The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-01-18

| but you are not JODsonP cried
Polly, retreatlng step. and then firm
ly facing the intruder.
"No. but I'm his first cousin" an
swered the fellow. with a grin; "and
| want you TO be as lively as possible
In showing me where to find it,"
well, then" cried Polly resolutely.
II shan't show you where it is-that's
! fiat
"Then III make your
ard just like to see you do it.' was
the tart rejolnder.
The villain drew a revolver and a
stout cord from his pocket
Now" said he. "if you remain quiet,
and let me bind your wrists. it's all
well and good Otherwise you'll smell
powder while I'm administering a dose
of cold lead to you"
And being much stronger than our
heroine he forthwith proceeded to tie
her wrists behind her. She attempted
to scream while he was doing it. where
upon he brutally stuffed his handker-
chief into her mouth, nearly suffocat-
ing her.
There. guess you'll hold you
tongue now" he growled.
When he had secured her wrists, he
dragged her into an adjoining room.
and tied her to a bedpost He then
took a hatchet and proceeded to ran
sack the house. He was not long in
finding the bureau. and with a few
well-directed blows demolished the
lock of the upper drawer. when
CHANGED to be the right one. Here. to
his SURPRISE he found eight hundred
dollars instead Of three hundred and
fifty. This was so gratifying that he
went to Polly and offered to release her
II she would draw him a pitcher OF the
squire's cider and not raise a muss.
Polly. half suffocated. signifed her
willingness with a gesture.
You are a beautyp' he said. pressing
his thick, sensual lips to her check
into which the indignant blood rushed
like q torrent.
Fortunately he did not offer to take
any more liberties. but removed the
gag and unbound her numbed wrists.
which had been tied so tight as to al
most stop the circulation.
NOW" said he, 81 haven't much
time to spare, and hurry up and draw
me the pitcher of cider, and I'll be Off"
Without word Polly went to the
dresser and took down q quart mug.
while the impatient robber narrowly
watched her movements.
Seemingly passive in obeying the
villains orders. she started directly for
the cellar, but was gone so long that
the unwelcome guest became impatient
at the delay.
Determined TO know what was de-
tanning her so long, he started for the
cellar himself, grumbling savagely as
he went No sooner had he stepped
from the upper landing. and COM
menced his descent into the cellar.
than the back pantry door was softly
opened, and Polly gllded nolselessly
across the kitchen, and boted the solid
oak door through which the unsuspi-
cious villain had but the moment be-
fore passed.
In order TO explain the mystery of
Poily's unexpected appearance above
stairs, 1t will be necessary to state
that the main cellar was connected
with the milk cellar, and a flight of
back stairs leading from that connect
ed with n small dairy room above.
leading out from the kitchen pantry.
Instead OF stopping TO draw the
cider, Polly had passed through into
the milk cellar. and crept cautiously
up the back stairs. bolting and barring
that door after her, which. like the
other, was of solid oak. an inch thick.
Nothing short of a giant could have
forced a passage through it.
The cellar windows. the only other
passages, We're also strongly barred.
rendering egress from either cellar
impossible. The rObber was. therefore.
completely entrapped. without the
shadow Of a hope OF escape. But he
did not know 1t yet. He saw the light
n the cellar, and thinking that Polly
was still there. unhesltatlngly descend
ed. SO intent was he upon his pur-
pose and so absorbed With the thought
OF flowing mug Of the squire's cider,
that he did not hear Polly when she
bolted the door above him.
On discovering, when too late. that
our heroine was not there, his first
thought was that she had hidden ont
OF fear. and so he coolly turned the
faucet and drew mug Of the choice
beverage with his own hands. This
he drank, and then taking the candle.
he carefully searched through both
cellars. Discovering the back stairs
leading up from the milk cellar, he
hurriedly mounted, only to find the
door securely fastened outside.
Blast my eyesw he exclaimed.
shes slipped out this way, and is Off
by this time to spread the alarm
lie dld not know, then. how COM
pletely he had placed himself In her
power. He hastily made his way back
into the main cellar and mounted the
same fight by which he had descended.
He recollected he had left the door
ajar when he went down. 1t was now
closed. He tried to open II. but. to his
dlsmay he found he could only raise
the latch. 1t was firmly secured on the
outside, like the other, and he saw that
he was fairly caught
Courses on the clderw he muttered,
while his heart sank within him. "If
I'd let that alone, I'd been all right
now. What a cursed fool | was to
let that cunning jade outwit me" and
he fell to pounding violently against
| the door