The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-06-24


door. for it consisted of a fbreo onar,er
length mirror in which Mira Green wos
wont to inspect he"hang'' 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 u suspicion of moonlipht
that shed a pale, uncertain light both
through the skylight on 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 ut wrong drawers at
last opened the right one, but failed to
feel the wrap.
1T must be in the wardrobe after
all, Z" she thought, and accordingly clos
ed the drawer with some noise, tripped
across the dark room, opened the ward
roDe door with some difficulty and bur-
led herself in its spacious recesses.
Maurice was a heavy sleeper, and
consequently apt to be a bit bemuddled
ON first awaking-more especially in tho
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 sim
CIV 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 mt
his side. He could hear the baby breath
ing huskily. There was only one other
person i'll 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 1t was
burglars.
Maurice withdrew his hand, which
rested OH 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 withH 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 u
muffied drum, stealthily turned the cor
ner between the two rooms.
"A faint light came through the land
ing skylight. Heavens! Tho 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 q man seen through mist. The
wretch! Just then the draft along
the landing took Maurice shrewdly OH
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 q muff1ed exclamation i'll
the room. Maurice rushed forward with
uplifted chair. The burglar, too, had
seized q chair and was making at him
with equal fury. Crash! The house
seemed to have fallen. There was q
fearful clatter of falling glass, pierre
ing shrek, the sound of body falling
On the floor, and all was still but for the
wall of the frightened babe in the room
he had left.
What had bo done? He kneeled down,
careless of broken glass, and his hand
rested on bare foot. Sick with appre-
hension, he CROPPED elsewhere and en-
countered plated head and a few curl
ing pins. a match, match, MY king
dom for matchp' he would doubtless
have said had he not been SO terribly
upset.
Just then rectangle of light APP
peared and increased until, pale and
trembling, stood the little maid i'll the
doorway, Il farthing dip in her hand,
amazed to see the following tableau
vivant: A wardrobe door swinging
upon its hinges, with its long mirror
smashed to fragments; chair, with q
broken leg, lying close by; Mortified
man i'll anightshirt and dressing jacket,
kneeling ut the feet of a PROSTATE wom-
an i'll dead faint, dressing gown and
plaits, who was none other than the
Mortified man s wife.
Maurice Green never turns the gas off
Mt the meter now except when he takes
his wife and family away for the sum-
mer holiday. Mrs. Green still looks I'M
der the bed for possible burglars before
retiring for the night, but Maurice has
never dared to chaif her since he mis-
took his own faint reflection in the
wardrobe mirror for desperate burglar.
II on1o,, U,it o;+,