Evening journal., 1899-06-28

thtNis lHtl nbtohc0 diphH On the mar
row strip Of grass bordering the gravel
drive, passed and disappeared into the
darkness.
A few minutes elapsed. TheS a Ian
terms red bull's-eye cleaned out close
to the ground. Two figures reared
ladder against the house wall
One of the men mounted aud disap-
peared. could hear Hargreaves' breath
coming in quick gasps. My teeth chat
tered.
Now the fellow was at the window
again. He clutched something in his
arms. Miss Dora Seaton? No. not
Miss Dora Seaton-a bundle. A kick
ing struggling bundlel
Silently. swiftly he descended. The
ladder was removed. the red light Of
the lantern extinguished. We felt the
two coming toward us In the darkness
My heart beat up into my throat, my
knees shook, but / clutched the black
thorn cudgel.
"Nowl" cried Hargreaves.
We sprang out. Each hurled himself
on his man, seizing him by the throat,
and hung on.
The shock of the attack was irresist-
ible. With scarcely a sound, scarcely
even scufle, we forced the fellows
down. Tightening my grip
IF they struggle | cried TO an
imaginary comrade in the darkness;
"if they struggle, frei"
gagged my man, bound his unre-
sisting hands, turned on the lantern
and staggered back in utter amaze
ment.
"Grahami" cried "Grahaml"
"Dagmorei" calculated Hargreaves.
tom Dagmorel by the powersi"
Hargreaves and l stared at one an
other. The burglars lay and glared
at us, gagged and helpless. The mys-
terious bundle struggled and plunged
about our feet. Over all loomed the
shadow Of the old hall, wrapped in 81
lent darkness.
Then Hargreaves began TO laugh. He
rolled about the drive In speechless ag-
ony, stufiing his handkerchief into his
mouth and surgling. subsided on the
ground in silent convulnions.
No wonder. Graham and Dagmore,
undergraduates Of All Souls, Oxbridge,
breaking into the house Of a highly re-
spectacle country squire TO steal-ah,
yesl TO steal what2
! jumped up, seized the bundle. and
alltoy terrier, with a blue
ribbon round its neck and a gag stuffed
into its mouth.
IL was inexplicable, II was mysteri-
I Gus, IL was the best thing we had been
in for months. With n simultaneous
impulse we unbound the rufiians
They gazed at each other ruefully, then
at us, and once more laughter rendered
us all speechless.
"Come out Of this" whispered, pres
emily, "we shall have the household
down on u.s."
We crept down the drive. hardly
dared breathe till we were outside The
gates.
Now them" said to Graham, EEK
plain"
"oh, after you. sir" said Graham
"after you'll"
''Yes," echoed Dagmore, "what thu
dickens are you doing in this affair2"
told them. Having stood what w
considered a legitimate amount o
chaff, we put a stop TO it, and bad'
them sire away"
"The fact is" said Graham, Dag
more is in love; it's Miss Dora Seaton.
every interesting" l remarked, "bu
it hardly seemed to account for hi
stealing her dog"
"Oh." said Graham, I'm coming 4
that. Dora walks on Lyncaster pie
daily after tea. So does the dog. So
for the fortnight we have been dow
here, have Dagmore and I. Dagmor
was smitten with Dora at once, and w
have tried every dodge we know Il
get an introduction. No go. Fai
means failing, we tried foul"
I stared.
I'VE are due at Oxbridge next week
you know. Dagmore is getting fran
tic.
AT last be hit on a brilliant idea
Dora is devoted to the deg. 1t occurre
10 him how convenient IL would b
II the little beast would get itself los
or stolen, and we could find and re
store 10 to her. As this did not seer
likely to happen, we decided, as 20
see, to steal it ourselves. To-morro'
there will be a hue and cry all ov'
lyncaster-posters up, rewards Of
fered, Dora in despair, Dagmore scoul
ing the country for the dog-restori
tion-introduction-gratitude- blissl
swell. Of all the romantic, dare-dev
young foolsl" ! began.
But" broke in Hargreaves. "ho'
did you know where the dog was keI
at night2 And how dare you risk il
3 barking and rousing the householdT"
"Dagmore's landfady and the cook a
seaton hall exchange weekly tea an
mullins. Which answers your firi
5 question"
And the seconc2"
Graham produced n small phial.
= chemistry" he said. pompousl
: chemistry is a most useful study.
a few drops of this liquid on a lump {
sugar sends a small dog TO sleep fC
= six hours on end. The dose takes e
- feet half an hour after administr
+ tion. This afternoon Dora and the dc
walked on the pier as usual. So d