Evening journal., 1900-11-24

really think adventures, like misfor-
tunes, never come singly. Would You
believe it? Our house was broken into
that very night Nothing serious came
OF It,. wonderful to relate, owing to
James extraordinary presence Of mind.
She had been unable to sleep after my
thrilling account of the cab accident,
and had consoled herself by reading
Baxter's Saints Rest" by her night
light, for the canary became restless and
liable to sudden bursts Of song if acandle
were lighted. While so engaged she be-
came aware Of a subdued grating sound,
which had continued for some time be-
fore she began to speculate upon it.
While she was specializing 1t ceased, and
after short interval she distinctly
heard a stealthy step upon the stair, and
the handle of the passage door before
mentioned vas gently, very gently.
turned
Jane has some of that quickness of
perception which has been of such use
TO myself through life In moment
she had grlsped the situation. Some
one was in the house. In another mo-
ment she was hanging out Of her bed
room window, springing the policemans
rattle which she had had by her for
years with a view to an emergency Of
this kind, and at the same time-for she
was a capable woman-blowing pierc-
ing strain on a cabman's whistle.
To make long story short. her extra
ordinary presence Of mind was the sav-
ing of us With her own eyes she saw
frro dorl~ Eo-rraa n,r -, ,,,.- .,.o., ,....-
and disappear round the corner, and
when policeman appeared on the scene
half an hour later ne confirmed the fact
that the house had been broken into by
showing us how an entrance had been
effected through the kitchen window.
There was Of course no more sleep for
us that night, and the remainder of it
was passed by Jane in examining the
house from top TO bottom every half
hour or so, owing to a rooted conviction
on her part that a burglar might still be
lurking on the premises, concealed in
the cellarette, or the jam cupboard. or
behind the drawing room curtains.
By that mornings post l heard, as |
expected should do, from Sir George
Danvers, but the contents of the letter
surprised me. He wrote most cordially,
thanking me for my kindness in under
taking such heavy responsibility q am
sure never felt it to be SOY for an entire
stranger, and ended by sending me a
pressing invitation to come down to
Stoke Moreton that very day, that he and
his son, whose future wife was also stay
ing with them, might have the pleasure
,f r,,ol,tt,rr "a oout.afrfof.ra Of Qua 70
whom they were so much indebted. He
added that his eldest son Charles was also
going down from London by a certain
train that day, and that he had told him
to be onlthe lookout for me at the sta
ton in case l was able to come at such
short notice. made mp my mind TO so,
sent Sir George a telegram to that effect
and proceeded to fish up the jewels ont
Of the tea caddy.
Jane, who had never ceased for one
instant 10 comment on the event Of the
night, positively shrieked when she saw
me shaking the bag free from tea leaves
Good graciousl the burglars she ex-
claimed. why, they might have taken
them If they had only known"
OF course they had not known, as
had been particularly secret about them;
but l wished all the same that had not
left them there all night, as Jane would
insist, and continue insisting, that they
had been exposed to great danger. l
argued the matter with her at first. but
women, ind, are impervious, as a rule,
TO masculine argument and it is mis-
take to reason with them. II is, in fact,
-, f1,. m
equality to which the weaker one is I'M
accustomed and consequently unsuited.
A few hours later was rolling swiftly
toward Stoke Moreton in comfortable
smoking carriage, only occuOied by my
self and Mr.. Charles Danvnrs, a hand
some young fellow with pnle face, and
that peculiar tired Mariner which
Though, as / soon found, natural to HIM
is so often affected by the young men Of
the day.
"And so Ralph has come in for a
legacy in diamonds he said, listlessly,
when we had exchanged the usual ciYili-
ties and had become to a certain degree
acquainted. Dear mel how these good,
steady young men prosper in the world,
When last heard from him he had pre-
vailed upon the one perfect woman in
the universe to consent to marry him
and his aunt Oby the way, you will meet
her there, too-Lady Mary Cunning
ham, had murmured something vague
but gratifying about testamentary in
tentions. A week later Providence FILL
his brimning cup with a legacy o.
Jewels, estimated at2"-- Charles opepet
his light, sleepy eyes wide and looked
inquiringly at me. What are they est
mated ats' he asked, as did not an
sSRer
1 really had no idea, but ! shrugged
sAr-slsaasdets aa6 .oQkHd wiz --