Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-10-21
"Yopu be carcful, Jach9n shc pleaded.


had heard no sound In the house, he
was to begin operations on the window.
He allowed himself ten minutes to
make an entrance and twenty minutes
In the house. He would leave Ny the
back door and hurry up the alley two
blocks, where the hack was to be in
readiness. Once in the hack, Droyer
might drive back to the barn, as usual.
AS on that other night when the
three waited in the shrubbery, there
was not q sound to be heard inside the
great house. On the minute Jackie
climbed to the ledge of the window,
and swiftly, silently, like the master
he already was, this youngster of
twenty concentrated his energy upon
the window lock. It proved to be an
old fashioned affair, "a cinch," as
jackie expressed it afterward. Before
half the allotted time had passed the
burglar was within the rear drawing
room Of the mansion, and he had en-
tered through the same window that
had been shattered year before by
the bullets which ended the career of
old Pete Dresser.
After reaching the interior Jackie
stood modonless for several minutes
to assure himself that no one had been
disturbed by his entrance. The house
was as silent us deserted castle.
First of all, the housebreaker sought
his way through the dark to the litch-
en- door, and, having located 1t care
fully without even the aid Of match,
he did strange thing. 1t was bolted
as well as locked. Jackie sprung the
bolt and lock, operations which cost
moment apiece, but neither q click
nor rattle, for his f1ngres were deft
and strong and steady. Then he re-
placed the key of the kitchen door
from the inside to the outside.
Rear stairways, being usually with
out carpets, are creaky and unsafe.
Except In case of an emergency, few
burglars trust themselves upon them.
Jackie retraced his steps to the front
Of the house, passing through the din
ing room, where there were cabinets
containing rich and heavy silverware.
These things did not tempt him now.
They might do in pinch. He reached
the thickly padded and carpeted front
stairway, having peculiar satisfaction
in the thought that SO much had been
accomplished without n sound. The
preliminaries We're passed; the crucial
moment had come. No one but bur-
glar knows the fierce strain of such an
instant, when single misstep will
turn the whole hating world upon the
invader, when ones mind is veritable
hotbed Of terrible imaginings, when IN
almost overwhelming temptation comes
to scream and end the suspense.
Jackie was alone. It was his first
single handed Operation" The crisis
now at hand would bring him achieve
ment or defeat, and what a hideous
meaning that last word embodies to
burglar-years Of life at best, life itself
perhaps! often wonder II there were
any other thoughts than those OF
achievement In that cool young head at
the foot of the stairway.
Up, up, through the dark, and still his
saviors, silence and darkness, stood by
him. He reached the upper hallway
and revealed that rare caution which
is part Of courage in thoroughly To-
eating the rear stairway before going
farther. Jackie wore rubber soled
shoes, which were light, flexible and
noiseless. He paused at the doorway of
n side room, his ears straining like a
coyotes, and his eyes, long accustomed
now to the dark, grouped the objects in
the apartment. 1t was unoccupied, at
least for the night. The boy would not
have dared to light a match In the room
OF sleeper, for matches are danger
GUS, both on account Of the odor and
the possible sound. He took the chance
In this unoccupied room, however.
There were several small articles Of
value on the dresser, and In one Of the
upper drawers the young burglars
hand closed upon two tiny plush cases
of exceeding promise. These latter he
pocketed without opening.
The room across the hall contained
sleeping e.-s, siistakably, Thel ewas