The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-12

back and make him put the bride on Jere-
my and ride him.
There amt no saddle, mum"
Never mind do as l tell you"
THE carts gone to be mended mum"
Il know it has. Oh, don't stand talking
here, Jane; go at once. Please go al
| once"
Ave you got the key of the stable
num-"
Eyes, it's in my room. on the mantel-
piece"
Eyes, num- And I'm to tell Plummer
to come back here and fetch jeremy"
mo, no, not Plummer-if you get to
Piummer's tell him to start at once-but il
| you meet man near here -
"a strange man. mum? Oh l couldn't
mum
The boy had hold of Mrs. Thorburn's
hands; she could not move; if she had
been free, no sense of dignity could have
saved her from personally assaultfng the
/ respectable Jane. The fit passed. &c
please" she said quietly. Go to Plummer
and tell him to be quick
Jane turned and left the room, banging
the door behind her to prove that she was
a free woman and no slave. Mrs THOR
burn gently drew one of her hands from
the child's feverish clasp and laid it on
his forehead. The soft, cool touch seemed
| to soothe him; the poor, frightened eyes
closed; the quick. painful painting ceased
I he was falling asleep. Suddenly, from the
room overhead, came a wild scream that
ran along the mothers nerves like a fame
of fire. making the grasp of her right
hand suddenly tighten on the slender little
fingers that it held. The scream was fol-
/ lowed by another and another-then came
! a rush of feet, the door few open, aid
! Jane pitched headlong in. The little boy
was awake now and crying, and Mrs. Thor
! burn ran to the grovelling, twisting,
screeching mass of drapery on the floor.
Get up" she cried, you miserable fool,
| get up Jane got up, still screeching,
with wide-open mouth and staring eyes
/ like a fresh-caught cod. Her mistress
seized her by the shoulder. BE quiet"
she said, fiercely; be quiet, or I'll kill
YOU"
Jane Topped down on the floor again.
'Burgulars." she walled. ''Bub-bub-
BURGLARS. There's a m-man in my
room"
You wretched coward" said Mrs. Thor
burn: "a man, II was the shadow of the
curtain. Get up. tell you; get up and GO
at once. You might have killed the child "a
It was useless. James screams subsiGed.
but the slack mouth was still open, the
vacant eyes still staring while cease
less babble OF words poured forth as she
lay sack-like en- the f1nor: BURGLARS
Observation-Disclosures
The chlld's cries smote upon its mothers
heart. What could she do? Her only mes
seRger was useless now. changed by the
Numbering idiot. In Gods name, what
could she do?
Suddenly she heard a step. heavy step.
upon the upper staircase. Someone was
there then, after all. She stood still. lis
! tening. listening. Yes, there it was again.
! The woman on the floor raised her head
she had heard it too. Hes coming" she
screamed and went of into a paroxysn,
of Thooping hysteria. But she was right.
down the stairs.
Richard had found little difficulty in
opening the window to which he had climb
ed. An ordinary, ery-day clasp knife
did the business; he had not yet recovered
his trust in the tools that failed him so
lamentably on the balcony. It was large
room that he had entered-large. and rath-
er untidy. He examined every corner OF it
with his lantern: there was no one there
Of course, he knew that. but 1t disappoint-
ed him to find that there was nothing
worth taking there either. There were
two beds. two dressing tables. four chairs,
two wash-hand stands, everything plain
but good. Obviously, he was in the SER
wants bedroom. Well, there might be a
shilling or two TO pick up even there. He
swept the bull's-eye lantern round once
more; there was a curtain with pegs for
dresses behind 1t. His inventory was cut
suddenly short; a door banged somewhere
below, and he heard steps coming upstairs
He hurriedly shaded the lantern. and
dashed for the curtain. learning something
of his trade as he did so. Always dash
for the curtain first and shade your lantern
afterward. Richard caught his foot an
awful crack against the bed in passing;
he was wearing light gymnasium shoes. so
that the pain was considerable. He kept
his thoughts inside his teeth, however,
and waited. The door of the room opened
TITS the housemaid." he thought. She'll
only have a candle. She won't see me-"
There was click and the room was
suddenly flooded with light. 1t struck
Richard that It was almost indecent for
people who lived in a house Of this kind to
have electric light in the servants bed
room. However, he said nothing, but
waited quietly behind the curtain. Jane
entered. Richard knew Jane by sight, for.
as has been already mentioned, he had
thought of taking her into his confidence
IF she finds me, II won't do any harm
to make a pal OF her VOW" he thought
secure in the power OF his own attrac-
tons. Jane was muttering TO herself: she
picked hat up from the bed and adjust
ed it carefully at one of the looking glasses.
Then she turned and came slowly and
deliberately toward the curtain Her
mutterlng was audible now. THE fuss
she makes about that squalling brat" she
said and drew the curtain savagely aside
Richard had determined on a policy OF
.ngratiation; he stood stock still and NOV
ed nothing but his mouth. This wore
fascinating grin. Perhaps the light was
bad, perhaps the fascination was overdone
Let the cause be what 1t may, the effect
was terrible. Jane sprang back with G
frightful screech, turned, screeched again.
and then fed wildly from the room. leav-
ing the unsuccessful Lothario still stand
ing by the pegs.
"When love rejected turns to hate"
there's sure to De trouble, as the poet truly
says, and Richard was angry. His self
respect had been sorely hurt; his plan had
failed. His vanity was in even worse
plight: he had smiled upon a woman, and
she had started back and screamed as IL
he were a toad. The screams were still
plainly audible; there was no need for
concealment now. Since love had failed,
he must try what terror could do He
would go down-scare the women out Of
their lives, make them give up what they
had in the way of valuables, and then
decamp. 1t was too late to go back now
He Rad been seen-possibly recognized:
he might as well get something for his
pains. He strobe firmly to the door and
descended the stairs. planting each foot
heavily, to strike awe into the hearts OF
those below. He was guided by James
screams to the sick room; the door was
open, and just as he reached It the electric
light was turned on. All the better; Il
was 10 time for concealment now; the light
would show these women that he held a
pistol in his hand. He strobe into the