The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-11-25

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moment, however did he s1acken
1a saieftness sufficiently for Mrs. Del
arocne to have good chance to get
~ the inner room. He pretended to
search thoroughly several places
"nere money or Jewels might be
Kept, but, even to a woman Of her
SLOW wit, 1t was apparent he did so
IN a half-hearted way. MilIicent felt
assured the man knew Just what he
hao taken from beneath her pillow,
aalo tnat ne was satisfied with it, He
showed that to be true when he gave
up the pretended search without 80
much as trying the handle of a small
SAFE ID far corner of the room. Re-
turning TO the bedside, he renewed his
warning, throwing SO much savage
meaning into his words that Mrs. Del.
arocne was certain there was no pre-
tense about that.
lhen ne walked to the door giving
on the corridor, turned the handle
cautiously, thrust his head through \
second opening, and looked up and
| GOWN the hall. Evidently treasured.
ne opened the door, stepped outside.
and closed itN swiftly and silently.
Ihere was not sound to indicate
whether he had gone along the CORR
dor, or still stood just outside the
door. Mrs. Delaroche waited listen
ing 1ntently in the hope of hearing his
footsteps, but she listened vainly. She
waited perhaps minute, for she had
no deslre to hazard shot from that
terrible thing the burglar had pressed
against her brow. Then her courage
oozed back, and she bounded to the
floor, screaming with all her might.
pausing only long enough to snatch
a peignoir and throw it about her
shoulders ere she pulled open the out
er door OF her suite and sent her
shr1eks shrilling down the long hall.
Her cries, for she was magnifcently
constructed animal of most expansive
lung power, not only echoed far along
the corridor, but penetrated even the
sound-proof doors Of the other apart
ments. The disturbance she made
was alarmingly novel to the exclusive
calm of the Hotel Renaissance. Doors
were flung open, heads popped out,
and dozen inquiries were flung at
her from as many parts Of the hall;
but Mrs. DelarOche had exhausted her
conference in framing that one pur-
pose of screaming with all her might
until some man of action should speed
to her assistance. She did not waste
ry,u s-f1s f,,r 80
ply screamed, and so eloquent were
her shrie& that although she uttered
no concrete word, only q few of them
were needed to tell the more intelli-
gent of her auditors thatshe had been
robbed, and that what she had lost
was of priceless value to her.
Before the fusillade Of her cries
died away in scattering fire of
gasping sobs, half dozen pajamaed
specters were racing down the corri-
dor in the direction they deemed the
burglar had taken. What account
they would have given Of themselves
had they come up with the fugitive is
conjectural. They were spared the
disagreeab1e necessity Of submitting
their courage to that test, for as the
burglar turned corner of the hall
many yards in advance Of his pursu-
ers, he was tripped by a foot adroitly
interpolated in his path, and when he
fall, it was to find two men of sturdy
build sitting upon him as composedly
as If nature had planned him for a
chair. The pistol he had
carried in his hands throughout the |
pursuit was snatched from his grasp,
and although he struggled furiously, |
his arms were dragged behind his |
back and handouts were snapped |
upon his wrists. Then he was dragged
to his feet by four insistent arms and |
impelled with much yigor along the
hallway in the reverse direction to
that which he had followed
Unmistakabie was the rejoicing Of
the pajama squad at the sight of his
captivity. Undeniably heroic was its
surge toward him. Faces grim with
postscript bravery were thrust into
the prisoners, and voices raging from
to indignation bombarded
him with questions. All of which the
prisoner met with sullen silence and
with looks that made the squad re-
treat pace or two in spite of the
[irmness with which his captors held
him. Mrs. Delaroche's fading screams
guided the little group to her apart
ment, where the hands Of ninistering
angels had adjusted her peignoir to it's
normal position upon her Junoesaue
'orm and fastened Its futtering rib
oons In becoming bows. She there re-
,eived the heroes Of the man hunt
With astonishing composure.
'Is this the man who robbed you, !
asked one of the men who
lad caught the burglar. He was the
house detective. Stand behind him,
Tim," he said to his colleague, por-
er with the fullback's shoulders.
ut must be- said Mrs. Delaroche,
but l cannot tell by his face. I did