El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-09
THE BURGLARS TWO.

to Lyncaster-on-Sea to do some read
ing.
The season was over, and we found
ourselves almost the only visitors in
the place-quite the only ones, in fact,
at the Park hotel. Consequently we
had a choice of rooms and it was pure
ly accidental that we chose the corner
sitting-room on the second floor
'front.'" overlooking the grounds OF the
hotel and also the Peoples park.
The western wall of the hotel gar
dens formed the eastern boundary of
the park, and our room was at right
angles to the wall. Immediately be-
meath it, on the park side, was 70"
of garden seats.
One night HargreaveS and L were lux
uriating in a lounge after dinner Inc
room was in darkness and we were
quiet for once-enjoying smoke and
half doing.
Presently | was reused by the sound
of voices talking outside. The window
was open and 1 drew aside the curtain
and looked out.
Two men occupied the seat just be-
low me, on the park side of the wall
decent looking fellows, as far as could
tell in the dusk. 1 looked careleSsly
at them for a moment, and was about
to return to my pipe when word or
two caught my ear. I leaned forward
and listened eagerly.
Then it's all settled. We sneak W
the drive, steal a ladder and you CLIMB
in at the landing window. We shant
be disturbed; old Seaton sleeps at the
back of the house, so do the servants.
Go on"
Her room is in the front-the first
on the left from the landing window
1 spotted it the other night when was
strolling up and down"
"Ohi never mind that Hurry up
"WeI, you know what to do next.
Seize the little darling, gag her, lower
her down to me-she's mere feather
weight-follow, and I'll manage the
rest
"Sh-sh! Not so loud"
The speaker glanced apprehens1vefy
over his shoulder at the hotel.
You're sure this place is empty?
he went on. "There'll be pretty low
dye do if we've been overheard"
"Of course it's empty. How funky
you are!"
"wel1, 1 don't care about the 5usi-
ness. It's Internally risky, and"
"Oh, come, you can't back out Of 1t
now. You understand? Meet me at
1880 o'clock at the cross roads hall
a mile from Seaton hall. Then a
tramp, a few minutes wild excitement
then-Dora and bliss!"
Catch your hare before you cook it.
49,, oru toniQht'S affair to
bliss and Dora"
"Oh, shut up! I'm OFF"
$50 am l.
The two men moved away, and IL
sank back in my chair and gasped
What could it mean? Did these cold
FLOODED ruffians really contemplate
breaking into a mans house and steal
ing his daughter under his very nose?
IL was incredible, impossible; it was
/ reused Hargreaves with a vigorous
shake. wake up" 1 shouted, wake
up! Thieves! Burglars! Kidnapers!
Miss Seaton of Seaton hal1!"
What the deuce are you talking
2bout?" cried Hargreaves, starting up.
Are you mad?"
1 pulled myself together with an eff
fort, and rapidly ran over what ] had
card
Hargreaves listened-and scoffec. 1t
was the greatest rubbish he had ever
heard Garry off a girl in that des-
rerado fashion in these daysi Absurd!
Go to sleep again, my dear fellow, and
dream some sense!"
This was irritating. If there had
Eeen time 1 should have been annoyed
with Hargreaves, but there was not. 1
assumed a lofty Indifference.
Believe it or not, as you like I
said, Its true enough. l shall be at
seaton hall at midnight to stop this
desperate deed and if lose my life in
the interest of my fellow creatures my
blood be on your head.
This rhetorical display impressed
Hargreaves. Seeing which, l followed
it up with hint of ignoring the Lyn-
caster police, and capturing the bur-
glars off our own bat.
Hargreaves was fetched"
A couple Of hours later two Williams.
armed with blackthorn cudgelS, strobe
along the road from Lancaster to Sea-
ton-myself and Hargreaves ON the
warpath.
We were horribly nervous-at least.
I was A fouIr-mile walk in mud and
thick mist had cooled my enthusiasm,
and nervous tremorS trickled down my
spine as 1 thought of attacking those
ruffians alone and unaided.
Visions f1oated before me in frightful
procession. 1 saw myself and Har-
greaves a pair Of rrangled corpses wei
fnrin in 1af mi
the cold perspiratfon from my fore