Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1909-09-10
HER GREl CAPTURE
81 lRMA s WILSON.


lRMA 3. WILSON.
sIcopyrights 1862 by Anerican PRESS
citation
Miss Amy Pettengill was Id u dread
full position It was 8 O'Clock at hight.
She was alone In the house md she
had warning that burglars were com.
Ing. There had been Il ring az the
doorbel She had answered but
found no one. A bit Of paper filttered
down as she opened the door, and,
picking Il up, she read Burglars u.
night. = ss
This bare statement OF the fact was
enough to put Miss Pettengill Id u
5tremor. She was not Interested to
know why or by " HON she had been
warned, but the though t flashed through
her mind that some one OF the gang!
had turned against his fellows either:
through stricken conscience Of re-
8Yenge. ~ NJ
But what was she to doa The fam.
ily had left her for The night with
only maid, and the maid had disap.
peared. Fad she anything TO do with
the proposed burglary? Probably She
was q new girl and had been employed
without a character There was 10
telephone connection, the house stood
half mile from any other, and the
night was stormy. Nevertheless Miss
Pettengill put on her rubbers, took an
umbrella and was about to go for lis.
sistance when she heard voices with
out. She stood still in the hall, para
.lyzed with terror. Then came d ring
ut the doorbeli. AZ
To refuse admittance to any one who
proposed to rob the house was absurd.
An entrance could be forced at any
opening. The front door even was not
locked, Her only defense was strata,
gem. She would admit the burglar,
pretend not to know what he had come
for and watch an opportunity--th is,
IL he did not bind and gag her in the
hope of putting him In corner. Sum
moning all the resolution there was
left in her. she opened the door.
There stood q man In rubber suit
from which the rain was dripping.
II would like" he said, TO get shell
ter for awhile. It's a bad night and
can't go on.''
Certainly !" said Miss Pettengill, dis
sembling Come in.'''
Where shalt put this wet suit?',
he asked. II don't wish to spoil your
rugs. . 5:. II.
Go right up on to the third floor.
There is a bathroom there. You can
lay your suit In the tut" S.s
The man looked a trifie surprised,
but made no objection. Miss Pettens
gill led the way. The prospect OF sue
cess of trap she was laying gave
her courage, and she became monen-
tarily elated. The bathroom was in
the center Of the house, with no win.
dow, ventilated and lighted by a small
opening In the roof The man entered
and was throwing OF his rubber coat
( when Miss Pettengill, who had gone
a little ahead and changed the key
from inside to outside, closed the door
and locked It. Then she proceeded to
faint.
When she came to herself she heard
loud knocking at the bathroom door
She got on her feet and staggered
downstairs Doubtless the man she
had shut up had been sent in to rec
onnoiter. His pals would probab bly,
wait for a signal. She sat down to
think .5
She sat perfectly still for a long
while, an hour perhaps. but heard no
sornd except an occasional knocking
above After awhile even 1t ceased,
Midnight came. Being tired and worn
with excitement, she threw herself on
q lounge. The excitement kept her
awake for awhile, but In time she
fell asleep.
When she aWoke It was broad day
light. She was surprised to see the
sash Of window raised There was
also peculiar smell, which she soon
recognized as chloroform. Getting up,
she went across the hall into the din
ing room. The drawers OF the side
board were open and what silver had
been left there was gone. Running
upstairs, she found that the bureau
dra wers, closets, etc, had been ran
sacked. s5
II i AouS itS1cHeu Ior ~ sOuHu from Tne
bathroom, where she had Gagged the
advance burglar. Hearing nothing, she
ran upstairs, tripped lightly to the
door, listened, tried the knob and
found 1t still locked. There was a
faint sound as OF one breathing in
sleep. 358t FL
Miss Pettengili ran aIl the way to
the nearest house, where she found
the family at breakfast.
Our house has been robbedn, she
exclaimed and dropped into chair.
Are you Miss Pettengill? y asked a
lady at the head Of the table excitedIy.
Yes MS
aoh. heavens! Has my son been
killed p
Your son ?''ss 5.s5
Yes. a bit ct paper was left here
IQo az f,snhf ,fr