Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-10-16

might most have needed 1t, Mr.. Stuy-
vesant should have. gone off with your
pistol"
CHAPTER XIV.
But there was little merriment
when, five minutes later, the house,
hold had taken account of stock and
realized the extent of their losses.
Maidie's had evidently been the last
room visited. The dressing table and
wardrobe of the opposite chamber
that occupied by Col. and Mrs. Brent
had been ransacked. The coloneps
watch and chain-too bulky. he said,
to be worn at dinner in white uni
forn1-his Loyal Legion and Army of
the Potomac insignia and some priced
though not expensive trinkets of his
good wife were gone. Miss Porter's
little purse with her modest savings
and brooch that had been her
mothers were missing. And with
these items the skilled practitioner
had made good his escape.
On the floor, just under the window
in Maidie's room, lay keen double
edged knife. The stumps of two or
three matches found in the colonel's
apartment and others in Miss Por-
ter's showed that the thief had not
feared to make sufficient light for his
purpose, and from the floor of
Marion's room, close to the bureau,
just where it had been dropped when
the prowler was alaramed, Miss Por-
ter picked up one of the o1d-fash-
toned ''phosphors" that ignite noise.
lessly and burn with but tiny flame.
Marion's portemonnaie was in the
upper drawer, untouched, and such
jewelry as she owned, save two pre-
cious rings she always wore, was
stored in her fathers safe deposit
box in the bank at home. The colonel
was really the greatest loser and de-
clared it served him right, both pro-
vost marshal and chief of police hav-
ing warned him to leave nothing "ly-
ing around loose"
At sound of shots on the Gale
Nueva Brent had sailed forth, and,
rushing impetuously into the dimly-
lighted thoroughfare, had narrowly
missed losing the top of his head as
well as his watch, an excited sentry
sending bullet whining into space
by way of the coloneIs pith helmet,
which prompted the doctor to say in
his placid and most effective way that
more heads had been lost that night
than valuables, and one bad shot be-.
gat another.
Sentries down towards the barracks,
hearing the three or four quick re.
ports, bethought them of the time.
honored instructions prescribing that
in case of a blaze which he could not
personally extinguish the sentry
should 'shout 'Fire!' discharge his
piece and add the number of his
post Sagely reasoning that nothing
but a fire could start such a row, or
at least that there was sufficient ex-
cuse to warrant. their having some
fun of their own to enliven the dull
hours of the night, Numbers and s
touched off their triggers and yelled
''Fire!" Five and 6, nearer home, fol-
lowed suit, and in two minutes the
bugles were blowing the alarm all
over Ermita and Malate, and rollick-
ing young regulars and volunteers by
the hundred were tumbling out into
the street, all eagerness and rejoicing
at the prospect of having lark with
the Bomberos, the funny little Manila
| firemen with their funnier little
| squirts on wheels.
1t was fully half an hour before the
officers could ''locate" the origin of
the alarm and order their companies
back to bed, an order most reluctant-
~ obeyed, for by that time the near
est native fire company was aroused
and on the way to the scene. 9th
ers could be expected in the course
| of the night, and the Manila fire de.
partment was something that afford
ed the Yankee soldier unspeakable
JOY He hated to lose such an oppor.
tunity.
But for all his professional calm,
DIR. Frank was by no means pleased
with the excitement attending this
episode. For an hour or more off.
GERS from all over the neighborhood
gathered in front of Brent's and had
to be told the particulars, "Billy
Rays daughter being pronounced
the heroine everybody expected her
to be, while that young lady herself
now that the affair could be called
closed, was in a condition bordering
on the electric. "Overwrought and
nervous" said Miss Porter, "but
laughing at the whole business"
What Frank thought he didn't say
but he cut short sandy's visit to his
sister and suggested that he go down
and tell the assemblage under the
front gallery that they would better
return to whist-or whatever game
was in progress when the alarm was
given. The colonel could not invite
them in as matters stood, and they
slowly dispersed, leaving only q
senior or two and Lieut.. Stuyvesan1
to question further, for Stuyvesant
coming from afar and arriving late
was full of anxiety and concern.
ITO Be Continued
Miss Prye-I can't abide Cousin Fan,
ny; she's so suspicious, you know.
| I.