The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-04-28
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.oo.o.o.o
{; An UngIQIDlQIIC0| Bug|Qr
He Got Caught on His Grammar.
Honest People Will Do Well
Also to Speak Correctly.
BY JOHN J. A'BECKET.

|
o.o.o.o.o.o-o-o.o.o
1t seemed almost too soon for Jack tt
have returned when Mrs. Dorrance heart
him ring. He had forgotten bis latchkey
again. She must buy him chain anG
key ring. The little woman glidcd dowr
stairs in her soft slippers and was about
to open the door when sudden happy
thought led her to ask, "Is that you
JackT
"Yes. It's me-"
The CHEEKY pitch Of the muffled voice
might have left doubt. The bad gram
mar left none. Her Jack could never
have made that slip.
| Without word she fed up stairs into
Jacks room, grabbed the six shooter out
Of the top bureau drawer and ran down
again, cooking 1t en- route and congratu
lating herself on having oiled the trigger
lately. Jack would be back soon. This
man or men must have known he was
gone and she was alone.
She got to the door and in as firm q
tone as she could command said in !,
sharp, ilnperious way, Nov, who arc
you, and what do you wantI"
There was n moments silence. Then
III yer open the door, I'll tell yer.
! don't mean no harm, missis.'
! Dot who knew that her figure could
be seen through the glass, put the point
of the gun close to it and exclaimed, for
her blood was UP now, Move on or III
fire."
| The man seemed disposed to argue the
| point, for her quick car caught the sound
of hoarse muttering. Then she thought
| she heard soft trending step, as Of one
going away.
But she was mistaken, or else there
was brace of them, for meanly
wheedlng voice said: "Missis, amt no
burglar. I'm jest hungry an only want
a bit O sOnethin to eat. Can't you
gimme piece of bread? I'll go down by
the gate an creak it, an you en- slip it
out quick m lock the door ag'in. l
| wouldn't hurt lamb"
1--WE no time to talk and this isn't a
bakery" retorted Dot. IF you don't go
at once III fire, though don't want to
wake my husband Up or rouse the neigh
bors."
Dot thought she heard a suppressed
snort at this bluff" but it was followed
by heavy football of one walking slowly
down the path. Then the gate creakcd
audibly, as if the hungry man had no
need to disguise his comings and goings.
Fluttcred, but content with her debut
as heroine, she started up stairs again.
A slight sound came TO her from above
that made her heart Hutter wildly.
She remembered the stout trells Jack
had put up against the wall of the house
she had asked him il he meant to train
a banyan tree on it-and the window of
her room had been raised about an inch,
that the air might do CutAbert good.
Her 2-year-old had been feverish all day.
The recollection of that first retrcating
step aud the parley of the other man
flashed across her mind What if the
"pal' had scaled the trellis and was kid
naping Cuthbert?
She few up the stairs. holding her
gun tightly, but not daring to put her
finger on tho trigger. She knew it was
twitching, and she might pull it too soon.
She dashed through the sitting room,
into the bedroom where Cuthbert was
S'eepi,s 'he Sieep Oh 'he Just III sup
dued ''ght' mere was ofa"ny na'iu'
sunny anu 'i''a'nous' siaspins lhe WILL
oow SUI .. ,
ln's was no 'iine 10 u"Ay VI measure
consideration on any delicate scale. Dot
raised her pistol, steadicd herself, took
deliberate aim and banged away. There
was MERGE evacuation OF ll,hs'eu pam
ana profanity ana she hearu some one
leap uoWh INTO Inc paek yafd anu theh
scramble on
she glahccn at tuthpert. Inc noise
mad awakened that hohor 10 bapydom'
ana VIDE open par OF eyes IKE her
own were 'ookins III her as sne sLoou
with the smoke from the pisto' CURING
ia inter scented cloud ABOUT her.
iheh as me papy hoy came 10 con-
seriousness mat the tense, dehaht hgure
with the pistol III Its hand was his mann
ma hcfed'ty asserted user III smlie
that showed small white teeth and al
most wrinkled d'mlnutlve nose.
Dot rushed to MIN and kissed nm
frantirally, wishing she could afford her
self the luxury of breaking down and
shedding helpful tears over her game
offspring. But she couldn't she was
on duty IN Jack returned ana she Kept
her gun tight IN her hand.
Go to sleep baby. Mamma is here''
she sad, with an EFFORT at playtulness.
What you doihF demanded Cuth'
bert UrUWslly.