The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1898-08-09

10 SleeD IN MS dressing Jacket. luOSS
nasty influenza colds need care, and
I'm so apt to uncover him in reaching
over TO baby. I'll slip into the next
room myself"
Thus soliloquizing she quietly got ont
of bcd--ior where baby came in fear
Jew out~-pushed the turned back bed
clothes gently against her husbands
back so that he would not miss her,
and proceeded to feel for the matches.
The little receptacle at the bed head
was empty. Not d match! "Oh, dear,
dear, why will Maurice insist upon turn
ing the gas off at the meter, especially
when the baby is unwell?" she sighed,
as she slipped into her dressing gown.
which fortunately was hanging on the
brass knob at the foot of the bed
Slippers she could not find. Nil des-
perandum! She knew to a foot where
the wrap was, or at least she thought
she did, and she would know it the mo-
ment she laid finger on it. The lit
tie cherub in the cot coughed in chok-
ing manner. Light or no light the wrap
must be found, and, without further
delay, the little mother walked ginger
ly into the next room.
No one could fail to find the wardrobe,
as it was the first article of furniture
encountered on entering the room.
When its door opened it was possible to
view ones self from the bedroom door,
for it consisted of a three-quarter length
mirror in which Mrs. Green was wont
to inspect the hang of her latest cos
| tune.
'.I'm almost sure it's in the dressing
| table drawer" unused Mrs. Green, grow
ing accustomed to the darkness, and as
sisted by a suspicion of moonlight that
shed pale, uncertain light both
through the skylight on the landing
and the window opposite the wardrobe.
Acting upon this, though she ignored
! the wardrobe for the present, she crossed
the room to the dressing table, and,
after sundry clickings of little brass
handles, and tentative pulls at wrong
drawers, at last opened the right one,
but failed to feel the wrap.
1T must be in the wardrobe after all"
she thought, and, accordingly, closed
the drawer with some noise, tripped
across the dark room, opened the ward
robe door with some difficulty, and
buried herself in its spacious recesses.
Maurice was a heavy sleeper, and,
consequently, apt to be bit bemud-
died on first awakening-more especial
ly in the dark. On this particular night,
after apparently dreaming for full
fortnight of excursions and alarums,
he awoke with violent start The
room, to him, was pitch dark. There
was not even the suspicion of moonlight
on this side of the house. Besides, the
blinds were down. He sat up, every
nerve and sinew taut now. He was
fully awake
"By jingo," he breathed, and he. felt
the cold sweat start to his brow, "she
was right. They've comel" He put
out his hand to wake his wife. He felt
her form under the bullying bed clothes
at his side. He could hear the
baby breathing huskily. There wa:
only one other person in that house un
accounted for. That was the little
servant maid But why should she b,
trying drawers in the spare bedroom
No, they had come after all Mrs. Greer
was right. 1t was burglars.
Maurice withdrew his hand, which
rested on the hillock by his side, will
the thought: "I'll not waken her, poo
soul. She'd be scared to death. II
know the worst first" So thinking, anC
, with sort of nfatuation--which wa.
perhaps bravery-to get a glimpse o
the marauder, he stole out of bed, but
, toned up his dressing jacket, took thu
J little bedside chair by the back, and
thus armed, his heart beating like I
, muffled drum, stealthily turned tn,
corner between the two rooms.
A faint light came through the land
ing skylight Heavensl the villain wai
at the other end Of the room, right op
posite the door. What he was doinl
! he could not make out, for he looked
. like man seen through mist. TIL,