The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1905-06-02
HER BURGLAR
By
ELCISE DAY

IH the soft mellow warmth and balmy
breezes Of Indian summer made this Hal
lOwe'en night soothing as lullaby. In
somnia had for the time being taken
possession Of her-perhaps because she
had been doing. OF trying to do. altogether
too much for her slender strength.
She turned with contempt from the
counting OF sheep going over a wall.
She wonders YEARLY how people can
be so foolish. Surely. the people who
sleep like tops invent silly futile games
for the poor unfortunates who DO not.
She got up. went over TO the open
window and sat down to admire the
deserted street now bathed in silyery
moonlight Afar she hears the sing
ing and calling of the students who
are paradng the streets in hundreds
in their usual annual celebration Of
Halloween.
After a while she feels oppressed by
the loneliness and quiet of the night.
the absence of sleep and the smallness
of her room. Anything for a change
She will go downstairs for a little
while into the big drawing-riom be-
low. She she wraps herself in a dress
ing gown and slips her feet into her
warm noiseless bedroom slippers and
glides cautiously down the stairs with
much care, not to awaken the sleeping
household.
With the same precautiOn. she pushes
up the blinds of all the drawing-room
windows and let's a food Of moonlight
into the long room. How ghosuy the
chairs and sofas look, every object
stands out clearly in the weird pale
light. She even sees plainly the pic
lures on the walls.
The students must be coming nearer
for she can hear the words Of the song
they are singing.
They must be very near now, on the
next street perhaps. and there seems
TO be some sudden commotion for the
song breaks of abruptly in the middle
of a verse, and the voices that only
lust now sounded 50 musical gave way
to the most unmusical calls and yells.
While straining her ears TO hear the
song go on again her attention is at
tracted to hurried footsteps flying
along the quiet street. and the tall fig
ure of a man appears running at full
speed.
For a second he pauses in front OF
the very window from which Mildred
is looking and gives a hurried, haunted
look about him before he jumps MIN
bly, over the fence into the garden at
the side Of the house.
Mildred's heart is in her mouth.
The newspapers lately have been filled
with accounts Of burglaries and high
way assaults and robberies Of all
kinds.
What availeth It now that for Ions
months past she has seen TO the secure
fastening of all the doors and windows
in the house each night herself. even
to those IN the cellar, when at this
very minute there Is a dreadful man,
most desperate character. loose and
at large In their own garden.
She almost walls aloud (only she is
TOO terrihed) as she remembers she
had forgotten to push up the little bolt
at the top Of the French window that
opens into the lawn Probably it has
blown a trihe open. an aggravatine
little way it has that she had often
thought might prove In some evil hour
inviting to a lurking burglar
With a decided feeling Of relief she
sees the substantial (to her just then
the delightful form OF policeman
walking quickly up and down across
the street looking carefully around
him. peering into dark doorways and
peeping over fences.
And then all at once a great wave OF
pity sweeps over Mildred. Mildred
has very tender heart. Pity born
all in a moment for the poor hunted
wretch in the garden.
Perhaps # is his first offense. This
dreadful band of burglars that are such
a terror to the town may have got him
ensnared and entangled in their tolls
quite against his will.
If he is caught he will be sent with
out fail to Jail.
Mildred shudders She has heard
II is such a dreadful place, and often
makes weak men bad and bad men
worse. OF course crime should be
punished, but yet that awful jail. II
the stern officer of the law crosses the
street and looks over their fence he will /
be certain to see the thief in the bright
moonlight, and then he will be caught
and sent to that enforced habitation Of |
criminals At the thought Mildred |
forgets herself and her fright, forgets |
everything but the outcast in the gar
den. and hurries over TO the long
French window. She finds il. as she /
had been afriad, slightly open. AS
she opens it wide she trembles, but re-
members having read of little children |
not afraid OF burglars, and why should |
she a big woman? Mrdred's friends |
would have laughed at the big |
woman" She looks out into the |
night and brayely in her sweet soft /
voice speaks to the astonished man |
outside.
"You may come in here and hide /
FOR a little while. A policeman is /
looking for you now at this very mo- /
ment across the street"
Vague and uncomfortable thoughts |
'f compromising a felony and Of being