Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-07-08

dons, for it consisted of three quarter
length mirror in which Mrs. Green was
won't to inspect the chang of her lat
est costume.
''I'm almost sure it's in the dressing |
table drawer" unused Mrs. Green,
growing accustomed to the darkness |
and assisted by suspicion of moonlight
that shed a pale, uncertain light both
through the skylight OH the landing and
the window opposite the wardrobe. Act
ing upon this thought, she ignored the
wardrobe for the present, crossed the
room to the dressing table, and after
sundry clickings of little brass handles
and tentative pulls at wrong drawers at
last opened the right one, but failed to
feel the wrap.
1t must be in the wardrobe after
all, she thought, and accordingly clos
ed the drawer with some noise, tripped
across the dark room, opened the ward
robe door with some difficulty and bur-
led herself in its spacious recesses.
Maurice was heavy sleeper, and
consequently apt to be bit bemuddled
on first awaking-more especially in the
dark. On this particular night, after ap-
parently dreaming for full fortnight
of excursions and alarums, he awoke
with violent start. The room,> to him,
was pitch dark. There was not even the
suspicion of moonlight on this side OF
the house. Besides, the blinds were
down. He sat up, every nerve and sin
ew taut now. He was fully awake.
"By jingo," he breathed, and he felt
the cold sweat start to his brow, "she
was right They've come. - He put out
his hand to wake his wife. He felt her
form under the bullying bedclothes at
his side. He could hear the baby breath
ing huskily. There was only one other
person in that house unaccounted for.
That was the little servant maid. But
why should she be trying drawers in
the spare bedroom? No, they had come,
after all Mrs. Green was right. TWAS
burglars.
Maurice Withdrew his hand, which
rested on the hillock by his side, with
the thought: "I'll not waken her, poor
soul. She'd be scared to death. I'll
know the worst first" So thinking,
and with sort Of infatuation-which
was perhaps bravery-to get glimpse
of the marauder, he stole out of bed,
buttoned up his dressing jacket, took
the little bedside chair by the back, and
thus armed, his heart beating like a
muf1ed drum, stealthily turned the cor
ner between the two rooms.
A faint light came through the land
ing skylight. Heavens! The villain
was at the other end of the room, right
opposite the door. What he was doing
he could not make out, for he looked
like a man seen through mist. The
wretch Just then the draft along
the landing took Maurice shrewdly OIL
the bare legs. The influenza asserted it.
self. He fought against it desperately
for moment 1t but augmented the
force Of the explosion. Like thunder
bolt he sneezed.
There was a muf1led exclamation il
the room. Maurice rushed forward with
uplifted chair. The burglar, too, hac
seized chair and was making at him
with equal fury. Crash! The house
seemed to have fallen. There was {
fearful clatter Of falling glass, a pierre
ing shrek, the sound Of body falling
on the floor, and all was still but for thu
wall of the frightened babe in the room
he had left.
What had be done? He kneeled down
careless Of broken glass, and his hant
rested on bare foot. Sick with appre
hension, he CROPPED elsewhere and en-
countered plated head and few curl
ing pins. "a match, a match, my king
dom for a match!' he would doubles
have said had he not been SO terribl.
upset.
Just then rectangle Of light ap
peared and increased until, pale AM
trembling, stood the little maid in tn
doorway, farthing dip in her hand
amazed to see the following tablea,
vivant: A wardrobe door swinging
upon it's hinges, with it's long miro
smashed to fragments; chair, with
broken leg, lying close by; horrifiet
man in anightshirt and dressing jacket
kneeling at the feet Of PROSTATE WON
an in dead faint, a dressing gown ant
plaits, who was none other than tn
3 Mortified mans wife.
Maurice Green never turns the gas of
at the meter now except when he take
his wife and family away for the sum
mer holiday. Mrs. Green still looks un
t der the bed for possible burglars befor
retiring for the night, but Maurice ha
never dared to chaff her since he mis-
took his own faint reflection in tn
!. wardrobe mirror for desperate burglar
a London Bits.