Middletown transcript., 1897-07-10

herself well-screened, until she reached
the kitchen door. Slipping through it,
she stood still and listened breathlessly
bat could hear no sound. Evidently
the robbeI was in a distant part Of the
house.
With trembling hands she pushed
open the door leading into the sitting
room. and then stood still again, lis
tening intentIy. A moment later she
almost screamed out with terror, for
she could hear The mrff1ed sound of a
footstep in the next room, which was
the spare bedroom, and then the creak
of ali opening drawer reached her
ear.
He's getting at the bureau," she
thought. "Papa's watch is in one of
the drawers, | think. The robber
mustn't find it; I'll not let himl" she
added, wave of heroism sweeping
through her bosom.
She hesitated no longer. Her whole
being was mastered by one supreme
purpose-to save her fathers gold
watch. Swiftly and noiselessly. she
glided in the hallway, on the wal. of
which hung her fathers shotgun on
two stout wooden hooks. She knew
that it was loaded. Under the circum-
stances she felt justified in touching it,
although she had never dared to touch
it before. She sprang upon "a chair
standing beneath the weapon, whose
muzzle pointed directly over the top of
the door of the room in which burglar
was plying his business.
Yes, she could reach the gun. 1t
took but moment to cock the ham-
mer, as she had often seen her father
do: then, bracing her nerves BY su-
preme mental effort, she placed her
slender forefnger against the trigger.
closed her eyes and pressed with all
her might. There followed>a deafen-
ing explosion and binding flash, and
the load of shot was buried in the OPP
posite wall. The concussion almost
stunned the girl, but she had self-po-
session enough to spring from the
chair and dodge into dark corner for
safety, should the robber come into
the hall.
A moment Of silence ensued, and
then she heard few heavy footballs
in the next room, followed by a loud
crash of broken glass, and she knew
that the terror-stricken robber had
leaped through the window and made
his escape. Her plan, which had been
simply to frighten him away, had sue
ceeded, and her heart bounded with
exultation.
Through .one of the windows she
saw the bold robber scampering across
the meadow toward tract of woods.
Then she rushed out Of the front door
and dived in among the bushes, where
she lay trembling with excitement and
fright for half an hour. Then her fa-
ther, mother, Liza and little Neddie
returned, her parents having become
uneasy about her.
"Oh, papal mammal" she cried,
laughing and crying Historically, as
she sprang from her hiding-place, 81
scared him awayi I scared him awayp
"What do you mean, KatieP" they
ked in surp Use.
81 SC, red the Tobber away;" and she
quickly sketched her adventure.
Her father FASTENED into the house.
and examined the dismantled bureau.
"You dear, brave girlr' he said,
pressing her TO his bosom; "you fright
ened the rascal away just in time. He
had almost found the watch. See, it
was under the pile of clothes that he
was tumbling aside when you scared
him by firing off the old gun. You're
a genuine heroine, Katie. y
Her mother. too. had to kiss and
hug her.
"And nob1dy'll call me 'fraidy-cat
any more, will theyP she asked de-
murely.
mo, indeed" declared her father,
his face beaming with smiles. "You're
soldier-as brave soldier as ever
fought on a battlefield; and, more
than that. you know how to obey or
ders when-when other people run
from the post Of duty.n
AS be spoke he looked slyly at
Liza.-Detroit Free Press.