The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1910-02-03
CUPID'S
BURGLAR
BY II. 7. SEYMOUR.

"Estelle, Il"
YES. Jack"
Il shall look for you on the links
tomorrow
Yes, Jack"
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
| 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 4 handsome athletic fellow,
who had never known what physical
Tear meant, but he had courted Estelle
Williams for a 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
before, he stroled down the road
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 eXtfnguished.
Jack Allerton. for sane man, you
make all kinds of a 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 a
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 a plan of
action. The house must not be
aroused lest Estele be alarmed.
Whatever was to be done must be
done quickly and quietly
Gliding from shadow to shadow he
reached thu 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 10
| 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
| ne 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 1T" For n 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 creak-
ing board or stair gave him any hint
| Nf OIL
lfter leaving the dining-room. Aler
ton stopped and thought again. What
| would he 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 a 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 il
seemed as loud as the roar of Mag.
ara 1t was a gurgling sound like that
made by liquid poured from 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 a 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