Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-10-21
BRAVE Mr..
BLIFkIN
His Wife Heard a Noise Like
a Burglar.


This is the truthful story Of Blifkins
burglar, or course, you've told your
wife hundred times just what you'd
do If a burglar got into your house,
haven't you? In the first year Of your
married life you kept your revolver un-
der the pillow, ready for instant use If
you could get at it first Your vile
used to tell you how safe she felt wi, i
such big, brave protector, didn't she ?
And all the time she was vowing that
she'd never awaken you IL a burglar
did come, because she wouldn't want
her big brown-eyed boy to get shot and
all mussed up. And you used to tell
her how you'd pile out of bed and
pump some one full of 3S's If they
entered that house without ringing,
didn't you? Go on now, you know
you did. But after while you put
the revolver in the bureau drawer
and finally ia the medicine closet in
the bathroom, on the top shelf, where
busy little hands couldn't reach It, So
did Blifkin.
1t happened last Sunday night or
rather Sunday morning. Blifkin had
worked late, as he always does at the
weeks end, so that he was sleeping
soundly at three o'clock when his wife
gently pushed him in the side.
Jim" Mrs Blifkin whispered, 4Im
quite sure that some ones down
stairs. I've been listening for five min.
utes and can't go to sleep
Blifkin was awake in an instant.
Nearly seven years they'd been mar
ried, and in all that time his wife
never had awakened him in that way.
Where's my gum he whispered.
in the medicine closet, was the re-
ply.
Wonder you didn't put it up in the
attic or down in the ice box, Blifkin
rasped, trying not to show imratfence.
A burglar might steal the piano or
assass.nate the whole family while l
pick that gun out of the bottles"
Don't go, jim" Mrs. Blifkin plead
ed, almost in tears. You might get
hurt"
"Whatd you wake me for?' Blifkin
snapped. Don't expect me to write
to tnat burglar, do you, and ask him
to please go away?"
BY this time Blifllin was angry He
rose and, followed by his wife, went
to the medicine closet and got the re-
yolver. The stairs creaked loudly as
he walked down them and for once he
blessed the careless carpenters be-
cause he thought that any sensible,
self-respecting burglar would escape
heari--:; that noise At that instant
Mrs. Blifkin pressed button that
turned on four electric lights in the
reception hall. Blifkin nearly fell
downstairs.
Fine" he gasped "You must've
feared this burglar couldn't see me.
Better get match and light the gas,
too. What was that?"
Enthusiastically some one was moving
in the dining room or the den, beyond.
Mrs Blifkin, in white, stood trem-
bling on the first stair landing. Blif-
kin passed bravely into the parlor
and, thinking to give the man time to
get away, he stepped into a corner and
pressed switch that flooded the
dining room with light.
Thank goodness, there was no one
there anyway, but Blifkins heart al
most stopped beating when he noticed
that for the first time in his memory
the curtains that hung at the entrance
to the den were pulled together in the
alcove and, yes, he was not mistaken,
one curtain moved. The heavy burlap
extended a few inches toward him as
if some one were holding something
pointed against it.
It was terrible moment for Bl1tkln.
He was so fascinated by the spectacle
of that curtain moving-it did move
again-that he almost forgot that he
had a weapon in his right hand, The
thoughts that flashed through his mind
then. in brief period of lucidity, were
thoughts that made Mrs. Blifkin weep
later on. He knew that if he pulled
those curtains apart the burglar would
shoot him.
In cold and passionless sort OF
way, the way men are said to feel
after the first few shots in battle, he
found himself wondering where the
bullet would enter and whether he
would be killed outright or only
wounded, to die afterward, in hos
pital. He thought about his life in
surance. He even thought about where
he probably would fall when struck;
very likely he would crash, against the
china closet and the crash would
bring Margery, Mrs. Blifkins, scream
ing into the room. He liked that word
crash"
After the worst was over and the
burglar had escaped, Blifkin thought,
his wife would call up the police sta
ton and in 20 or 80 minutes the police
ambulance would come ringing its bell
as a warning to the burglar to 60
away If he still fingered in the yard
II doesn't take long to think that
many thoughts. 1t took Blifkin only q
moment and then, forgetting every
thing except that man was hiding
in the den, he strobe across the room
ana nulled the curtains apart!