Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-09-20


presently said, there wasn't any rea.
son why one of the tradesfolk should.
MT have more manners than the rest
and go round to the back for en-.
trance, as they all ought to.
The wind was whistling loudly.
too-whooing like mammoth owl, and
presently above it rose changing,
Gathering sound. which the two WON.
en- in the drawing room both heard,
though very family.
Hes trying to get I'M" almost
screamed Mrs. Carrisbrooke. THAT
was the sound of mis- boots on the
sheathing inside the lower part of the
railing. And can see him. Look,
look, Fergy! There. Don't you see
there's man, standing right up
against the gate?'
And if there is. Miss Aggie, what
of that?" said Ferguson. Its prob
ably somebody with the petrol which
master ordered. and which the lazy.
bones at Tantler's didn't think to
bring up to the house till now I'll
just go down and let him in"
"Fergy. you shan't, you shan't!"
and little Mrs. Carris6roofke Secame
almost hysterical. But Ferguson
was made of-sterner stuff, and, after
short lecture on tie foolishness of
sitting there without light, and
thinking about ghosts and burglars
and such things as that, when there
was cheerfu1ness and light down at
the bottom of the garden, she put her
shawl on and declared her intention
of going down and letting in the man.
What we heard was probably him
ringing at the gate" she said.
ut couldn't be-" gasped Mrs. Car
risbrooke, crying little. ut could
MT be! The b-b-bell is broken.
noticed that this morning."
"Then he was kicking of his toes
agin the ironwork along the bottom,
Miss" said FERGUSON. I'll. isn't man.
ners, but it's juss exactly what ]
should expect Of that young man from
Tantler's. And now I'm going down.
"Then take Johns pistol with you,
Fergy. or the carving knife, or some.
thing"
Miss Aggie,' sai'r the old lady,
with a chuckle, Il wouldn't carry one
of them revolver things down the
back garden in the dark. not if there
was a burglar, but I know should
bad characters a'waitin' to get in.
| might brighten the burglar, if 1t
was a burglar. but l know / should
do myself an Injury. And don't you
be SO foolish. dearier. Burglars don't
make no noises down at gates. They
just gets in and burgles. That's their
business" And, kissing her young
mistress. Ferguson told her to look
at the fire and not Mt the window,
and went down to the gate leading
into the lane.
1t seemed to Aggie Carrisbrooke
that her old nurse had been gone
several hours. She had her fingers
tightly rammed into her ears, and
tried hard to keep her attention on
the fire, but couldn't manage 1t, and
suddenly she jumped up and ran to
the window. Yes, there was no doubt
of it. The gate into the lane stood
open wide. and up the garden path
came Ferguson. running as fast as
she could, her gray hair fallen
down and streaming out behind her,
and her usually ruddy face white with
ungoyernable terror.
Aggie tore out to the front door to
let her in, slammed, bolted and chain.
ed it behind her, and, before giving
or asking any explanation. the two
women. womanlike, fell into one an.
others arms and sobbed for sym.
patty.
THE knife, the knife" said Fer.
gusson, when she could get her
breath. when l got down to the
gate he said something grufly about
keeping him waiting, and then pushed
right in past me-"
why did you open the gate?" Ag.
gle asked with trembling lips.
Il don't believe l did, Miss Aggie;
I don't believe the gate was locked
at all And there he stood. with a
great, cleaning. pointed knife in his
hand. l can see the blade of it now,
and well. rum"
"You-you did run, Fergy," wills.
pered Aggie, smiling through her
tears.
The two went back INTO the draw
ing room again. ,ocsing each door
they passed through as they went,
and waited in an agony Of terror for
death-or Mr.. Carrlsbrooke's return.
Not more than half an hour later
the loud painting of the Panhard
brought its welcome message, and
Carrisbrooke and the Fotheringays
were very much alarmed when they
heard what had happened. 81 never
gave the petrol for the house a
thought" said Carrisbrooke, but
there is plenty in the car" And in
few moments lights were lit and
home looked like home again.
The two men took their revolvers
and set out for an excursion round
the house. They came SACK laughing.
Il diGs.'t find your fearsome bur-
glar, Ferguson" John Carrisbrooke
said, when he could speak, but |
found this upon the kitchen window
sill. 1t probably explains the mys.
terry"
why, it's our carving knife!" said
Ferguson. Il gave it to the grin.
der yesterday"
And probably the grinder was the
burglar" Carrisbrooke remarked
Anyway, here is this message" The
blade of the knife had been run
through dirty slip of paper, on
which was scrawled: iii kun beck
termorrer fe:. We frippuns"-The
Sketch.