The Washington times., 1903-11-22

rot like the fragmentary inadvertent
murmur of the hut. a small purposeful
stealthy sound. aware of itself She
listened as she had listened before.
without moving. 1t was not louder than
the whiting OF a mouse behind the
wainscot. hardly louder than the scrap
ing Of a mole's thin hand in the soil
It continued. Then it stopped. It was
only her foolish fancy after ALL There
! was again; Where did it come from?
The man in the next room?
She took up the lamp and crept down
the narrow passage to the door OF the
back kitchen. His loud, even breathing
sounded distinctly through the crannies
of the nI-ftting door. Surely IT was
overload. She listened to it. She could
hear nothing else Was his breathing a
pretense? She opened the door noise
iessiy and went in. shading the light
with her hand.
She bent over the sleeping man. At
the first glance her heart sank. for he
had not taken on his boots. But as she
looked hard at him her suspicious died
within her ne lay on his back. with his
coarse, emaciated face toward her, his
mouth open. showing his broken teeth.
The sleep Of utter exhaustion was upon
him. She could have killed him as he
lay He was not actirg. He was really
asleep.
She crept out OF the room again. Ieav-
ing the door aiar, and went back to
the kitchen.
Hardly had she sat down when she
heard the sound again It was too faint
to reach her. except when she was in
the kitchen. She knew no y where II
came from-the door. Some one was
picking the lock.
The instant the sleeping man was out
Of her sight she suspected him again.
Was he really asleep after am2 He
had not taken OF his boots When she
came back from making his bed she had
found him standing by the mantel shelf
Had he unIoaded the revolver in her
absence Would he presently get up,
and open the door 10 his confederates2
Her mind rose clear and cold and un-
hinching. She took up the revolver, and
then laid it down again. She wanted a
more noiseless weapon. She got out her
husbands great clasp knife from the
open tool box. took the lamp. and crept
back to the mans bedside. She should
be able to kill him. Certainly she should
be able to kin him. and then she should
have the revolver for the other one.
But he stnl slept heavily. When she
saw him again her suspicious fell from
her She knew he was asleep
She shook him by the shoulder. noise
lessly. but with increasing violence until
he opened his eyes with a groan- Then
only she remembered that she was
shaking his wounded arm. He saw the
knife in hey hand. and raised his left
arm as If to ward of the blow.
Listen" she whispered close TO his
ear. Don't speak There is man
trying TO break into the house. Sou
must get up and help me-"
He stared at her, vaguely at first, but
with growing intelligence The food
and sleep had restored him somewhat
to himself. He sat up on the couch
Take of my boots" he whispered
IT tried and could not"
Her last suspicion of him vanished.
She cut the laces with her knife and
dragged Off his boots. They stuck to his
feet and bits of the woollen socks came
off with them They had evidently not
been taken off for weeks. While she
did it he whispered, why should any
one be wanting TO break in? There's
nothing here to take"
Yes, there is, she said. There's
lot OF money
Good Lord! where?"
Under the floor in the kitchen
Then it's the kitchen they'll make
fa-. You bet they know where the
money is II they know it's here. Are
there many of 'em7"
It don't know"
We'll. we shall know soon enough,
said the man. He had become alert,
keen. Have you any hrearms?"
Yes. one