The daily Alaskan., 1908-11-20
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 HANDING G. 5 "A BURGLAR} 5 By Martha Cobb Sanford. e
By Martha Cobb Sanford.
Copyrighted. 1908, by Assooiated
 Literary Press

. Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated D Literary Press. SoOoOoOoOoOoOooOo0oOoOoOo0
 The wedding was oyer the goodbys and the good nights had all been said, and the Monteiths' big stone house, ro- dlant only a few hours ago with light and laughter was now grlmly dark and silent.
 But excitement had set the maid of honors. pulse to throbblng, and shc could not sleep Over and over again she went through her part of the state ly ceremony to the slow, majestic mu- sic 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 unwaverngly upon her.
 And she recalled all the pretty things he had said to her afterward-that she was like q 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 shlmmery green maid of honor frock, the moonlight shedding a wondrous frost upon 1t. From some distant point clock struck twice. She rose with determination, then suddenly became tense and rigid, Her heart was in her mouth,
 In the room Just diagonally across the hall, which was the upstairs sitting room she had distinctly heard a win dow opened. It flashed across her in. stantly that burglars had come after the wedding presents. Her own door the night being stlfiing warm, stood part way open, but she was too para lyzed with fear to run and lock 1t.
 She listened with strained ears for any further sound It soon followed. The burglar stumbled against some thing. For a few minutes after that all was horribly stil. 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 Esle could make out a dark form creeping 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 1t was an awfully long way down the hall to Mir. MOntelth's room.
 There was no one near her except two of the bridesmaids, and precious lot of good lt would do to wake them! This reflection had the effect of stlmu- latlng her own latent courage. No; he should not carry or those wedding presents-she, Elsie Laurie. would see thaS he dld not,
 She was relieved to find that she could really move. She tiptoed to the door and listened Not a sound. So she ventured stealthIly out into the hall and even peeked over the balustrade. Stm no sound and as dark as a 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. 70 Suddenly the dining room pOrueres parted, and a man holding a lighted cigarette stepped out from behind them.
 Elsie gave a frightened cry of Rob crt" and tainted
 When she recovered she was choking over something very strong and burn ing that some one was pouring down her throat She opened her eyes and recognized Robert Montieth bending over her
 Did you catch the burglar" she asked him weakly.
 "Elsle, my poor child" he said, lift ing her gently tin her head rested against his shoulder, "there wasn't any burglar It was just me. I'm so sorry"
 She looked dazed, as If she could not understand.
 You must have been awfully scared, dear" he went on tenderly "T'n tell you how It happened. chased the bride and groom, you know, to find out where they were going, and when l finally got bacl; here l remembered l hadn't any key. So I climbed up over the porch and got In through the sit ting room window l thought you were all asleep, and l knew If l did that I wouldn't disturb anybody" he ended, with a somewhat sheepish smile.
 Elsie smiled little too. She was be- ginning to see the humor of the situa- ton. By degrees she told him her side