Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-12-14


-"Open this door, roared the men again.
But the beating of PoIly's heart was the
only sound in answer, and they could not
hear that. Then they pounded harder
than ever and kicked the door and shook
1t in rage. But it was of brave oak,
strong and well seasoned. and would not
yield. The robbers were in fury. Once
again they called TO her, cursinS her hor-
ribly. They said:
''If You open the door. we will let
you off alive. If you don't, we'll get in
anyhow, and then wen shoot you dead
for sure"
Still little Polly would not open.
The noise at the door ceased. What
would the next terror be? Polly soon I'M
derstood. The robbers went to window.
1t was easy enough TO force the shutter.
Then there was a faint grinding sound.
The burglars were cutting the large, new
fashioned window pane with diamond.
And yet Polly would not open the door.
Indeed it would have been no good to do
so now, for the robbers would soon be in
the room anyhow Polly only sat still
and waited for her doom. Her tongue
felt dry in her mouth. She felt so cold
her teeth chartered. and she could not
even hear her heart beat now, for it
seemed TO almost stop.
Crash went the outer pane. The grind
I ing, cutting sound began on the inner one.
1t was quickly loose on two sides; only a
matter of five minutes more for Polly,
and then
And then, in the very nick of time, in
the last moment. there came a sound OF
| sleiGhbells. merry Ginning. sweet and
clear, tinkle, tinkle, like the fairy bells
/ she had heard tell in her childhood sound
| ed in the air above peoples heads some
/ times. Yes, thank God, ii was bells, but
I l. Ill IL. -
robbers took to their heels and TO their
| sleigh with the mufied bells and drove off
| as fast as they could lash their horses 10
! go.
But it was not the family returning.
/ Nobody came into the house. No sleigh
| stopped in front neither did any move
! rast with its merry ting-a-ling of music,
! though Polly certainly heard the bells 4
moment or two longer. Then all Quieted
down. But Polly was too shaken up now
/ to go to bed at ell. She sat there alone,
| frightened and trembling. three hours
longer till the family came home. She
was only a girl, you know, scarcely more
| than a child.
But where were the sleighbells that had
saved Polly's life and the Valentines
property? You would never guess, and it
was some time before they found out for
| certain. The story is really wonderful
one. anu DtSl OF All. IL IL Il TRUE SlOiN
! In the harness house n large white cat
| was kept to destroy the rats and mice.
She seldom left the harness house and
had warm bed made for her in a barrel
| of hay. That afternoon careless stable
/ man had thrown 4 set of sleighbells
! across the barrel where pussy's bed was.
The noise the robbers made disturbed
her, and she had jumped out to see what
| it meant. In doing So, being large.
heavy cat, she shook the bells and jam
gled them. aud that was what scared the
burglars of.
Polly took fine. big. honest husband a
! few years later and is living in a pretty
| country home of her own, with the ra-
| Giant skies above her. the woods and or
chards and green fields around her, the
| very scenes TO her so well beloved. There
she will probably live to tell her grand
! children bow the eat shook the sleigh
! bells and saved her life and Farmer Val
entine's $500. After oil, which is the real
! heroine of the story, Polly or pussy:
One question more:
Was il n mere accident that the cat
| shook the bells and made them ring ut
the particular moment she did or was il
| something eiSe2