The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-05-16
her aunt's, and there was a door of
communication between.

nSl aunt'S, and there was door OF
communication between.
Bessie sat down at her window,
having extinguished her lamp, and
waited. She never could tell why
she expected an attack from burglars
that night, but at all events she did
look for it, and she was not disap-
pointed.
About midnight she heard a win
dow in her aunt's room raised care
fully. Arising to her feet noiselessly,
Bessie seized her revolver and softly
opened the door of her aunt's cham
Der, A night lamp burned dimly,
and Aunt Hepsy sat up in bed, look
ing CHASTITY in the faint light as Bes-
sic entered.
Ring the alarm bell p whispered
Aunt Hepsy, under her breath.
| Bessie flew to obey her, but, alas !
nossound issued from the deep throat
Of the bell in the tower. It flashed
across Bessie's mind at once the wire
had been severed, all communication
was cut off, and they were at the
mercy of the robbers and murderers.
The window stood wide open, and
as Bessie turned the lamp up brightly,
she saw great burly form standing
before the iron safe in the corner,
while nearby stood Jenkins.
Bessie's heart sank like stone.
She knew, then, whose hand had cut
the bell-vire, and that Jenkins was
an accomplice.
The robbers turned, and as their
eyes fell upon her slim, girlish figure,
one of them gave vent to a hoarse
laugh. But Bessie was not easily in
timidated. Something, she knew not
what, gave her courage, and turning
her revolver full upon the villain,
jenkins, she fired.
The man fell to the floor, groaning
and bowling with rage and pain, and
she saw that she had disabled him.
She turned the second barrel upon
the other burglar, and was about to
pull the trigger, when through the
open window, a man sprang into the
room and seized the rufian by the
throat.
AS Aunt Hepsy's eyes fell upon
the newcomer she uttered cry of
joy.
"Give me the bell rope, quick !"
he cried, and as Bessie obeyed, he
bound the burglars hands tightly,
and threw him on the floor. Then he
turned to Aunt Hepsy.
Good evening"" he said, courte-
ously. II was just in time, you see. "
The new arrival proceeded to bind
up the wound of the discounted Jen-
kins, then he pushed the two often
ders in closet, and turned the key
in the lock, and half hour after his
arrival he met Miss Hepsy, who had
hastily dressed herself for the occa-
sion, in the parlor, and was then and
there formally presented to Bessie.
She found that their deliverer was.
S0r. When tue excitement nae SuD
sided he went on to explain the
strange way in which he had hap
pened to come to their relief.
He had retired, and falling asleep
had dreamed a curious dream. He
had seen the entire occurrence just
as it had transpired, the open window,
the old iron safe, Bessie standing with
a revolver pointed at the rufianly
figure on the floor.
The dream was so vivid that he
awoke with start, and although he
laughed at his own folly he could not
rest, and finally arose, dressed him
self and, saddling his horse, rode over
tjust in time"
The next morning the two burglars
were handed over to the tender mer-
cies of the law, and after that Frank
Foster became frequent visitor at
Miss Hepsy's house.
Of course, there could be but one
end to the romance, and when, in the
following winter, Bessie Ferris be-
came Mrs. Foster, old Aunt Hepsy
presented her with the diamonds
which were in the iron safe as we'd
ding gift.
Aunt Hepsy took up her home
with the young couple, and at her
death, a few months subsequently,
bequeathed them her entire fortune.
Marguerite and Ada made brilliant
marriages, but neither of them pos
sessed better husbands than the man
whom Bessie Ferris won that summer
.-.o.,r, f11a 1110f1s1foiuc