Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-06-30
HOW SHE CAUGHT A BURGLAR.

to sleep tonight and get good rost. z
"That is just like man to talk no.
Go to sleep, indeed! l presume you
would and leave the house to take care
Of itself. to be broken into by burglars
and maybe the whole family would he
murdered. II you loved me as you used
to when we frat we're married, you
would not be willing to leave me every
evening for the clubhouse, willis |
worry and fret and get my nerves all
unstrung."
cit is necessary that should attend
to these things, my dear. The country
must be governed, and it's growing
need require constant watchfulness and
new lava. ! don't mean to be out any
more than am obliged to. You must
be willing to sacrifice little for the
good Of your country. just make up
your mind that you Will go to sleep,
and you won't ho troubled any further
with wakefulness.
''The idea OF me coolly making up
my mind to go to sleep whilo you are
out ia perfectly proposterous wouldn't
he 50 heartloss y
"Well, | won't go out tomorrow
night. III stay in with you. but to-
night must -"
VIZ hbuII
but IN sure something will happen.
[ have presentiment, and when did
my presentiments ever fail? We may
never SEQ each other aguin. IL you
come home and find baby and mo
killed, don't DO surprised.
Jpn try not to be, replied Mr..
| WylkB, as he put on his overcoRt and
smiled down at the troubled face Of his
| wife. Then he gave her a goodby kiss
aud left her, anu Hhe buried through
| the house to make sure that the win
dowa were oil fastened down aud the
bolts OF the doors pushed into their
fastenings, and then she sat down and
| read all the startling accidents, the ter
| rible burglaries and the frghtfu muir
ders that the daily papers furnished so
plentifully, and when ahe had got her
self wrought up go that she could sit
still no longer she once more visited all
the windows and doors and warned the
girls against removing a single bolt or
| har. Then she returned to her cosy
sitting room and sat down In silence,
listening for the sounding Of some threw
ing wretch and trying to imagine what
abe should do if one of the villains
should confront her and demand her
| jewels and the Key to the silver closet.
Time went on and the clock struck
| IL; still she was undecided what she
had better do If anything unusual
should happen. The girls had gone up
to bed and were undoubtedly sound
asleep.
Half an hour crspt by. Baby cried
out in his sleep, and Mira Wylks has
tened to him, for there was no nurse to
attend him. Mrs. Wylks never would
trust the little darling with any one
but herself. She shut and fastened the
bedroom door. and lay down beside her
little one to aoothe him 10 sleep. The
clock struck ~, and then Mrs. WylkH
heard q noise. ilreathlessly she lis
tened. Soft footsteps were creeping up
the stairs. They paused moment al
her door and then she heard the knob
turn, but as the door did not open the
midnight marsuder passed softly on.
She heard him enter the sitting room,
and for moment all WAS still.
Something must be DONE" solilo.
quized Mrs. Wylks, rs she softly raised
herself from beside her sleeping infant.
~ can't lie here and let everything he
carried out OF the house. ! must dc
something"
softly she turned the key aud gently
opened the door and nuiselessly crspt
into the ball, determined to do some
thing. Tremblingly she crept toward
the sitting room door, expecting every
moment to be met by the monster Of d
lawbreaker She gained the sitting
room door anil peeped cautiously In.
No one was in sight, but she heard
yes, she very distinctly heard-somt
one in the closet. An idea suggested
itself to her mind. She clasped hel
hands together for second. ther
springing quickly forward she pushec
the closet door to and turned tho key
Only few seconds work and she hat
him safe. She heard his cries to he lie
out as she fled up the stairs to thu
girls room screaming:
i've got him I've got the bur
glar! Now, quick for the police! Ann
Bridget He'll burst open the door
, Quick! Get up and run!
Aroused from their sluinbers, TIM
girls rubbed their eyes and failed Il
/ understand the situation.
, "Oh, be quick ~ cried Mrs. Wylks
/ wringing her hands.
"What is it, ma'amPh asked thu
girls in the same breath.
, 1.-The burglar I've got him dow
, stairs in the closet. Oh, hurry! Hell
break out, and then we're lost ~
' At the name of burglar" both girl
: hid themselves under the hedclothe
and paid not the least attention to Mrs
Wylks' pleadings.
HE'LL break out, l know he will
and kill the baby Oh. dear, aren't yo
going to get the police?" And Mrs
Wylks tugged at the bedclothes.
o "Och Och - answered the girls
holding on to their night coverings.
"Oh, dear, III go myself won't b
killed. / won't have the baby killed
/ leave you to your fate" And Mrs
Q Wylks fled. closely followed by the girls
who objected to being left to their fate
I and springing from their beds the
had caught up whatever articles q
wearing apparel lay conveniently a
8 hand and followed their mistress dow
the stairs, past the door of the sittin
room, on TO Mrs. WyllSs' room, whsrs
pause was made long enough for th
d anxious, loving mother TO grasp he
baby and wrap blanket, which sh
p hastily drew from the bed, around il
I. and the girls drrayed themselevss il
whatever they had brought with them
/ enlivening the time willis making Ibei
# toilet with little shrieks and screams
as they heard voice from the close
i demanding In no gentle tone to be le
+ out. Thsn the three women ana tn
baby took up their onward rush dow
k stairs They halted to open the from
d door, and the young heir of the hUuse
hold, SO rudely aroused from his slum
bers, entered a protest in loud an
angry tones.
: tbs door was opened, and Mrs Wylk
! 4oalr ba. sfap1 mn tba aIana Will FIJI