The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-07-26

them where they are and watch. Who
ever took the ten will be back for
more. mark my words.
II don't advise it'll said decidedly.
STUFF and nonsense!' the old lady
said. with spirit
Then what 90 you want me to do"
/ asked "Have Bella arrested and her
trunk searched?"
"Her trunk" she said scOrnfully. 81
turned it inside out this morning. |
want you to stay here for three or four
nights When catch the thief ! want
my lawyers right by"
1t ended by my consenting. of course.
Miss Letitia was seldom refused. Lit
tie Miss Jane lighted me to the door OF
the guest room Her thin gray curls
bobbed as she examined the water
pitcher. saw to the towels and felt the
bed linen for dampness. At the door
she turned around timidly
"Has-anything happened TO disturb
my sist er"' she asked ''She-has been
almost irrita bile an day"
"She is worried about her colored
orphans" evaded. she does not ap-
prove Of fireworks for them on the
Fourth of July"
put out the light and sat down
near the window, with ny cigar and
my thoughts. ! had finished my Sec
ond cigar. There was a sound Of fun
bling at one of the shutters below
With Miss Letitia's story of the pearls
fresh in my mind l felt at once that
the thief. finding his ten a prize. had
come back for more.
] found on the mantel a heavy brass
candlestick. and with it in my hand !
stepped into the gloom of the hallway
and felt my way to the stairs. | had
kicked off my shoes. fact regretted
later. went into the library. which
was beneath my room. but the sounds
at the window had ceased. thought
I heard steps on the walk going to-
ward the front Of the house. l wheel
ed quickly and started for the door
when something struck me a terrific
blow on the nose. l reeled back and
sat down, dizzy and shocked. 1t was
only when no second blow followed the
first that realized what had occurred.
With my two hands out before me in
the blackness had CROPPED. one hand
on either side Of the open door. which.
Of course. had struck violently with
my nose. My candlestick had rolled
under the table, and after crawling
around on my hands and knees found
It. For all her boosted watchfulness
Miss Letitia must have been asleep.
got back into the dining room.
Some one was fumbling at the shutters
there. and as looked they swung
open. 1t was so dark outside with the
trees and the distance from the street
that only the creaking of the shutter
told it had opened l stood in the mid
die of the room. with one hand firmly
clutching my candlestick.
But the window refused to move.
The burglar seemed to have no proper
tools. He got something under the
sash. but it snapped. and through the
heavy plate glass l could hear him
swearing Then he abruptly left the
window and made for the front of the
house.
l blundered in the same direction.
my unshod feet striking on projecting
furniture and causing me agonies.
even through my excitement. When l
reached the front door. however. l
was amazed to find it unlocked. and
standing open perhaps an inch.
stopped uncertainty. ! was in a pc
culiar position. Not even the most ar
dent admirers of antique brass candle
sticks indorse them as weapons Of Of
Tense or defense. But. there seeming
to be nothing else to do. opened the
door quietly and stepped out into the
darkness.
The next instant was flung heavily
to the porch floor. am not small
man by any means. but under the fury
of that onslaught ! was child. 1t
was a porch chair. l think. that knock
ed me senSeiess. I know folded up
like jackknife. and that was all l
did know for few minutes.
When came to | was lying where
l had fallen. and a candle was burning
DcSlQe uuc Oh Tue pOTCu uOOI. ~ tOOn
me q minute to remember and another
minute to realize that l was looking
| into the barrel of a revolver. 1t &C.
Cured to me that l had never seen a
more villainous face than that of the
man who held it-which shows my
state of midland that my position
| was the reverse of comfortable.