Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-10-26

fine. Do as / have told you and be
quick about it, menacingly. at
will be time to turn my attention to
you ladies -after.'
..God help u.s. breathes Gwen, in
piteous, stided tones, as we meekly
proceeded to open boxes, trunksjew
ell cases, etc., for his greedy inspec.
ton.
"What is tie matter with thissn
be asks, Indicating handsome dia.
mond solitaire on my left hand.
"Thatl' I calculate, intuitively
shielding it with my right; athatl
oh, I cannot give you thatl"
he laughs again horribly.
"Oh, indeed ! You, too, draw the
line, but we will try what a little
moral suasion will do bringing the
pistol perilously near.
"Oh, no!-yes, ! mean. Here it
is; take it quick, rand | hastily relin-
quish it,wiLhout as much as chance
to press it once to my lips. The
precious ring that Charlie Stapleton
slipped on my finger the night before
our departure with kisses and pledg-
es galore-in short my first engage
ment ring.
SNOW commands our captor, con-
signing the bauble to his pocket,
leach of you take candle and pre-
cede me. No trickery mind you, at
the peril Of your lives. Lead me d.
rectly to the room, closet, desk or
safe where the silver, valuables, money
and papers are kept. / have no time
to lose, and l mean to make rich
haul. So step lively"
Forthwith the procession moves.
1t is torchlight procession in un-
dress uniform, and unique in its way.
|, in my nightgown, bearing a light
aloft form the advance guard. Gwen
DOZEN follows likewise bearing q
light, while the burglar brings up
the rear, with both OF US under cover
of the pistol.
An inspiration has seized me.
There is one hope, .one chance. /
lead the way swiftly, surely, nyt to
the dining room, where there are
quantities Of family plate, not to un-
cle's study, where the safe stands,
with its jewels, money and papers OF
value, where Gwen and 1 had spent
the evening, where the embers still
glow on the hearth, and where thank
God! the door of the little inner
room is closed intact as / had left it.
He is not, then, my handsome hunt
err, identical with this murderous
wretch in our wake, but his own true
self, the bona de honorable gentle.
man | had supposed; an angel enter
tanned unawares as it were. The
revulsion is so great that l grow
faint and giddy,and my knees almost
totter as l stop, pointing to the door.
"This room,' l say, contains that
which is most valuable in all the
house. Wait and III unlock it,
Gwen gazes at me in a dazed fash.
ion. She thinks, l know that l have
lost my head, as she is on the point
of doing. 1t takes me some time to
unfssten the door. / rattle the knob,
jingle the key, talk rapidly, and
even laugh aloud.
The man becomes impatient, per-
haps suspicious, for he mutters q
fierce oath. But l must awaken him
thoroughly, my knight of the SOM
brero; he must be on the alert to
accomplish anything in the way oil
defense. ] succeeded, for, when the
door yields, he is standing erect and
on the qui vive for any emergency.
Oh, If | had only allowed him to
keep his gun, For moment there
is CONSERVATION and confusion most
dire.
aTrspped by GodP' swears the
burglar, but cody raises his revolver
and fires with sure and deadly aim.
/ shrek, but Gwendolen, who has
up to this moment been passive as
marble, suddenly glows into life, and
with lightniDg-like spring knocks
the weapon upward, and the bullet
crashes through the ceiling. Before
he can fire second time he is felled,
almost senseless, by blow from the
stranger, who quickly possesses him
self of the pistol that has been knock.
ed from the mans grasp.
My hero is now, beyond all ques.
ton, master of the field. The burg
lar, though partially stunned, ID
quick enough to realize the position
and to see that the tables are turned
To my amazement, he covers in abb
ject terror, on his knees, whining
and pleading piteously for mercy.
"Is there anywhere p questions
the stranger, cody ignoring prayers
promises and protestations, but ney.
er for one instant removing either
his eyes, or the pistol from the
wreteh's range, "where we can store
this brute safely, until he can be
handed over to the majesty of the
law7'
"The cellar p suggest, and the
cellar is finally decided upon, as
most adequate to serve the purpose