Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-11-27

hand. This letter, too, was addressed 70
that low place, Friar's Court, Temple.
So, " the time Dick had been located
ut Pleasant View seven days he was
quite on friondly-nay, intimate
terms with his hostess and her daughter.
Every morning when he met tho latter
at the breakfast table, eeizing an oppoT-
tuaity Of course when Mrs. Fielding
was rot present, he had asked, "Wcll?''
and Ethel had shaken her head very TO-
terminedly and made the most of the
exceedingly dimplcd chin, which only
represented one-third of Mr.. Water
bury's. During the whole Of that week
Dick had never once been cut. The
kitchen commented severely ON this
point. 1t favored more Of the ''man in
possession" than anything else he had
done.
Hes been sent, and he's got to
stop" was cooks verdict. "And mis-
tress is making the best Of a bad job by
treating him as n gentleman guest. I've
always understood that the poor master
left her colnf'ablo off, and / can't un-
derstand how she's lost her money. !
suppose it's a mine or something.
Thank goodnossl I've got all my little
savings wrapped up in a stocking and
locked in my boxi''
Seven days had gone-the seventh
night had come, and still Ethel remained
obdurate. But she paid, her mother
noticed, considerable attention TO her
toilet and wore her prettiost dresses.
= = y y
What was that?
Mrs. Fielding sat up, bathcd in cold
p~erspiration.
What was-there it was again
scratching on the window? She listened
her heart beating q wild tattoo
against her ribs. Ycs-thero again
somebody was trying to break in!
Only a sliding door separated Mrs.
F%ielding's room from her daughters.
Her teeth chattering in time with the
wild throbbing of her pulses, Mrs.
Fielding cropt out Of bed and, the slid
ing door being partly open, into her
daughters room. Ethel was slumber:ng
peacefully, but a touch awokc her.
There was a hurried explanation in
whispers from Mrs. Fielding, and then
the two women, clutching each other
for comfort, stole into the outer bed
room and once more listened. Tho
scratching had ceased, and only a shut
fling sound could be heard. Then there
were footsteps on the gravel walk, and
then the scullery window (Which was
Immediately beneath) was shot up with
a force that denoted a careless haste on
the pat Of the midnight intruder.
"a burglarl" exclaimed Ethel, palo
to the lips, for she was only 10 and an
ordinary girl with ordinary nerves.
Unccnsciously her lips formed tho
word ''Dickr'
IN wake MI. Waterbury," said
Mrs. Fielding. She tripped swiftly out
Of the room, down the passage, and
raped ut her guests door.
In almost less time than it takes TO
relate it Dick found himself standing at
his door, in dressing gown and trousers,
trying to instill some calmness into tho
troubled breasts Of Mrs. Fielding, he-
daughter, tho cook and the housemaid
for Mrs. Fielding had aroused the
servants, there being comfort in num-
bers, even scared ones.
stop here" said Dick. "I'Il 70
down. If he doesn't use arms l can
manage himl"
So saying. he moved quietly down
stairs, and the women, afraid to be left
by themselves, followed him at a re.
spectful distance. A few moments and
the darkness had swallowed up Dicks
form. An anxious interval followed,
during which nothing could be heard.
Suddenly there were a crash of crock
cry and n savage exclamation; then an
other crash then L whole series Of crash
es. The cook and houscmaid shrieked
with fright. Mrs. FieIdi'g grasped tho
banistcrs and trcmbled. Ethel trembled.
too, for Dick-ycs, for Dick. She loved
him she knew it now. His life was in
peril.
The house was filed with sounds Of
the struggle. A desperate fight was 60
lug on in the passage leading to tho
kitchen. The ONE could dimly dis
coru the forms of tho two men who,
breathing i'll short, quick gasps, were
struggling furiously for the mastery.
Backward and forward they swayed,
with clinched teeth and straining mus
Giles. Still the women dared not move.
The couple had fought their way down
to the extreme end OF the passage and
were close TO the scullery door. Sudden
ly a pistol shot rang out, there was a
cry, a splintering of wood and a crash
of glass, and the two vanished.
A few seconds later Dick returned.
his dressing gown half torn off his back.
HE got away, " he exclaimed. "But
he didn't take anything. I'll get some
things ON and be OFF TO the police sta
ton"
The women gazed at their hero with
fond, admiring eyes. Once again they
brcathed freely. Slowly they moved up
stairs-all but Ethel.
"Aro you hurty" she asked him, with
infinite tenderness in her voice.
tfOn1v "A hr11 $50 m. two - bo ,,,1;oa