The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-23

Jt was "A nrfcnt Night, and oHvrStmsoup
around the ',rner. knew hc was after .
drlnk. Iha. was Jiip's falling, thg4.And
gambling. .-'---
went back and sat down. Tho moro
Thought about that money the moro ]
didn { like the Idea. What business had
Jim to 40 away ard leave all tho reeponsi.
billty with meS OF course he tiidn e leave
IL all with me, but he left altogcther toe
big u share. AS sAt there grumbling
low tap ON the window overlooking the
platform attracted my attention. ] looked
up. That side OF tho building was In shad.
ow, but I could see mans face against
the pane.
"Joc," said somebody outside. sup.
posed 1t might bo one of tho section handl
and stepped across the room.
"What is itY' called.
"Open the window, Joc," said the voice.
Ipushed Il up q little way.
els that you, Jerryf' called.
There was no response. / putmy bead
through the opening and looked up and
down the line Nobody was in sight. just
then heard q slight noise behind me. ]
dre% In my head Something seemed t&
,rash Into my brain. A fash Of blazing
light blinded me- Then all was dark.
When 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 q queer,
hoarsc voice.
The shorter man felt In my pockets.
"Not here" he cried.
"They must be-" said the tall man in
his hoarse voice.
II tell you they are not. Bring the
lamp"
Tho tall man took the lamp from the
window ledge and came closer to me. But
their search was vain. The tall man placed
the lamp on tho table, while the short
man put revolver to my ear.
Come" he said, "where are thOse
keysf'
My head was beginning to cleara little.
I saw 1t all. My wife had taken the keyt
from my pocket because 1t was her way
and because she thought had NO further
use for them until morning.
He must have left the keys Mt home, ''
said the tall man hurriedly. Here, give
him q sheet of paper and let him write q
note to his wife asking for them. Th<
short man looked up sharply.
"I'll get them," said the tall man.
They pulled the table up to me and
spread out scrap of paper. The short
man loosened the rope and let my right
hand free. 1 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
II rol NJ dnn av,A h0
ribly haggled about the point. pride my.
self on the fine point / put to my pencils.
Again 1 comprehended that my wife had
borrowed that very pencil to write the
note to the operators wife. tried to scrib
BILE with the blunted thing.
Course you, hurryr growled the short
rufYian.
showed the pencil point With an ex-
clamation of anger the short man drew out
q heavy handled knife and swiftly sharp
ened the pencil. As he passed it back my
wandering vision was caught by the lamp
on the table Hcsvensl 1t was no longer In
the window! AS this thought struck me ]
looked toward the ledge and saw there q
white, scared face pressed against the pane
1t was my wife.
"Wfitel" growled the short rufiian.
My only thought was to gain time ]
knew my wife was there. 1 knew sht
would bring help.
I took the pencil in my nerveless fingers.
As did SO a low growl caught my ear. II
caught the ears of the Wilkins too. The
short man dropped his knife on the table
and turned toward the door with his re.
volver extended. The tall man drew him.
self up against the wall.
"It's the dog" he hoarsely whispered.
"Shoot to kill, Jack" tft
I saw the door trelnble . little, saw
the short villains arm rise, and my fingers
closed on the handle of the knife he had
just dropped. Then as the door slowly
opened I drew back my arm and thrust
wildly at the man in front of me. Some
thing yellow flew through the doorway.
There was wild scream, a heavy fall, anO
! lApsed into Inconsistencies again.
When 1 came around, 1 was in bed al
home, with Minnie bending over me.
"It's 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 you
$1,000 of it,
"And Jimp" asked.
"Jim!" she cried. "Why, Jim was the
tall man. 1t was all his plot to steal the
money and throw the blame on you. And
II hadn't taken your keys-don't scold-
they d have had the money, and if 1t hadn't
been for the lead pencil dulled-the man
you stabbed told the whole story
wouldn't have got there In time with Hec.
tor. The dog almost killed Jim before
could call him away, but 1 amt 60 sorry,
because the little man says they would
have killed you If you had by any chance
suspected Jim's identity" 're,sf =.
reached out and took Minnie's hand.
"That $1,000 belongs to you, DEAR"
said brokenly.
well, she answered, "if you take It,
Jim, you may rest assured I'll borrow II
sooner or later.
Then she put her cheek against my hand
and laughed.
Then she ecried.-Cleveland Plain Dealer.