The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-23
THE EVENING STORY
.Landing,, a Burglar
(By Martha Cobb Sanford. !


ana the good-nights had all been said, |
ana the Montieths' big stone house ra-
olant only few hours ago with light |
ana laughter, was now grimly dark
and silent.
But excitement had set the maid-of-
honors pulse to throbbing and she
could not sleep. Over and over again
she went through her part of the state
~ ceremony to the slow, majestic
music of the wedding march.
over and over again she remembered
that endless, measured walk down the
long church aisle, with the magic scent
of roses everywhere. and the trembling
consciousness of the best mans gaze
fixed unwaveringly upon her.
And she recalled all the pretty things
he had said to her afterward-that she
was like dream-girl come true, that
she was more beautiful than the blush
ing bride herself. What shameless
heresy, when the bride was his very
own sister!
Wedding nights, sighed Elsie, were
much like Halloweens-one dipped into
the future, and saw sweet visions-but
| only visions, after all! Yet still she sat
| in her shimmery green maid-of-honor
frock, the moonlight shedding a won
| drous frost upon it. From some dis
| tant point a clock struck twice. She
rose with determination, then suddenly
| became tense and rigid. Her heart was
| in her mouth.
| the hall, which was the upstairs sitting
room, she had distinctly heard a win
! dow opened. 1t flashed across her in
stantly that burglars had come after
the wedding presents. Her own door,
! the night being sitting warm, stood
part way open, but she was too
paralyzed with fear to run and lock it.
She listened with strained ears for
| any further sound. 1t soon followed.
| The burglar stumbled against some
1 A14k
all was horribly STILL Then, with cat
| like step, Elsie heard him coming into
| the hall.
Should she scream? She tried to. but
could not. Her voice stuck in her
| throat
By the aid of the moonlight, Elsie
| could make out a dark form creep
| ing past her own room toward the
stairs. Thank goodness, he was not
going to bind and gag her. or hold
! her up at the point of a pistol!
, But the wedding presents! Should
| she let him steal them without trying
| to give an alarm? Yes, she would. The
bride and groom could not be so very
much attached to them. They had
not had them long enough, and it was
an awfully Long way down the hall to
Mr. Monteith's room.
! There was no one near her except
two of the bridesmaids, and a
precious lot of good it would do to
wake them! This reflection had the
/ effect of stimulating her own latent
courage. No; he should not carry on
I those wedding presents-she, Elsie
Laurie, would see that he did not.
| She was relieved to find that she
| could really move. She tiptoed TO
! the door and listened. Not a sound.
So she ventured steadily out into the
balustrade. Still no sound. and as
/ dark as pocket.
Could she have been dreaming? Be-
| fore she reused the house she would
make quite sure. Creeping down to
! the landing of the stairs. she
! crouched behind the balustrade and
waited. her heart humping rapidly.
Suddenly the dining room portieres
| parted and a man, holding a lighted
| cigarette, stepped out from behind
/ them.
Elsie gave a frightened cry of
Robert and tainted.
| When she recovered she was chok-
, ing over something very strong and
! burning that some one was pouring
down her throat. She opened her
bending over her.
did you catch the burglar" she
! asked him weakly.
"Elsie, my poor child!' he said.
lifting her gently. till her head rested
against his shoulder. There wasn't
|
She looked dazed, as If she could
not understand.
you must have been awfully
scared, dear" he went on tenderly
"I'U tell you how it happened. I
know, to find out where they were
| going, and when 1 finally got back
here 1 remembered 1 hadn't any key;
So 1 climbed up over the porch, and
| eft n
| doWs. I thought you were all asleep,
and knew if 1 did that, 1 wouldn't
! disturb anybody" he ended with a
| somewhat sheepish smile.
Elsie smiled a little, too. She was
beginning to see the humor of the
situation BY degrees she told him
her side of the story.
you're the bravest girl in all the
| world, dearest. and =
'Did you stub your toe against
| something just after you got IN she
interrupted with teasing irrelevance.
He admitted, rather shortly, that he
'fIt was awfully quiet for few min
utes afterward," she observed, dryly.
| Eyes wasn't saying much-oul
loud. But say, Elsie"-he broke on
resolutely, swinging her Inoughi a.,
| "What would you say If / turned INTO
a real burglar after all and tried 10
steal you on the spot?
I'm not bit afraid sne ans
ed him calmly. her eyes looking with
ralble assurance straight into his
| saTonipht has made me wonderfully
coura@goodness What's that? she
/ whispered. trembling with fright.
door in the upper hall had opened
Refore Robert could answer she had
reached up to the electric button on
the vail and switched off the light.
Immediately a voice commanded
sTt's father" Robert called
hoarsely. Don't shoot"
Realizing then what thoughtlessiy
dangerous thing she had done, Elsie
/ as suddenly turned on the ngnt asaln;