The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1904-05-06


tho nearby ne.is had Schimed niInleht
Idozed Oh, despite leeks and strings.
The next thing I knew ]. was sitting
up in bed, my heart beating wildly,
while I listened breathlessly for repe-
tition of the sudden wild cry that had
thrilled through the great, empty
house, waking me from deep sleep.
Motionless, waited there in the dark,
not daring to light the candles, and
wondering at the sang froid with which
had assured my husband that mo
burglars could worry me-" In a mo-
ment, there it was again--a cry for
help, not so loud as it had been at first,
and half strangled, choking, this time.
Without stopping to put on more
clothes, my feet bare, and my hus-
hands loaded 38-Colt in my hand.
noiselessly opened my door, passed
through it, and crept down the corri-
dor toward the back entrance of the
house, where Ching and Charley had
their rooms. AS I went, concluded
that burglars had got in and had killed
the two Cinnamon; next, they would
dispose of me, and then rob the house.
So furious did the thought make me
that lost all fear, and fairly ached
to get at the wretches.
Noiselessly stealing along, close to
the wall, my pistol cooked and ready
for work, caught glimpse of what
was happening before l myself was
seen. The light of several lanterns set
about showed me poor, old Ching, evil
IDENTIFY dead, lying almost across the
back entrance door, which was wide
open; Charley, bound and still moving,
had been flung over him, while several
men in peon blouses were busily
hauling my mysterious boxes and cases
through hole which gaped in the
middle Of the paved corral. Il gaped
myself, in my establishment, for had
never seen the hole before) But that
was all did see just then, for at that
very moment one of the men caught
sight of me, and glared, aghast, as l
advanced upon them. Then he gave
a loud yell that fairly terrified me in
to standing still for noment, dropped
his boxes, and took to his heels, yell
ing that the devil was upon them.
AS he fled, the other men stared
about, and seeing me, also emitted
screams of terror, and made wildly for
the back door, dropping their burdens
as they went. l fired twice only, for
their terror had somewhat taken me
abacl1, and had the supreme pleasure
Of seeing two of the miscreants clap
hands to their legs, and fall with
grievous groans. Il had fired pur-
posely at their legs, for didn't want
to kill them-Mexican jails aren't over
ly COMFORTABLY Then, allowing the
two to groan and pray alternately
where they had fallen, went over to
attend to the two poor servants
Neither of them were dead; Ching
was badly cut and unconscious, but
Charley wounded my feelings by shut
ting his eyes tight, and trying to wrig>
gle away from my touch GO way"
he moaned me good Chinaman-no
stealee, like Mexican boy-go way,
devil!"
So they had all taken me for a
ghost, or the devil. could hardly
contain my laughter as enlightened
and united Charley, and left him to
revive his unconscious cousin. Then,
having relieved myself of my ghostly
attire, sent out for two gendarmes,
to whom I confided the wounded bur-
glars, and told my tale of woe.
Next morning, as soon as it was suf-
f1ciently light, we inspected the scene
of the night before, and found out that
the burglars had not been burglars at
all, but the members of famous coun-
terfeiting band who had simply flooded
northern Mexico with bad money, and
whom the police had never been able
to locate. 1t seemed that they had
made unto themselves a secret place
under our old house, with secret en-
trance covered by stones just inside
our back patio wall, and there had
stored their contraband goods during
many past months. In this way, with
their mysterious movings about, it had
gotten out that the house was haunt
ed, and I myself was pleased to verify
my past feeling that some one, unseen
was present.
Well, they all went to prison for
several years, and the secret entrance
to our house was securely stopped, thus
doing away forever with it's reputation
OF being haunted by evil spirits
AS for my providential mask, threw
it away, and went to the ball regard
less, with my brown face and hands.
And the Pinal social leaders, sitting
out, wondered audibly ''how tina: wom-
an could have the heart to dance and
enjoy herself, after having actually
shot with her own hands two poor.
helpless human beings!"-San Fran.
cisco Argonaut.
Loyalty to the MikadO.
1t is tolerably certain that bu; for