El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-19
! TIE PLUCK Of A UOnNN ]
How She Spent Night Alono and
low She Was Abe to lden-
tify a Robber.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

At dinner party in town las; summer
somebody proposed a coaching trip for
the next day. Everybody was having
I good time, and the plan to continue it in
the morning was merrily applauded by
{ all except one woman. She had been the
jolliest of the diners, and when her face
fell the other people turned upon her
with inquiries and jests. Why wouldn't
she join them?
because l ought to go home,'' she
said. She was living at her country
house on Long Island and her town
house was closed. And I'm a lone wild
ow.' she added, laughing. The others
laughed, too, and some of them said
things that stirred her spirit.
| ''AlI right" she said. III stay IN
go to my house and spend the night
there
When she spoke with such decision.
almost everybody tried to dissuade her.
! All testing was put aside There were
no servants in her house; it would be
cold. lonesome, dangerous She called
her maid aud told her to go out to the
| Long Island house in the last train And
the maid went. Then two or three of the
I other women asked the widow to go to
( their houses. These invitations she
| fused firmly. and the matter was drop
ped till the hour came for breaking up to
separate. Then the circumstances were
renewed. One of the men, the one who
had spoken the gibe that set the wo-
mans mind on staying in town. did not
join in the general chorus of warning.
Your diamonds!" the crowd said at
last.
I'll see you home,' he said, land it'll
be all right. i live around the corner
from you"
You shall not see me home" she
said. Il take carriage and am there.
/ have a key. and that is all there is
nt~- h &C. ,cf,
A few minutes later she came out with
her wraps q bout her, and she went up to
the waiting carriage. The man was
standing beside it. She drew back an
grily, but he held the door. smiled. then
laughed lightly and said he was going to
ride with her. open the door and light up
the house. She didn't want him to, bur
she got in. and he followed.
AS they rode along swiftly she got over
her pet" He was a pleasant fellow. a
well known man about town. and he talk
ed himself into her graces- When they
reached the house. he dismissed the car
rage. She wasn't going to let him open
the door. and she didn't At the dark
ness, however. she hestated. only for 4
second. but in that second he passed in
and. with laugh. she and he found the
button aud pressed up the electric light
Now" she said. I'll go up stairs
You stay down here. and when I'm all
coy and comfortable III call down to
you Then you can say good night"
That's sensible he said, and he
waited.
Her room was in order. She looked
all around her. up and down the hall.
Good night" she called.
"An RICH, ?" He turned off the lights
below Good nj ght.' he said
The front door slammed, and the wo-
man returned to her room.
1t was warm, and she sat down in her
wrapper TO read. The creaking of the
house disturbed her, but she controlled
her nerves pretty we'll She looked up
now and then, and she had a strong i'm
pulse to go out in the hall to look down !
the stairway. That cracked the worst of
ell. She remained quietly reading. how
ever. till suddenly, with half an eye over
her magazine. she saw-she was sure OF
it-a face.
It was the half face of a man, one eye
staring in at her through the half open
door. She held her breath. she grew |
cold, but she did not look up-and the
eye was withdrawn. If only she could
close the door! To move had become
impossible, and. she thought more and
more coolly. she saw 1t would be unwise. /
She must not have seen and. no matter !
what happened, she must not see or hear
anything. The jewels were her hope |
When she had decided upon her course. |
she undressed. piled her jewels in neat
heap on the dressing table, and. putting
out the light, she went to bed without
closing the door.
Feigning sleep. she lay waiting. Half
an hour passed: then she heard a step,
very light. just foot movement. and
she felt the man cross the room. He was
coming toward her bed. She could have
screamed, but she didn't. She must
breathe easily, regularly. and that was
almost impossible when the mans head
leaned over her face. and he looked and
listened intentiy and long. very long.
But he was satisfied. evidently. that
she slept. for she felt him go away. heard
him gather up the jewels. felt him go
across to the door. felt him pause there |
to listen and look back. Then he was
gone
The woman jumped up. ran to the
window and saw the man pass the gas |
light in the street He looked up. and
she was sure.
The next day she went not to the po- !
lice. but to her lawyer. He wrote u note.
a strong. but carefully worded note, on
the chance that she was right. though
he not sure as his client that she
was right. The man was such n gentle
man. But the man came-the man who
accompanied her homeland he returned
all her jewels.
Il was desperate" he said. Il had no
money My father has cut me off. my
brother will do nothing. | had debts. ,
Tn, in n corner. / was desperate"-
He turned TO the woman.
81 was so desperate that l would have
killed you. | knew | ought to when l
leaned over you. but your regular breath
ing deceived mc."-New York CONNER |
cial Advertiser.
He Was Posted.
1t is customary in England to accuse