Passaic City record., 1897-07-17

W. sNS~N- 49, --'-~
in his hoarse voice.
81 tell you they are not. Bring the
lamp"
The tall man took the lamp from the
window ledge and came closer to me.
But their search was in vain. The
tall man placed the lamp on the table,
while the other man put revolver to
my ear.
"Come!'' he said, "where are those
keys?"
Ny head was beginning to clear
little. I saw it all. My wife had
taken the keys from my pocket be-
cause it was her way, and because she
thought had no further use for them
until morning
HE must have left the keys at
home," said the tall man hurriedly.
''Here, give him sheet of paper and
let him write note to his wife, ask
ing for them. The short man looked
up sharply.
TIL get them, said the tall man.
They pulled the table up to me and
spread out a scrap of paper The
short man loosened the rope and let
my right hand free. I reached to my
vest pocket half blindly and drew, out
my pencil. Still in daze, T tried to
put my wife's name on the sheet The
pencil refused to make a mark I
looked at it. It was dull and horribly
haggled about the point. pride my
self ON the fine point put to my
pencils. Again I comprehended that
my wife had borrowed that very PEN
Gil to write the note to the operators
wife. I tried to scribble with the
blunted thing.
Course you, hurry!'' growled the
short ruffian.
showed the pencil point. With an
exclamation of anger the short man
drew out heavy-handled knife and
swiftly sharpened the pencil. As he
passed it back my wandering vision
was caught by the lamp on the table.
Heavens! it was no longer in the
window! AS this thought struck me
I looked towards the ledge and saw
there white, scared face pressed
against the pane. It was my wife.
''Writep' growled the short rufian.
Ny only thought was to gain time.
I knew my wife was there I knew
she would bring help.
took the pencil in my nerveless
fingers. AS / did so low growl
caught my ear. It caught the ears of
the villains, too. The short man
dropped his knife on the table and
turned towards the door with his re-
volver extended. The tall man drew
himself up against the wall.
''It's the dog," he hoarsely whisp-
ered ''Shoot to kill, Jack"
I saw the door tremble little, I
saw the short williams arm raised and
my fingers closed on the handle of
the knife he had just dropped. Then
as the door slowly opened L drew back
my arm and thrust wildly at the man
in front of me. Something yellow
flew through the doorway, there was
wild scream, a heavy fall and l lapsed
into unconsciousness again.
When I came around I was in bed
at 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
one thousand dollars of it."
"And Jim?" I asked.
t'Jim?'' she cried "Why Jim was
the tall man. It was all his plot to-
steal the money and throw the blame
on you. And if I hadn't taken
your keys-dont scold-they'd have
had the money, and if it hadn't been
for the lead pencil I dulled-the man
you stabbed told the whole story-I
wouldn't have got there in time with
Hector. The dog almost killed Jim
before I could call him away, but I
amt SO sorry, because the little man
says they would have killed you if you
had by any chance suspected Jim's
identity
I reached out and took Minnie's
hand.
''That thousand dollars belongs to
you, DEAR" said brokenly.
''Well," she answered, eff you take
it, Joe, you may rest assured I'll bor-
row it sooner or later"
Then she put her cheek against my
hand and laughed.
Then she cried.-Cleveland Plain
Dealer. .
Victoria Christened From a Golden Font.
James Cassidy writes of the "Girl-
hood Days Of England's Queen for