Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-12-10


them"
We'll. no matter" said Kitty. sooth-
ingly. 1T WON'T be a secret long. you
know, for one of the FIVE seldom keeps
a secret long from the other four. And
now we really must get TO work at this
Vergil, FOR We have but twenty minutes
more"
During the afternoon Jessie received
little note from Fannie, asking her
to spend the afternoon and evening OF
the following day. Saturday. at her
. home. Her father. mother and brother
were to visit friends at a distance and
would probably not return until early
Sunday morning. she wrote. and there
fore she wished Jessie TO remain with
her for company. In a postscript she
added that as Jennie Keith was also
to stay with her. she thought they
would pass an enjoyable Saturday. In
reply. Jessie promised to come II
nothing arose to prevent.
Early on Saturday afternoon. the two
girls reached Fannies home and pass
ed delightful afternoon in tennis
playing and other girlish amusements.
After tea they spent the early part of
the evening in music, Jessie with her
violin and Fannie at the piano. The
latter part they spent in story telling.
In the latter pursuit, Jennie's and Fan
MES tastes seemed to lead them to
tell weird ghost stories and thrilling
burglar stories, which almost made
Jessie shiver. About ten o'clock they
retired, and bidding her friends good
night at the door Jessie was soon in
bed and asleep, dreaming dreams
strangely mixed with Latin and bicy-
cling.
Some time after midnight she was
awakened by a strange sound within
the room, and as she slowly opened her
eyes they fell full upon a man stand
Ing with his back toward her bed and
bending over the toilet-table. AS her
drowsy brain grasped the situation she
became weak with terror, and frag-
ments Of the horrible tales which her
friends had told earlier in the evening
came fiocking to her mind. Then she
remembered the conversation under
the oak tree and how bravely she had
believed she would act in a situation
of this sort. All, it was easy then in
the bright sunlight, and surrounded by
her friends to think OF being brave.
But now. all alone as she was. and
with weird light in the room cast by
the bull's-eye lantern which the rob-
Der carried. the thought Of leaving her
bed and confronting him made her
weak with terror. While she was
thinking thus, the burglar was rapidly
ca h inc h,
table for valuables which did not seem
forthcoming
Then her thoughts reverted TO the
tiny silver-mounted revolver which she
had placed under her pillow before re-
firing, as she had done every night
since the burglary at Judge Gayncr's.
But how could this protect her against
the huge revolver which she felt GER
tain the burglar carried. Suddenly she
caught sight of a pistol on a chair
about two yards from her and about
three from the burglar. which he must
have placed there before commencing
operations. Ii was not likely, she
thought, that he carried another.
But If she secured it she must do so
quickly, for he had nearly finished at
the toilet-table. and she felt certain
he would turn his attention next to the
bureau, which was so situated as to be
almost between her and the pistol. The
thing she dreaded most now was that
he might glance back before she had
secured the weapon; but as he had al
ready looked around soon after she had
awakened and as at that moment she
od 20 1N,
did not think it likely that he would
look toward her again soon. So she
slipped her hand under her pillow and
pulled out the revolver. Then, slip |
ping from bed, she tiptoed noiselessly |
toward the chair and placing her hand !
on the revolver, she grasped it firmly.
like the heroine OF The Curfew."
Then she moved with a noiseless.
rapid step toward the burglar, and had |
nearly reached his elbow, when to her |
horror he turned a masked, bewhisker- |
ed face toward her. Jessie neither
tainted or screamed. but before he |
could move she had placed her pistol /
on level with his head and said in a |
voice, which after a mighty effort she |
succeeded in making calm and firm: |
Move a muscle, or speak word and /
/ will fire." The robber appeared |
startled, turned rather white, then
moved his lips as though to speak, but
she repeated her command and he re-
NAMED silent. Then, with the pistol |
held unfalteringly in the same posi-
ton, she commanded him to open the
door OF a nearby closet and walk in
side. and after a moments hesitation
he obeyed.
With sigh OF relief Jessie locked
the door and putting the key in her
pocket, dressed hurriedly and went out
through the hall. At her friends door
she hesitated. not knowing whether to
awaken them or leave them to sleep in
peace. She decided upon the latter
course, and descending the stairs she
brought her wheel from the wood
shed, not without some fearfulness. it
ho