The sun., 1900-12-27
Her STRATA AGEM.


nally / resignedly bade them 'get out Of
my sight"
Sally and were good friends. She told
me stories and sang songs till began tc
think it was quite fine thing to be left
at home. Tired of staying In the house
l sauntered down the front walk and
amused myself by indulging in forbid
den pleasure-swinging on the gate.
Looking down the road, spied man
coming along. flew to the house, and
satisfied that he was coming in, I ran tc
Sally. Selling her dress with both hands
l exclaimed
"Oh. Sally, there is dreadful looking
man coming in!'
Sally picked up the poker and walked
to the door, while l, initiating her exam
pie, snatched a stick of wood. Suddenly
Sally cried:
"You little goose, it is Bill McCarty."
Sure enough, it was Sally's beau. Her
mother was very sick, and McCarty was
sent to bring Sally home Immediately.
Here was a dilemma. Sally didn't want
to leave me, and unless she started home
then she might not see her mother alive
1t was nearly time for the rest of the
folks to come home, so l managed to
raise courage enough to say was will.
ing to remain alone.
In a few minutes Sally was off, and
was left in possession Of our great house.
l remembered that none of our doors
could be locked. Papa, who had few
strange ideas, declared locks were a ,nui-
sance. l felt that / was doomed.
On each side Of our yard was brook,
pretty and peaceable in pleasant weather,
but very little rain transformed them
both into raging torrents. As I stood at
the window l saw first one bridge and
then the other swept off. knew now
that must stay alone all night. 1t would
be impossible for my brothers and sisters
to get home. Travellers or, as Sally call
ed them, "trampers," often stopped at
our house overnight, as there was no pub
lie house near. To my horror now saw
one of them coming across the fields.
Without stopping to knock, the great,
rough man walked in.
"Can | stay here all night?"
/ dared not refuse him, so as firmly as
I could I answered, Eyes" He seemed
surprised at seeing no one but myself and
questioned me much. / told him my
brother was up stairs writing; that we
two were alone. That was the first thing
that entered my head to tell him. Such
a villainous eountenance as that man
had!
Bedtime came, and / directed the man
to a room up stairs in the servants
apartment, where said my brother was.
Now that there was real danger I was
calm and reasonable. fastened the
door that led up stairs with my embroid-
cry scissors, which happened to be in my
pocket, so as to guard against surprise,
and, hurriedly collecting our silverware,
carried 1t to mammals room and hid il
in the bed.
l was elated at my ingenuity.
then hunted up what few Jewels the
girls possessed and, placing them, with
what money / could find, in box, tied
them In my pocket. After doing this ]
stole down stairs and removed my scis-
sors from the door. Those scissors were
counted among my most valuable treas
ures. | had had them many years and
had no intention of losing them now.
Only one plan for escape that l orig
mated seemed feasible. determined TO
wait till l heard my lodger in the rooms
below and then wrap myself In papa s
shawl and jump out of the window. /
was not kept in suspense long. The pc
culiar squeak of the sitting room door
warned me that 1t was time to act. Qui-
etly raised the window, and just as the
steps approached the stairs jumped to
the ground. Fortunately, there was a
bed of lilies directly beneath the window,
and they softened my fall.
1t was as dark as Egypt. The rain was
pouring down in torrents, but this was
nothing in comparison with the horror
withing the house.
Half mile back of our house lived n
friend of papa's-NIr. Vincent. l re-
solved to go there. | ran along, stum-
bling against fences and falling into
bitches, thinking l never knew such a
long half mile.
Finally l reached the house and man.
aged to tell my story. Several young
men happened to have been delayed there
by the storm, and, headed by Henry Vim
cent, young man of some % years, they
prepared to capture my visitor.
when we came within sight of our
house, we saw light fitting from room
to room, and few words of boisterous
song floated to us on the breeze. Silently
my friends surrounded the house, guard
ing every avenue of escape. Henry and
l Il would not let him leave me q mo-
menD entered the house. We found the
vagabond searching papa's desk.
lie had found several hundred dollars
that l had not seen when preparing for
Hight. lie started to run when he saw
us; but, finding men and revolvers on all
sides, he was obliged to surrender.
He was safely bound and then oues-
toned. 1t appeared he was noted thief
who had long baffled the police.
Lifting me into his lap, Henry Vincent
called me the "bravest little woman he
ever knew" All the others praised and
fattered me till began to think men
were greater takers than women, All
night we staid there, but before morn
ing ! was "raying like a mailman -
Three long weeks remained uncon-
scious.
When ! became sensible, anxious faces
were bending over me. Papa, mamma
and all the folks were at my bedside.
What is the matter?'' / asked.
In moment that dreadful day came
to my remembrance.
"Oh, | know" said I, with a shudder.
l was the heroine of the neighborhood
Henry Vincent never tired of descantiny
upon my bravery and devoted himself TO
me in manner that would have been ag-
gravating to his young lady friends had I
been few years older.
My "lodger" was sent to prison to med
itate for some years.-New York News.
une baa manners or our uiris.
American girls, admired at home and
abroad for their beauty and intelli-
gence, still rest under the reproach of
possessing bad manners, and no one
who is unbiased can question the JUS
tice Of the general verdict on this sub
ject. This is one of those true things