Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-06-29

she drew a handkerchief from under
my chin.
II tell you we've been chloroformed!
There are murderers in the house, and
I'm off for the police"
l jumped out of bed and ran to tie
crib, but the child was sleeping sound
ly, and breathing regularly.
In less time than it takes to tell it,
Becky was dressed and away for help,
and locked my door until l heard her
return with some one, who proved to
be the police, sure enough.
There was no doubt chloroform had
been administered to both of us, for We
were not then free from its effects. l
had not noticed before that my bureau
drawers had been opened and ram
sacked, and, oh! terrible to find that my
precious oil was gone! Two hundred
and fifty dollars and twenty-five cents,
every cent l had in the world, be-
sides my dear Anthony's watch, and
some valuable jewels of Becky's. 1t
was too too bad, and we followed the
officer of the law upstairs to rouse
our boarders, and tell them of our
loss. Imagine our surprise, if you can,
when We found that the birds had
flown. The beds had never been slept
in, but there were the trunks in their
usual places, and they were not empty,
as we were assured by their weight.
These will be something to fall back
upon to cover my loss, thought, as
well as to help pay for their last two
weeks board, for we all believed they
had committed the robbery, and 1
knew their clothing was worth some-
thing.
When had legal permission to open
the trunks they were found to be filed
with blocks stolen from the sawmill
close by, and this accounted for the
humping sound we heard the night
before the thieves left. They had pro-
cured box and one filled it from be-
low, while the other drew it up and
in at the window; while their clothing
was, no doubt, removed in the same
mysterious way. and secreted some
where until an opportunity offered for
procuring the means of escape. 1t
turned out shortly after that they had
passed q number of bogus bills in the
neighborhood, and that they were con-
nected with gang of counterfeiters.
1 was very chary about taking in
strangers after this sad experience.
and l may say that I have been very
fortunate, on the whole, since then,
with just one exception.
rbo
had been living in the South, brought
his wife here by the doctors advice.
She had been raised not far from this,
and it was thought her native air
would be of some benefit; but the poor
thing seemed dying from some un-
known cause, and pined away day by
day. 1 tended her as if she had been
my own sister. and she died in my
arms at last. Poor, poor thing! They
said her disease was not consumption,
but when she was laid out, her arms
were no thicker than three months
old babys. Her husband took her
death real hard; and he was such
nice man, such feeling man, and SO
thoughtful; he reminded me Of An
thony so much.
He stayed on after his wife died, as
il he hated to go away without her.
He was so kind to Hetty, too; every
thing that would save her trouble he
was ready to do. And for me! well, I
hate to think of 1t now, but 1t did
seem as If Anthony had come back
again, and the old feeling of having
some one to depend on grew on me
unawares. daresay it was foolish Of
me to think he had taken fancy to
me as 1 had to him. 1 see it all, now
that my eyes are fairly open; but dear,
dear, it was hard to bring myself to
believe the truth.
There was to be q grand concert,
Saengerfest, they called it, in the city,
about twenty miles away, and Mr.. HUI
bert (he was a German by BIRTH would
have Hetty go with him and hear the
him anything, but was little disap-
pointed that he did not ask me, seeing
l was so fond of music. / never had
thought of mistrusting him with the
child (for she seemed but child to
me, though nearly twenty-two) any
more than IL he had been her own
father. You may judge, then, of my
astonishment when next days mail
brought me note from him. stating
that they were married.
Married! My Hetty and Silas Hu-
bert! l couldn't believe it; it seemed
impossible just then; but as thought
over it for days and days, l wondered
how | was so blind as not to see that
it was her all the time, and not me.
Foolish woman that I was-in love at
forty three! Yes, I must confess IT.;
but I pray you, don't think hard of
me, for 1t was all because he was so
like Anthony.
Silas Hubert took my daughter to
his Southern home. and 1 have just
had a letter from them, advising me
to give up housekeeping and make my
home with therr in the land of the
magnolias. But, nay, they shall never