The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-26
midnight as the hour Of Jul adven'

Maria was very ervou that night.
Three evenings before the Sanborn
house in our street had been entered
and its contents removed to parts un-
known. That very morning we had
learned of two other burglaries in our
immediate vicinity. Eagerly Maria
scanned the obituaries in the local
journal; I fancy she was disappointed
at the lack of funeral announcements.
Before we finally retired she saw fit to
recount all three affairs mosalcally'
and to remark dolefully that she was
sure our turn was coming o
Nonsense" said I, having left the
door unattached.
The town clock bell had completed
it's dozen peals, and we were lying
| costly in our places when there came
a soft creaking on the hallway STAIRS
| followed by the mufled tread OF foot
| steps outside of our door.
John" Maria whispered, did you
hear that"
"What?" I asked, fearlessly.
Some one is at our door. Go out
! end shoot him. Oh-h-h!" The door
| opened softly and a. circle of light
was planted on the opposite wall.
Our visitor made straight for the
bureau and started to fill his pockets.
l rose in my place. Impresslvely l
demanded, What are you dong
there, r-r-rascal?"
For answer he flashed the light into
our faces. My W was unrumed'
smiling even. On Maria's l saw such
a look of frozen terror that 1 was sore
TEMPTED to abandon our experiment
then and there. 1t was only my
promise to Clarence that impelled me
to see it through.
See here, sonny" said he, as he
took my watch. Get your thinking
apparatus busy locating where you
keep the decent things. This is junk.
The stuff | got down in your dining
room is enough to make anybody
mad. You ought to be ashamed OF
yourself"
"Out of my house this instant, or,
by Heaven, you perish where you
stand! BECOME, villain. Vanish!
Vamoose!"
"Vamoose" was Clarence's cue to
depart. Instead of that he strobe
over to our bedside and dealt me a
smart cuff on the ear. This was no
part of the agreement, and fastened
to voice my demonstration.
"Not do WHAT" was the answer.
grufiy given. That is funny. Ha,
ha! Keep quiet, you fossil, or Ill
run a rapid transit tunnel right
through you" A ball of fire flashed
into my eyes and I felt the impact of
cold steel on my forehead.
Spare us! Spare u.s." came in
mufled tremolo from under the
blanket. Give him that 500 you
have under your pillow, John"
He did not wait for me to give it.
He pushed my head aside and thrust
his hand under the pillow. AS the
CLEAN of the lantern was turned aside
for an instant I caught a glimpse of
the pistol as it went by me. 1t was
a tiny automatic revolver. And I had
bought Clarence a horse pistol!
Give me your diamonds" growled
the intruder, Quick, or I shoot"
My tongue clave to the roof of my
mouth and my teeth ratified. AS
speedily as l could 1 withdrew my
head under the coverlet and kept it
there until the sound of retreating
footsteps made known that the bur-
glar had gone.
1t was Maria's voice that I heard as
l emerged. Her tones, 1 confess, were
slightly hysterical. "Grapple him,
throttle him, pummcl him! pummel
him, throttle him, grapple him." She
said this over and over again.
I did not stop long to listen. l
jumped out of bed and made for the
window. 1 called for help, and an
answering whistle told me that my
call had been heard. AS I left the
window | spied some one coming up
on the run. rushed down the stairs
and ran through the hallway. On the
porch l ran into a policeman. There
was another man with him-held
tightly.
Here's your burglar" said the
officer. Il got him as he vas coming
back. Said he came up to help you;
good nerve, Ell? His partner wasn't
quite so cool about it; l saw him run
ming away with a bag. He was too
quick for me so l nabbed this one."
The captive removed his mask and
showed us his startled, white coun-
%tenance. Yes. 1t vas Clarence.
We have tried to explain matters
to Maria. Time and again we have
assured her that it was all a joke
perpetrated for her especial benefit.
No use. Each time she rewards both
of us with a cool stare and asks icily:
Where, Their, are my coffee pot and
my silver spoons and the soup ladle?"
Besides, she invariably concludes, had
Clarence been the burglar, she had
small doubt that I would have grap-
pied him, throttled him and pum-
meled him. Cold type does not re-
produce the possibilities lurking in
| bar topa Nov Vorly Tribrpa