The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-09-15
THE ENTERING WEDGE.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VVvyNVVvWvTWVvVvvyVv'
By CURRAN R. IREENLEY.

was a new factor in the case. Bess
walked home with flushed cheeks, and
the guilty consciousness of the cat
that has been to the cream jar.
The summer wore on and the boy"
came home. The colonel chuckled
nightly as he laid the wires for his
little campaign in a quiet little after.
dinner talk with Jack. He continued
to lay all through the long delicious
summer days. while Satan basked in
the sunshine on his high vantage
ground, garing down with sleepy, yell
low eyes at Jinks. ever on the alert
in the colonels garden; through the
moonlit evenings when Miss Anne
slept in her highbacked chair and
Bess was supposed to be keeping
dutiful watch beside her, but moon.
beams. roses and the little pink god
We're ever the foes of duty Out on
the flower-scented lawn Bess swung
in the hammock and some one scaled
the high wall and the same old foolish
sweet words were said that all time
has heard since the riddle OF life
began
Miss Anne had wholesome fear
of burglars, and when several houses
in the little town were raided and
rumor went forth that Red Billy and
his gang were working that district
her nights became a succession OF
Nightmares. New bolts were placed
on all the doors and the silver found
new hiding place each night Old
Margaret insisted that a new lock be
placed upon the pantry. This door
opened upon narrow passage that
ran rom the dining-room to the
kitchen, and just opposite the pantry
was another door. seldom used, that
| opened upon steep flight of stairs
leading to the cellar
The nights had grown little chilly.
Miss Anne had read until late hour.
when. according to her custom, she
prepared the cushioned basket sacred
to Satan, but his lordship was no.
where TO be found This had hap
pened before and he would arrive
safely for his breakfast, so. after
calling him WHILE she gave up the
search and retired her mind full
of the latest robbery. She heard
every hour that chimed from the
little clock on the mante Just after
the stroke of two there was a sound
somewhere. Miss Anne sat up and
listened. Then she neard the angry
growl with which Satan always hailed
| a strange presence.
Red Billy, Before she could frame
a further thought, or nerve herself to
make a move there was hoarse
yell, and the sound of a heavy body
thuddng down the cellar steps: then
a scream of mortal agony, followed
by a succession of groans and curses
mingled with the ear-piercing
screeches of Satan and horrors!
Bess. her niece Bess, actually shrek
ing across the night to that man next
| door and calling him jack"
And Jack came, followed by Jinks,
who really behaved very well under
his masters eye. At the foot of the
| cellar stairs lay the cause of all the
disturbance, a big rutfian with the
hallmark of burglar written all over
| him. very disabled burglar, one
leg doubled under him badly broken.
| and blinded with the blood that
gushed down his face from the deep
scratches where Satans claws had
ripped their way when he sprang out
of the dark upon the intruder and
cellar stairs. That valiant henchman,
perched upon the swing shelf, divided
his attention between Jinks and his
late enemy Then the colonel an
rived on the scene and took COM
mand, dispatching Jack after the
police.
| There was a moment when the
| colonel and Miss Anne faced each
other, and the consciousness of GER
tain deficiencies in her attire. min
| gled with deep gratitude for the
| timely aid OF the Donnell household
| inspired her to stammer out the
/ words that were music to the colonefs
| ears, and he laughed outright over
| his victory, when the burglar had
been removed. Jinks taken home. and
| he and Jack discussed matters over
their cigars.
| 1t was a very subdued Miss Anne
that smiled timidly across the break
| fast table "Bess, think 1t my duty
| to ask Colonel Donnell and his
nephew to dine with us, after the
events of last night in fact, I have
already spoken to him" She had
always aliaded to the colonel al
that man" heretofore, but Bes .. be-
ing a wise Young woman, affected
not to notice the entering wedge.
| (c7pyriaht, 1906, by Daily Story Pit.