Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-12-10

and drinking long draughts of coffee.
You are hungry said 1, kneeling to
my task.
Il hope you may never be as near star
walton as l have been this day. ne re-
sponded, in a low, thrilling voice. "Thank
you, young woman, the foot feels easier
now"
So 1 left him.
l had meant to slip across the bolt on
the outside of the door that led to the
other portion of the house; but 1 now per-
ceived, for the first time that the bolt
was not there Bob must have taken it
out to use in the stables
A thrill, half of apprehension. passed
through me at this unwelcome discovery.
NC matter said l vaIiantly, to my
self Il must risk it. l dare say we are
all as safe as if there were a score of
bolts on the door. Only I'm glad Aunt
Jemima sleeps so soundly
So l went to bed and fell fast asleep in
less than fifteen minutes.
The sound of the old wooden clock strik-
ing three-or something else-roused me,
and, opening my eyes, saw the shrouded
light of a dark lantern in the room, and
by its glimmer three men were searching
the contents of the old hair trunk that
STOOD beneath the WINDOW.
! started up with a scream-probably the
most imprudent thing / could have done
| but l did not stop at that instant of ter
ror TO measure consequences.
stop that gals squeakin' pipe" NUT
tered a slow, threatening tone, and the
next instant an iron hand was upon my
throat my eyeballs seemed starting from
their sockets, and a horrible death by suf-
To-, TOW 1,oI ,.1ae i
In the sefsame second, however, | saw
the deadly white face of the man l had so
recently succored and fed in the doorway;
l heard the click of a pistol being cooked.
My first impression was that he belonged
10 the gang-that he had made entrance
into the house through my weak pity and
afterward admitted his comrades but oh,
how unjustly judged him.
Let go that girls throat, or I'll send a
! brace of bullets through your brain!' he
shouted; and ihstantaneously I was free
Now then, get out of this. Drop every
thing. Quick Do you see this pistol?
LIT carries charges enough to send every
one of you to Kingdom Come quicker
than lightning"
His eloQuence was of a most persuasive
| nature. One of the men dropped red
leather pocketbook of papers that l rec
ognized as Bob's; another let fall calico
bag containing Aunt Jemimas six silver
teaspoons and all three tumbled out of
the door in hot haste. My unknown friend
calmly examined the fastenings.
| THE bolt has been pried back" said
he, but | can fix it in a minute And even
if [ did not. l hardly think they will be
likely to come back again after the lesson
/ l have read them"
How can l ever thank your' | cried,
almost Historically, in my mingled terror
and gratitude.
Il was thinking tonight as ] watched
| you bind up my feet that l would like to
F., do something for YOU he said in a low
| tone, land / have done it. Good night"
| Early the next morning l carried a tray
| of breakfast in to him, but he was gone.
| From that time 10 this have never seen
nor heard of him. except that, once in an
| illustrated newspaper L saw his portrait,
as the detected murderer of half~e dozen
travellers on the Omaha plains-an accom-
plished viliain-a cold blooded wretch.
who thought no more of extingushing
the spark of human life than others do of
killing a hy-so read his biagrophy-and
l shuddered to recollect how utterly we
poor women were at his mercy on that
December night, ana how ne spared and
shielded us.
Bob never knew of that nights adven-
ture Aunt Jemima never knew 1t is a
secret that l kept myself-New York
News.