The midland journal., 1897-01-29
1T WAS A LAWN MOWER.
Thrilling Experience of a Brave Man
Ended in HisapDointI.ent.

Thrilling Experience of Brave Man
Ended in Disappointment.
EYES," said the man with the blond
mustache, that was terrible expert
ence had last night"
"And it was really burglars?" asked
one of the young women, with shud-
der, and she Iooi;ed over her shoulder
with a glance Of terror, as though she
expected to see behind her a ruffianly-
looking fellow with black mask on
MS face and cooked revolver in his
hand.
III tell you all about it," replied the
man with the blond mustache. 1t was
evident that he understood his busi-
uess and did rot intend to give away
the denoien!"nt CHATS French, yor
know, for "snap'0 until he could do it
In true dramatic fashion.
"Tll tell you all about it," he said
"Everything was still as death, or
suppose it must have been, for l had
been sleeping like u log, when was
suddenly reused by peculiar rumbling
sound. 1t was like the noise of an ap-
preaching carriage. 1t grew louder and
louder, until l knew it was close at
hand.
"It suddenly occurred to me that it
was burglars, and that they had come in
wagon, the better to get away in "a
hurry in case of a chase by the police
and for convenience in carrying off
their plunder.
81 leaped up on end in bed and sat
there listening and-yes, and trem-
bling, for the situation was not pleas
ant"
'Oh, it must have been horrid!" ex-
claimed the young lady who had spoken
before. II know l shan't sleep wink
tonight"
81 sat listening and listening" con-
tinued the man with blond mustache,
"but not sound did / hear All was
still as the grave"
II wish he would not talk about
graves" murmured the young lady
aforesaid; at is ghastly enough with
out that"
"All was still as it could be-" resumed
the story teller, intuitively changing
his simile, for he had not apparently
heard what was said. "All was still as
it could be. but all of a sudden my ears
were pierced by sharp click"
"And so it was burglars. and they
must have been right in your room,
too" remarked the young chap with the
big-headed cane. Did they kill you?
No, Of course they didn't do that; but
did they-what did they do. anyway2"
"Hush!" exclaimed the young lady
with the fluffy hair. "Oh, dear! it
makes me crawl all over. | can see 1t
all; one of the horrid creatures was
outside with the horse and wagon, and
the other, the biggest and most fero-
cious one, had got into the house with q
billy or jimmy or one of those awful
things they give pet names to. and there
he was standing over you with pistol
in his hand, and"
Not exactly" broke in the man with
the blond mustache. "After little
began to understand the situation"
".And you leaped out Of bed and laid
the miscreant dead at your feet?" sug-
gested the girl who had aspirations for
the stage.
"No, why should II" replied Blond
Mustache, cor, indeed. how could l.?
When | heard second click got onto
the racket. 1t was Urliburd's confound
ed lawn mower. He is the greatest fell
low you ever saw for getting up hours
before daylight and pushing that beast
ly lawn mower of his all over his place"
''And so it wasn't burglars, after ?"
murmured the young lady who awhile
ago had felt herself unequal to hearing
the story.
Another young lady expressed the
opinion that it was real mean" and,
take it all around, Blond Mustache
would better have kept his yarn to him
self.-Boston Transcript.