The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-14

smoke and rum which filed it when the
| friends" had been there nauseated and
| disgusted her. Her quick intuition led
her to believe that her fathers "busi-
ness" was not strictly legitimate. The
awful truth was only just beginning
to dawn upon her. but all summer,
since she had come away from the con-
vent in early June, she had felt that
matters were not right The drunken
carousals, the oaths and illusions of
crime-which her father always tried
| to stop in her presence--ai the cir
cumstances which surrounded her, dis
tressed and mvstiied her. Mrs. Coils
| Wood often felt as though the girl
had in her an element of the super
natural; but to Dorilla herself this ele-
ment seemer even stronger. She felt
like two people. She could not realize
that she was the same girl who had
chased the white butterflies in the con-
vent garden, studier her lessons in the
quiet school room, and built her fond
| est hopes on the winning of first med
ais. Now there was this awful secrecy
these coarse men coming to the house
at night-always by night-the con-
slant injunctions to her to repeat moth
ing which she heard said-to make no
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES expectations of
wealth in the near future-and then
there was Mickey, with his handsome
face, the love which he had declared
for her and which she herself saw no
harm in returning-and yet to which
her father was so unalterably opposed.
1t was all so deeply confusing and be-
wildering that it seemed to her like
horrible nightmare.
That Saturday night, five OF the
friends had come for Sunday, and
there was a great supper to clear away,
Dorilla wiped the dishes in the kitchen
for her mother, saying little or moth
ing. Then they both sat down for a
moment on the cool back steps. Pres
emily Mrs. Keasbey spoke chidingly.
what was you whispering and talk
ing so within Mikey for, Rilla? You
! know"
"Yes, I know" interrupted Dorilla,
impatiently. I'm tired Of hearing
about it. I wish you would never men
tion Mikey to me again."
Mrs. Keasbey fumed and fretted on
weakly, but the girl made no further
reply. Suddenly a great white moth
came fiuttering down out of the dark
ness and settled upon her ruffied hair,
swaying his velvet wings back and
forth. The mother started as she saw
it.
Where did that come from, Dor
illa?"
"Where they always come from when
I'm around" laughed the girl with a
little note of triumph in her voice.
Mrs. Keasbey got up and went into
theh ouse. Sth hsafwlea tmhe thmah
the house. She was half-afraid of Do
rilla, when she was in this mood.
Two terrible weeks followed. The
men remained at the house all the time
sleeping by day and roaming abroad
by night Two or three times the girl
questioned her mother, but Mrs. Keas-
hey either answered nothing at all, OF
in meaningless general terms, The
housework, even when performed after
that lady's easy methods, was a heavy
; burden, though the men attempted tc
help, and one of them, who was baker
by trade, rendered considerable assist
ance. They drank more than usual
and Mr.. Keasbey was taciturn and
! morose. Even Mikey was nervous an6
drank too much. Dorilla could not gel
away on Sunday for the class at the
schoolhouse, nor any visit with hel
: teacher during the week. She was in
wardly excited to the highest pitch
: 1t seemed as though she must go crazy
On certain Friday night, the crisi:
came. For two weeks, every evening
; Thomas Keasbey and his men. gather
I ing singly, from different directions
l and at different hour, had effected, by
means of skeleton keys and other sim
: pie tools, an entrace into the room
} which lay above the vault of the bank
They had raised the carpet there, re.
? moved some planks. and bored into the
: adamant cement below them. By eau
, tous and persistent labor, they had
l now hewed out a jagged hole in it
! large enough to admit them, one by
one, into the bank below. The stee
E ceiling had been partially drilled
) through. Every night. the dust anC
. fragments had been neatly swept int
r bags, the planks and carpet had beer
| replaced, the doors and windows haC
\ been securely relocked, and the grea
( burglary had been little nearer IT.
consummation-and Thomas Keasbey
had as yet no reason to fear that tn,
I slightest suspicion had fastened upoI
their movements.
That day the men slept long anC
I soundly. 1t was after six when the!
. assembled for their evening meal. Tn,
I October night was warm and close
5 but they dared not have a curtain III
E nor a window open. Dorilla and hei
!, mother waited on them in silence. Th
4 men were nervous and thirsty bu
/ Thomas Keasbey would not let then
y drink much.
5 1--WE want clear heads tonight. boys.
n he said. "Dorilla. I'LL the glasses ono
out Of this bottle. When We get back
4 maybe Wen have little more"
0 They did not sit long at the table