The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-06-04
CUPID'S
BURGLAR
By H. T. SEYMOUR.

Good night"
Good night"
The girl moved out of the shadow OF
the big lilac bushes, where they had
been sitting, and gliding across the
moon-lighted lawn, entered the house
Il wonder if l shall ever find cour-
age to ask her to be my wife," grum-
bled the man aloud. Every night for
two weeks have tried and every time
l fail miserably. Why will a man be
such an arrant coward when it comes
to telling a woman he loves herr"
Jack Allerton, still growing at his
own cowardice, walked down to the
road and disappeared in the shadows.
He was a handsome athletic fellow,
who had never known what physical
fear meant, but he had courted Estelle
Williams for winter and two sum-
mers, and, while he felt reasonably
certain that his suit was not distaste-
full to her, he had been unable to
screw up his courage to the point
which would put his fate to the test.
AS he had done innumerable nights
about half a mile and then returning
took up a position opposite the Will
liams cottage in the shadows of the
roadside bushes and waited for the
light in her room to be eXtinguished.
Jack Allerton, for a sane man, you
make all kinds of monkey of your
SELF" he said finally as the light that
he was watching went out and he
turned to depart again.
Suddenly he stopped short with
catch in his breath.
A dark form had passed quickly
across the lawn and been swallowed
up by the shadow of the house.
Allerton sprang to the low fence
that surrounded the Williams grounds,
and vaulting over made his way
stealthily toward the spot where the
form had disappeared. The dining
room window was open, and a man
was clambering clumsily into the
room.
For a moment Allerton hesitated,
while he rapidly thought out plan of
action. The house must not be
aroused lest Estelle be alarmed
Whatever was to be done must be
done quickly and quietly.
Allerton's mind was soon made up.
Gliding from shadow to shadow he
reached the open window by which
the man had entered the house.
Crouching beneath it he slowly raised
his head so that he could look into the
room.
AS his eyes became accustomed to
the darkness he could dimly make out
the form of a man moving stealthily
around the room with outstretched
arms, feeling along the walls. When
he reached the door he passed into
the hall and out of sight.
Was he going upstairs?
Allerton's heart was in his mouth.
Placing his hands on the window
seat he drew himself up and jumped
lightly into the room. 1t was now a
game of hide and seek, and Allerton
was cit" For moment he listened
But the man apparently knew his
business well. Not a sound broke the
stiffness of the night.
Again he listened, but not a creak.
ing board or stair gave him any hint
of the direction the man had taken
after leaving the dining-room. Aller.
ton stopped and thought again. What
would ne do, were he burglar? The
sleeping rooms first, for jewels and
money, of course. The thought meant
quick action. He, at least, had the ad.
vantage of thorough knowledge Of
the house. He tip-toed to the foot of
the stairs and taking one step up,
stopped.
1t could scarcely be called sound
but to Allerton's straining ears it
seemed as loud as the roar of Mag
ara. 1t was gurgling sound like that
made by liquid poured from a bottle
and it seemed to come from the direc-
ton of the buffers pantry at the end
of the hall. Allerton retraced his
steps and as he turned down the hall
he paused and involuntarily crouched
against the wall.
There was his man in plain view.
The pantry door was wide open, and
standing in patch of moonlight that
came through the window stood the
burglar. In one hand he held bottle
Of beer, and in the other something
edible, at which he was contentedly
munching.
While he stood out in sharply de-
fined silhouette, Allerton was invisible
to the burglar, and would be until he
reached the streak of moonlight that
penetrated just outside the pantry
door. Moving silently along close to
the wall, he finally stepped quickly
out in view.
With a smothered oath the man
dropped the bottle with crash, and
sprang at Allerton, who met the on.
slaught unflinchingly.
You fool" whispered Allerton as
he blocked the blow aimed at him and
caught the man in a grasp of iron,
you'll rouse the house"
What's your lay, anyway" grum.
bled the man, as he ceased to strug.
gle against his too powerful captor.
First want you to be quiet; second, !
want you to pick up your shoes, climb
out of the window through which you
came, and just as silently, and then
make tracks out of town. / know
your face, and if I see you around I'll
have you arrested"
"And amt you going to have me
pinched now?"
NO, all want you to do, is to get
cut Of this house."
I'm your man, boss. You're the
right sort, you are. Most of you swell
blokes is apt to be hard on a poor
chap
"Aii right; now march"