The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-04-08
The Girl and
The BurSlAr.

1
the softest voice and gentlest manner
imaginable, whispered that a burglar
had come into her room once and sh,
had not only ordered him out, but he hat
obeyed her.
"Really, now. did you?" came chorus
from the incredulous.
eyes, indeed. l mean," corrected the
fair burglar extcrminator, that met q
burglar and drove him out, but l was
not armed at all. would be more afraid
of gun than would be of a burglar"
"And she Is from Kentucky" mock
ed the facetious young man. "Howev.
err" he added, 'it Is your turn to tell a
story, so this is the one we want to
hear" which suggestion was seconded,
unanimously, and the young woman pro-
ceeded.
1T was summer night" she said,
"and there were four girls Of us sleeping
In the l. of big old house in town
that might be called a city, for 1t was
one Of the biggest Kentucky possesses.
My sister and I occupied adjoining
rooms, and the other two girls were in
one room beyond, all Of which opened
out on the long porch facing the l.. 1t
was easy enough for any one to climb
upon this porch from the ground, but as
nobody ever had and had been Sleep
ing there ever since / could remember I
didn't suppose anybody ever would. The
other girls had shut their doors, but
mine was open, and some time in the
night awoke. with queer feeling that
some one was in my room or had been
there. There was just enough light from
a clouded moon to show things indistinct-
ly in the room, and sat up in bed and
looked around. thought my sister, who
was not well and slept very lightly, might
have come in for something, and called
to her, but received no answer. l lay
down again, but the feeling persisted 80
strongly that l sat up again and pecred
around the room to see IL l could see
what l certainly did not want to see.
Finally, after letting my eyes go all
around into every nook and corner, they
involuntarily went to the floor, and there,
stretching from the foot of my bed al
most to my sisters door, was something
long and black. sat perfectly still, try
ing to make out what 1t was or to con-
vince myself that | was mistaken, but
the longer l watched 1t the more assured
was that it was man lying there, and
he had probably dropped to the door at
my first movement, thinking he might es-
cape observation.
when l was at last suro it was
man, l knew what kind of man it was,
but instead Of being frightened into help
lessness l began to feel qnite brave, and
the danger and the horror of the stua-
tion did not impress me. What feared
most was the shock to my sister, and
forgot myself in thinking of her. l won
dercd what to do, as the. black thing on
the floor kept perfectly still, and / re-
member felt kind of exultation in
thinking that at last had found bur-
glar in my room because, you know, girls
are always talking about that and what
they should do If one should appear. But
l couldn't waste much time, and l soon
concluded. that the thing for me to do
was to make jump for the door and get
outside on the porch, the burglar being
far enough in the room for me to do that
easily. Once out there, would have a
better chance to either run or scream.
No sooner had I made up my mind what
to do than | did it, and l stood on the
porch at the door, looking in on the bur-
glar, who had made no movement. l was
tremendously excited, of course, but I
didn't lose my head, and was deter
mined to get the burglar out without dis
turbing my sister or any Of the other
people in the house. So. bending down
to get better view of him, | called out
in stage whisper: Get up from there
and go out, but don't speak. II you do,
I'll scream and alarm the house. said
it MS empbatically as could and without
a tremor too. But the burglar did not
move. Get up | said again, and go
out, but do not speak, or I'll scream l
might have made different speech on
the second occasion, suppose, but I
was working mechanically, as the sequel
proved. This time the burglar moved
and gradually drew himself up on his
hands and knees and began crawling to-
ward the door and me. but l stood there
and kept my eye on him. He never said
a word, and didn't till he crawled past
me and got out on the porch. Then he
rose to his feet and stood a moment as if
uncertain what he would do, and ! felt
my heart begin to thump like an engine.
But | stood fast Now 60 down those
stairs there said, pointing to the door
off the porch leading to the front hall
down stairs, and go out of the front door
ns fast as you can, but if you make Il
move in any other direction I'll scream
with all my might
"He kept his face turned away so
could not see it, but he did not wait for
second command, and as l kept on
pointing out his direction he moved off
that way, disappeared through the door
at the end Of the porch. and minute
later I heard the front door slam and
patter Of running feet on the street lead
ing past a wide side yard we had. The
slamming of the front door at that hour
of the night reused the people in front Of
the house. and they came out to see what
the matter was. but ] went at once to my
sisters room to see IL she had been dis
turbed. She was asleep when I touched
her, but she opened her eyes on the in
stant and said. There's been burglar
In the room told her he had gone
without doing any harm. and as the 9TH
ers. hearing our voices, came into the
room l collapsed and came very near
having Mysteries, but I didn't, and felt
no particularly bad effects from shock Ell
ther. thought did lock my door after
that one experience. Just what the bur-
glar thought Of the whole proceeding I
would give anything to know. but ! do
hope he won't ever come back to tell