The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-24


voted creatures Mary had been with
her for years. and Bridget came with
the best Of recommendations from her
former employers. 'I
Mr.. Cook protested that his purpose
was not to search for anything but
traces of the burglars, yet he glanced
more than once at Mary and looked
about as though in search Of Bridget,
who had just stepped over to neigh
boris a moment, SO Mary told her mis-.
tress. Then he went back and again
closely examined the rear window of
the digiing room, the one which the
burglars had SO thoughtlessly left open
on their departure. The iron snap catch
which held the lower sash down had
been forced off and was found the
morning Of the discovery of the robbery
lying on the floor under the window.
Mr.. Cook had raised the sash, studying
it within and without, all the time
whistling softly and saying nothing,
and his proceedings had affected Mary
to the extent Of having to declare to
Mrs. Stannard at teatime she was that
nervous she didn know how to stand.
And with Bridget now gone and the
gale growing and no one to talk to after
10 O'Clock Mary had become more and
more nervous. Mrs Stannard found her
sitting in the kitchen little later,
looking white and miserable, and asked
her why she didn't 60 to bed, whereat
the poor girl began to weep. She could
not explain it, she said, but she felt all
creepy and queer. She was afraid to
stay alone. She was sure something was
going to happen, and Mrs. Barry, al
ways kind and sympathetic, babe the
girl make bed for herself on the couch.
She would be glad to have her near her
this night anyway in case she desired
to communicate with Nathalie.
1t must have been after II O'Clock
when Mrs. Barry succeeded in sending
Nathalie to her room. By that time she
was comfortably slowed away for the
night In her own white bed. She had
Mary close at hand and needed no fur.
Their attention. Mrs. Stannard had been
stationed at Russell long before and
was we'll accustomed to the violence Of |
the Wyoming gales and to the rocking |
and creaking Of the old wooden guar.
ters, but it seemed to her as though the |
spite and fury Of the wind had quicken.
ed at the sound Of the 10 o'clock bugle, |
and before leaving her friend for the
night she took look into the kitchen
to see that all was safe and snug.
The fire had been carefully banked
over with ashes in the big cooking
stove. The bracket lamp was extin-
guished, but the door leading into the
girls room swung uneasily on its
hinges and banged against its frame,
driven by the draft that would leak in
through invisible chink or Granny. Set
ting her own hand lamp on the table,
she firmly closed the door to prevent its
further slamming, and then, leaving
the kitchen in total darkness, except for
a dull red slimmer through crack in
the stove, she returned to the front of
the house, babe her friend an Affection
ate good night and, buffeted by the
storm, scurried along the front piazza
and let herself in at her own door. A
light was burning on the landing above,
and Miss Maynard had evidently gone
aloft, for the parlor lamps were turned
low. Yes, her voice was audible. She
was in her brothers. room. Carefully,
as she had done next door, Mrs. Stan.
nard inspected her own kitchen and,
finding everything safe there, called
aloft to know If Mr.. or Miss Maynard
needed anything and then babe them a
CHEEKY goodnight.
"Don't mind the wind. It Is swing
Ing round now and blowing from the
northeast-a most unusual thing-and !
can't help thinking it will stop before
But she fanoied from Miss Maynard's
somewhat choky tone that she had been
crying, and, thinking over this and other
it was quite awhile before
Mrs. Stannard got fairly asleep.
Midnight had long gone by. Old
Fritz and his ghostly team and carryall
lad returned and been safely housed,
md still one light, and only one, seemed
% burn brightly along officers row. 1t
hone through the shade Of the dormer
window Of the front room in the Stan
lards' half of the big double house as