The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-26

side Of the building was in shadow. but |
/ could see q mans face against the |
pane.
"Joe," said somebody outside. 1 sup |
posed it might be one of the section |
hands and stepped across the room.
"Open the window, joe" said the |
voice. pushed it up a little way.
as that you, Jerry?" 1 called
There was no response. / put my
head through the opening and looked
up and down the line Nobody was
in sight. Just then / heard a slight
noise behind me. l drew in my head.
Something seemed to crash into my
brain. A flash of blazing light blind
ed me. Then all was dark.
When l came to / was tied in my
chair, my head was sore and wet, and
two men with strips of black cloth
across their faces were looking down
at me-
Hes all right" said the shorter one.
The tall man nodded.
Get the keys" he said. in a queer,
hoarse voice.
The shorter man felt in my pockets.
mot herel" he cried.
"They must be-" said the tall man,
| in his hoarse voice.
II tell you they are not. Bring the
lamp"
The tall man took the lamp from
the window ledge and came closer to
me. But their search was in vain. The
tall man placed the lamp on the table,
while the short man put a revolver to
my ear.
Comet" he said, "where are those
keys?"
My head was beginning to clear a
little. 1 saw it ALL My wife had TAX
en- the keys from my pockets because
1t was her way, and because she
thought had no further use for them
until morning.
He must have left the keys at
home" said the tall man. hurriedly.
Here, give him a sheet of paper and
let him write q note to his wife, ask
ing for them"
The short man looked up sharply.
"In get them," said the tall man.
They pulled the table up to me and
spread out scrap of paper. The short
man loosed the rope and let my right
hand free. reached to my vest pocket
half blindly and drew out my pencil,
still in daze. I tried to put my wife's
name on the sheet. The pencil refused
to make q mark. l looked at it. 1t
was dull and horribly haggled about
the point / prided myself on the fine
point put to my pencils. Again l COM
pretended that my wife had borrowed
that very pencil to write the note to
the operators wife. / tried to scribble
with the blunted thing.
Course you, hurry!" growled the
short ruffian.
/ showed the pencil point. With an
exclamation of anger the short man
drew out a heavy handled knife and
swiftly sharpened the pencil. AS he
passed it back my wandering vision
was caught by the lamp on the table.
Heavens! 1t was no longer in the win
dow! AS this thought struck me, I
looked toward the ledge and saw there
white, scared face pressed against
the pane. 1t was my wife.
"Write" growled the short ruffian.
My only thought was to gain time.
knew my wife was there. 1 knew
she would bring help.
took the pencil in my nerveless
fingers. AS did so low growl caught
my ear. 1t caught the ears of the viii
lains, too. The short man dropped his
knife on the table and turned toward
the door with his revolver extended
The tall man drew himself up against
the wall.
IT'S the dog!" he hoarsely whis-
pered. "Shoot to kill, Jack!"
saw the door tremble little; I saw
the short villains arm raise, and my
, fingers close on the handle of the knife
he had just dropped. Then, as the
door slowly opened, I drew back my
a tIA ~
, front of me. Something yellow flew
through the doorway, there was a wild
scream, a heavy fall, and 1 lapsed into
, unconsciousness again.
i When I came around I was in bed a
home, with Minnie bending over me.
ITS all right, joe" she murmured
they've got them both locked up safe
! and sound and the money is all right
and the mill directors have given yol
$1,000 of it,
"And Jim?" I asked.
"Jim?" she cried. "Why, Jim was tht
? tall man. 1t was all his plot to stea
the money and throw the blame 81
, you. And if I hadn't taken your key
don't scold-they'd have had th
money, and if it hadn't been for tn
; lead pencil 1 dulled-the man yol
, | stabbed told the whole story
I wouldn't have got there in time will
I Hector. The dog almost killed Jim be
fore could call him away, but / ain
, sorry, because the little man says the.
would have killed you if you had b,
I any chance suspected Jim's identity.
, reached out and took Minnie's hand
THAT thousand dollars belongs t
\. you, DEAR" 1 said brokenly.
"Well," she answered, ''if you TAX
, it, Jim, you may rest assured I'll Dor
: row 1t sooner or later"
q Then she put her cheek against m
S hand and laughed.