La Junta tribune., 1907-03-23
1T WAS AMY.

this room one night. In the dark. and
had not mental concentration enough To
take OF my clothes and go to bed took
revolver out OF my trunk and loaded 1t
and then didn't know what to do with It
Ny machinery had run down.
II opened that window and sat there
In a freezing draft an hour or more. /
guess BY and by ! saw "a man coming
along the street In his shirt sleeves, and
IL gave me a notion that i was cold. but
I hadn't sense enough to move away from
the window. So | sat there and was
vaguely surprised to see the man enter
the yard and come up on the rcranha-
Presently lie got In through the window
not seeing me. FOR l had drawn back be-
hind the curtain.
''He walked TO the middle OF the room
and there was suit Of my clothes lying
over chair. He was about to put on
the coat when saw him stoop and feel
of a knee of his trousers. which was all
torn open Then / saw him take his
waistcoat and trousers on and hay his
hands agnin upon my clothes
AT that moment stepped forward
from behind the curtain and out OF the
dark shadow. aud ! pointed my revolver
at the man Hands up" said j. merely
mechanically. IL was just memory Of
old stories. | didn't really care whether
he put UP his hands or not.
He gave cry like explosive moan
II you can fancy one. and made dive
Tor tnt WlnGow. i tfy STOP MIN,
I stood stock stili wondering. 1t may
have been four or nve minutes that /
stood there before the humor of the stu
alton dawned upon me. A burglar had
entered my room and had got away with
nothing, not even hts own trouscA- ]
laughed. and II did me good.
Presently I lighted the gas and exam
ined my plunder. In the waistcoat were
a gun metal watch and half dollar. In
the trousers were some small tools of tn.
burglars trade. two handkerchiefs. a lit
tie Vial of chloroform and $50 In bills.
$50 far as j remember. sat and stared
at that money all the rest of the night
until there came the usual knock upon
my door at o'clock to wake me Up.
arose and locked the burglars clothes in
my trunk. but the money l put into my
pocket had cup OF coffee. took the .
O'Clock train for the city. spent about
200 In rGuaripg UP my debts and came
back here In the afternoon. Then /
heard of the anair ut your house and
realized the position In which ] stood
1T seemed to me. in my muddIcd state
Of mind. that the real burglar must be
cnught and that could then come for
ward safely md tell my story. The days
went by. the man was never found He
| must have stolen some clothes from an
other houee and escaped safely from this
on me ! had lost my opportunity. or 10 II
seemed to me. Al any rate. ] dared not
II dared not tell my story.
There. Mnrrhall: there's the truth.
That money was the making OF me: abb
soluteiy my salvation and the foundation
ef my rsreer. hut ! stole it-stoie II
from a thief. And now
A tap at the door. We exchanged a
glance; then Duriand called. Come in.'
II was Amy. and she gave q little cry
Of surprise ut the sight OF me.
~ have interrupted you" said she
after a friendly greeting. for no doubt
we showed the effects Of strained inter-
view.
discussed bit Of business and have come
to most satisfactory understanding. 80
there's an end OF care. and with an easy
mind turn toward the brighter side Of
life. Congratulations and best wtsheA..
e1aSp<d hands.