The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-05

1890 sA~NS
dow. Ned's make up and costume
We're capital. His father laughingly
told him that he would deceive Il real
burglar himself. lie had a dark lam
tern, II black mask and an old pistol
OF his fathers which looked very lar
gerous, although it was now so rusty
n battered as to be entirely useless.
After the performance was over aud
Ned had received the hearty c%ongratu-
lations of his friends, and especially
the praise of Il certain young lady,
which made him feel Supremacy hap
Ply, he went up to his room and flung
himself down in IN easy chair to think
Over the events of the evening. He
must have dozed as he sat there, for
suddenly he was aroused by hearing
the library clock striking IL in slow,
solemn tones.
Jimmy" muttered Ned, tits about
time l was getting to bed!' Then it
suddenly dawned ON him that he was
fearfully hungry. He had been SO eX-
cited getting ready for the tableaux
that he had scarcely eaten any dinner
at all, and now the poor fellow felt
nearly starved.
Give got to have something to eat,
that's certain" said Ned to himself,
u the he caught sight of the mask
and dark lantern on the loor beside
him, and at that Il queer idea came
into his mind which made him chuckle
aloud. Quickly he Slipped ON the
mask, stuck the pistol in his belt, and
picking up the dark lantern he crept
out of his room and started down
stairs.
"Cricky!.' he laughed to himself.
"I'm the real article this time, for I'm
going to steal half Il pumpkin pie"
But Ned hadn't got more than half
way down stairs before his chucklcs
turned to sllivers. Playing burglar at
lent house was just Il little bit
"%spooky." And then the stairs would
squeak so alarmingly, despite Ned's
efforts not to make Il noise.
AS he reached the parlor toor he
fancied he saw Il stream of light from
the dining room, and at the same time
he was conscious of Il queer, grinding,
rasping noise coming family from the
same direction. Ned began to feel
frightened, he didn't know just why,
and he paused a moment in the hall.
Then he squared his shoulders, and,
grasping his pistol in his right hand, he
went for the dining room.
"Gee!" l mustn't play the baby act"
he muttered, "just because l hear an
old rat gnawing at Il hole in the floor.
Pm IA years old; I'm no kid" But the
sight that met his eyes as he stood
OF the threshold of the dining room
was enough to startle a much older
fellow than Ned. "A man was bending
over the buffet and filing the lock of
the drawer in which was kept the
table silver. He, too, had Il lark Ian
tern, and by his side lay Il little black
mask. Some ten feet away from him
lay n pistol, it's bright metal rejecting
the light from the dark lantern. For Il
full minute Ned stood there as though
turned to stone. Then the man hap
pened to look up, n he sprang to his
feet with a hoarse cry.
1t seemed to Ned as though it were
all q dreadful nightmare. He seemed
to have lost the power to move or to
speak. He tried to call, bat no sound
came from his throat.
The burglar, for such he was, instead
of going for Ned, sat down in a chain
and gave vent to Il low, suppressed
sl-uckle.
We'll, if this don't beat all!' he
croaked hoarsely. ITO think of two
gents OF our profesh striking the same
'ouse on the identical same night.."
And then he laughed somesmore.
Then it dawned on Ned that with
his disguise this man had actually
taken him for a real burglar. This