The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-10-17
Burglars
By NELLIE d. SWIFT
BY NELLIE D. SWIFT

husbands arm In vlselike grip.
"What's what?" grunted Mr.. Blunt
trying TO wake himself up.
Burglars. Didn't you hear 'emT"
'No Where"
Downstairs. They've run agains
some glassware and smashed It,"
"Tm going down." said Mr.. Blunt, at
tempting TO rise. but his wife helt
him. He broke away from her and
going to bureau, took revolver
then, taking an electric light In his
left hand. pressed his thumb on the
button and descended the staircase
! He passed from the lower hall to the
drawing room and from the drawing
room TO the dining room, where he
found the fragments on the floor OF q
cut glass. dish that had been knocked
| off the sideboard. He looked In a
! drawer in the sideboard where the
/ silver In daily use was kept, expect
| ing TO find |. gone. 1t was all there
| and he concluded that the burglar,
feeling in the dark. had knocked of
the dish and. fearing to have awakened
the household. had taken himself away
as soon as possible.
Mr.. Blunt opened a door that led
into the pantry through which he
passed into the kitchen. All was silent
and empty He tried the door leading
out on to back stoop and found 1t
locked. But he found a window sash
unlocked and made up his mind that
the burglar had found an entrance and
an exist through that window, He lock-
ed IL and, having satisfied himself that
the burglar had left the premises with
out having had time to take any
booty, went back to his room, where
he found his wife standing shivering
In the middle Of the room. She had
expected every moment to hear report
and that her husband would be killed.
Are they gomez" she cried.
"Yes.''
How did they get in?'
"He or they must have entered and
gone out by the kitchen window.
Please caution Susan to be more care
full about locking the sashes."
Mrs Blunt had lighted the gas, and
her husband. who was facing mirror,
was somewhat startled at his appear
ance as reflected In It, He was In his
nightshirt. with a revolver in one hand
and tubular electric lamp in the
other. both the lamp and the revolver
looking equally terrible The expecta-
ton Of facing a burglar had been
somewhat trying TO him, end his usu-
ally ford face was pale. Nevertheless
he assured his wife that the burglar
had gone and there was no need for
her to feel frightened They returned
to bed, but Mrs. Blunt would not con-
sent to the gas being turned of. To
ward morning they fell into a doze.
The episode unhinged Mrs. Blunt's
nerves. and Mr., Blunt, though he pooh |
poohed at her fears, never went to bed |
without thinking how reckless he had /
been in going down to face burglar
with a light in his hand that would I
show the villain just where he was, I
He would not be so foolish again. He
would carry the lamp but would not
flash until occasion required. Mrs.
Blunt declared that If there was again
evidence of burglars in the house she
would lock her husband in their bed I
room. But Mr.. Blunt declared that his
manliness would not permit him TO
leave any man to roam about his house
and carry away his property.
One night when he was wakeful and
his wife was sound asleep Mr.. Blunt
was sure he heard sounds downstairs.
Getting cautiously out of bed he slip
bed on his coat. for the house was cold,
.iptoed to the bureau. where he found
The revolver, then to the mantel, where
lie found the electric lamp. and taking
rs before one in each hand he stealthily
the bedroom door and felt his
way by the banister downstairs.
In the hall below he felt something
lar against his leg. At the same time
/ street lamp throwing n faint light
nto the drawing room showed him the ,
If the room. 1t occurred to Mr.. Blunt
hat he was standing in the dark and I
while he could see the man indistinctly 7
he man couldn't see him at all. His
irst impulse was to run upstairs and
ock himself in his bedroom; his second
vas to shoot the intruder before the
elbow was aware of his presence; 9th
rwise he might be murdered by des-
'erate man. Raising his revolver, he
hut his eyes and let drive.
He heard shrek upstairs and sounds
made by something running away. The
rst came from Mrs. PUNT; the second
vas like the fight of an animal and
anne from the cat. Hearing nothing
urther. Mr.. Blunt crouched behind a
ewel post and flashed his lamp into
he drawing room. lie saw no one.
ut hole with radiant cracks had
cen made in corner of mirror rest
IL on the mantel.
Don't be frightened. my dear. Come
own here"
Mrs. Blunt. who was hanging on to
lie banister above. responded family: 3
Heavens, Are you killed?"
Not exactly. I'm only fool" 3
what is it,"
"Shot at reflection in the mirror"
"Oh. dear, Did you break the mir :
,r?" q