The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-12-28
MAN UNDER THE BED
BY CHARLES b. LEWIS.

several things to pride himself about.
He had made an honorable record. Nc
one in the Northrop family had ever
disgraced the name. His windows were
provided with burglar proof locks of his
own invention, and he had sang froid
which nothing could startle him out of.
The colonel was we'll satisfied with him.
self and the world at large, and those
who knew him best said he ought to be.
AT midnight one night Colonel North
rop came home from his club in his usu-
al good humor, and, finding couple Of
letters ON his table, sat down to read
them before going to bed. When finally
ready to retire, he was half asleep, and
he was no sooner between the sheets
than he departed for the land Of nod.
Just one hour later by the clock be
opened his eyes and sat up in bed, a
thing which hadn't happened since his
boyhood days.
Some sound had disturbed him, but
! just what it was he could not tell. The
idea that any sound should thus influ-
ence him aroused his ire, and after q
moment he sprang out of bed and lighted
the gas. He meant to make tour of his
rooms and see if his celebrated burglar
/ proof window locks were all right, but
as he was ready to move he was jumped
a foot high by the sound of sneeze un-
der his bed. 1t was a mans sneeze-a
hearty, wholesome sneeze with a note
OF defiance in it. The colonel had boast
ed that nothing could startle him out OF
his everyday plaoidity, but mere sneeze
had done it, and he was furious about
it. He dropped on his knees and looked
under the bed, and what he saw was a
man stretched at full length on the floor.
"Hal You rascal, but I've got you'll
exclaimed the warrior as he made out
the form of the intruder.
81 guess not, colonel, - was the cool
reply.
An army revolver, endeared by old
associations, xeposed in a drawer not
far away, and the colonel jumped for il
and said:
Now, then, You roll out here or I'll
blow your head Off "
go little slow, colonel, =" replied
the man under the bed. GIVE also got
gun, and the instant you stoop down
I'll send a bullet into you"
"You-you will?"
Il will for sure, and guess I'll shoot
at one of your legs as it isl
Acting on the impulse Of the moment,
the colonel sprang upon his bed, but 15
seconds later he was SO mad to think
he had jumped that he leaped to the
floor with the exclamation:
Come out here now or you are a
dead manl''
CHATS all bluff, colonel, said the
intruder. Pull on your trousers and sit
down and take things easy
The colonel obeyed. He obeyed be-
cause it suddenly struck him that he
didn't look dignified without trousers
and that he would need them anyway
when he came to escort the man out
doors and hand him over to the police.
He sat down because his knees trem-
bled under him and that very fact made
him boil over with anger and chagrin.
With the revolver pointed under the
bed he queried:
"When did you get into this room?''
about II o'clock, colonel F"
''How did you get in2''
Through that window to your left.
You thought yourself smart when you
put that wonderful catch on the sashes,
but it did not bother me five minutes
l wish all windows were provided with
such soft snap.
]
81 say you never got in by that win
dow p shouted the colonel, who had re-
peatedly told his friends that he would
give any burglar leave to work on his
patent all night.
"Then I'm liar and you are a gen.
tlemanl However, don't blame you
for feeling bit sore. I heard of your
patent and your boasting long ago, and
l knew could take you down a peg
when had a few minutes to spare. It
was easy, colonel dead easy. )"
but what are you in here for?''
Robbery, colonel. That's my trade,
you know. I had pal with me who
took off bag of stuff, while staid be-
hind to investigate further and was
hidden under the bed when you came
in. was about to crawl out and go
through your clothes when you awoke {"
NOW, then, are you coming out?"
thundered the colonel.
well, hardly-not just yet. F."
"Then I'll shoot you where you are. 4"
mo, you won't The minute l see
your legs moving shall open fire on
them. From where you sit your bullets
can't reach me, while have dead sure
thing on your legs. Go slow, colonel. !"
The colonel was up ON strategic posi-
tions, and he realized that the enemy
had all the advantage. While furiously
angry, he retained all his common sense
and figured that he must temporize.
If he was to capture instead of being
captured, he must resort to diplomacy.
He therefore controlled himself to say
"You must see that you cannot es-
cape, and it will be better if you quiet
ly surrender. I"
"That's where we differ, colonel, Z"
calmly replied the man under the bed.
'All have to do is to shoot you through
the legs and make my way out by the
window. 1t depends on you, however.
What's the use of being SO peppery
about trifes? A man of your age and
habits should have perfect control over
himself "
"You villainp' Missed the colonel be-
tween his clinched teeth.
NO use to call names. might call
you an old brag and blowhard. but that
wouldn t help the case any. It's always
better to argue point What is the ex-
act time, colonel?'
Its time / called in the police and
had you out of this, and here goes
| Click, click 1t was the man under
the bed getting ready to fire on the
colonels legs, and the colonel happily
realized it and fell back into his chair
"There won't be any police called in
here before I'm gone, - said the stranger
in his cool, calm way. after I'm out
you can raise all the racket you want
to, and no doubt you'll give it to the
papers very strong. Make hero of your
self if you can, but should you bear
down on me too hard might pay you
another visit. y
''You-you rob me, threaten me and
would assassinate mep' groaned the
colonel.
"Then don't threaten me. My desire
is to treat you like a gentleman, but
you make it impossible. When you get
ready to talk like reasonable man, I'll
take my departure and you can finish
your nap.
'But I'll call the policei Do you
think I'll let you escape meG"
81 do, colonel. Let's reason a mo-
ment You have done any amount of
Dragging about those window locks and
you don't want your friends to call you
( doxuD PaoDIa alxravS pr,v a mar, vvho