The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-29

nothing more until was awakened by feeling
a hand laid on my shoulder, and dearing
Sarah's voice speaking in a mysterious and
aWestruck whisper.
ooh, Miss Mollie do please get up there's a
dear!"
I opened my eyes very sleepily, and saw
that the day had not yet dawned, and that
Sarah was holding candle that shook in her
trembling hand that the grease was dropping
freely on to my counterpart.
But Sarah,'' I demonstrated; sit can't be
time to get up yet. Look, it is quite dark'
Il know" INSIST amt seven yet; but OH
I'm that frightened and upset do please get
lupi"
By that time I was sitting up in bed and
beginning to realize that something was the
matter.
What is it, sarah?" I cried rs auntle
liI?"
"oh! no, miss; it amt that" answered the
girl in frightened whisper; land for good
ness sake don't wake her. lists them
wretched jewels, miss; the bureaus been
| broke open, and they're gone, nliss-gone!'
| Here Sarah burst into frightened, half
hysterical tears and sobs, and I sprang out or
!; bed with -smothered cry of horror
7 ''It can't be truer' exclaimed. you must
lbe mistaken"
Sarah shook her head, and her face was
white with terror
81 wish to Heaven I was mistaken" she
groaned. '<But you come and see miss and
I if you can find EN- I shall be truly thank
| full"
| threw on my dressng-gown, and followed
Sarah with sinking heart, creeping silently
past Aunt Lucy's door, for fear of waking her.
Her wrath, I reflected, would be reused
quite soon enough, for it was only too true
the jewels were gone!
The front of the od-fashioned bureau in
the dinng-room, where they, along with
reserve of table-silver had been always kept,
was still open, and showed that the lock had
offered good resistance to the thieves for the
woodwork round it was Clipped and splinter
! ed in way that made me wonder how it had
been accomplished without much a
! sound having reached u.s. until I remembered
how heavily I had slept and that Aunt Lucy
was growing a little deaf
but did you hear nothing?" I asked, turn
ing abruptly to Sarah.
And she started violently.
me hear anything, miss" she echoed
almost angrily. Hear! miss what should T
hear? You know 1 sleep right atop of the
housed"
| YES of course, I know" I said, dolefully
'but how did you find it out?"
why, when first came down here miss
there was a draught blowing through from
the kitchen that blew my candle out, and I
guessed directly something was wrong, for 7
hadn't left windows open, that I'm sure
and yet there was the kitchen sash half-a-
yard up, do declare, and when I got light
and come in here, this is what I found"
| Sarah burst into fresh sobs and lamenta-
lions, and could find no words to console
her, being full of horror myself at the calann-
| ity, and dreadng what would happen when
Aunt Lucy knew.
| But still, it was necessary that she should be
told, so, after trying more to put little
courage into the trembling Sarah, I nerved
myself for the dreadful ordeal and went up
stairs.
never quite forget and yet I do not
love to dwell on, the scene that followed
the vents of the next few days, during which
the whole neighborhood was informed of how
that dreadful tramp, who had come to exam
inc the house, under pretence of clearing the
snow from our garden, had come back and
robbed US, and how it was wonder that we
were not all murdered in our beds, and that
the ruffian must have been in the neghbor-
hood, and watching the house, for the last
fortnight since he knew at once when
extra precautions were discontinued, and had
! timed his visit accordingly.
| All my indignant protests were powerless to
prove the utter injustice of such aceusa-
ton, to calm the torrent of abuse that
hurled at the unconscious head of the sup
posed criminal.
! The local police were unable to find any
traces of the thief; the snow had fallen in the
early morning Of Christmas Eve and blotted