 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
HaUnnI "
faculties that whoever was above him
was going around i'll hts stocking feet,
trying to be as silent as possible. Billy
regretted that he did not own such a
thing as revolver, for he felt convinced
that at last burg lars were in the house.
He vaguely saw himself writing an &C
count of the incident headed: Desper-
ate Encounter With Burglar. Heroic
Conduct of Suburban Householder. :"
Fired by this thought, and III 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 ont
into the hall, making his way like cat
up the stair, fervently hoping that no
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 of
a good thing.
One of them would be certain to have
pistol, which would make things even
more interesting. Glad as he would be
to have an exclusive item for his paper,
he had no desire to have some one else
write it up and head it, "Dastardly
Murder of a Reporter In LOnelyville "
There are some sacrifices that man
does not care to make, even for his pa
per. Moderation in all things was
Billy's motto.
The burglars had evidently come to
the conclusion that there was no one in
the house, for no guard was set. They
moved about quietly, but that merely
came from long practice IN an arduous
profession where there was much night
work and little thanks from a callous
public Billy did not pause to think
that these men had no Saturday night
off, and that they We're most industrious
while other people We're sound asleep
We generally think that our own partc.
MAR occupation has the most drawbacks.
giving little heed to the dscomfurts of
others.
One man was holding bag open and
the other two were creeping about fiji
ing the receptacle with various articles
priced by connoisseurs and collectors.
think we We got as much as we can
carry" whispered the man who was
holding the bag.
This remark caused Billy to reflect
that if he was going to do anything in
the matter it was time to set about it,
So he emulated the conduct of the cele-
brated Duke of York who marched men
up the hill and straightway marched
them down again. Billy crept down the
stair with the unused poker still in his
fist, He realized that if he went to the
police station, which was some distance
away, the burglars would be gone be-