Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-27
HER BURGLAR
 6y ELoISE DAY
lLDRED could not sleep, though tho c0f& lcv h J hol

H tle SOIL mellOW warmth ana Dalmy 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, or trying to do, altogether , too much for her slender strength.
 She turned with contempt from the counting of sheep going over wall. She wonders wearily 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 silvery moonlight. Afar she hears the sing ing and calling of the students who are parading the streets in hundreds in their usual annual celebration of Halloween.
 After while she feels oppressed by the loneliness and quiet of the night, the absence of sleep and the smallness of her room. Anything for change. She will go downstairs for 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 lets flood of moonlight into the long room. How ghostly 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 off abruptly in the middle of verse and the voices that only just now sounded so 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 hurried. haunted look about him before he jumps him. 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 fobberies of all kinds.
 What availeth it now that for long 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. a most desperate character, loose and at large in their own garden.
 She almost walls aloud (only she is too terrifiedl 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 tritle open. an aggravating 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 thea 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 great wave of pity sweeps over Mildred. Mildred has a very tender heart Pity born all in . moment for the poor hunted wretch in the garden.
 Perhaps it is his first offense. This dreadful band of burglars that are such . terror to the town may have go. him III AO4is quite against his will.
 If he is caught he will be sent with out fail to jail.
 Mildred shudders. She has heard it 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. If the stern officer of the law crosses the street and looks over their fence he will te certain to see the thief in the brigh. moonlight. and then he will be caught and sent to that enforced habitation of criminals At the thought Mildred forgets herself and her fright. fo-seis everything but the outcast in the gar- den. and hurries over 10 ths long French window. She finds if. as she had been afriad, slightly open. Al she opens It wide she trembles. but rS members having res1 of little chilGrsE not afraid C. burglars. and why shouls she. . big woman? MiIGred's frien6s would have laughed at the bis woman" She looks out into the night and bravely in her sweet sofi