The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-12-06

| NT"
Che Was Broad Awake In an Instant.
to realize there was a hand beneath
her pillow, and that hand was not one
Of her own. Rigid with fright, she
waited an instant to assure herself
she had not committed the innovation
Of dreaming, then she made a swift
reach for tho alien hand-too late. It
had been withdrawn swiftly In the
few moments requisite to complete
comprehension of the situatiSa, and If
Mrs. Delaroche had not been so GER
tain that she never dreamed, she
might have thoAght she still was
sleeping Hasty exploration of the
space beneath her pillow, however,
told her the midnight hand had not
gone away empty. Realizing that, she
was broad awake in an instant. She
sat erect so swiftly that she bruised
her forehead slightly against some
thing cold and hard and round and
smooth that was Immediately pressed
menacingly to her head.
Don't move, or you'll get thisi"
said a rough voice.
Mrs. Delaroche gasped, and despite
the hand, sank back again to her pill
low. She could still feel, however, or
fancied she could, the icy rim of the
metal that had touched her brow.
This was a great feat Of imagination
for Mrs. Delaroche.
That's right; lie still" continued
the voice. IF you know what's good
for you"
Rough though the voice was, II was
carefully subdued. It could not have
been heard In the corridor. Mrs. Della
roche drew a deep, 1uttering breath,
and was evidently on the point Of
making another attempt to speak
when the metallic ring touched her
forehead again, chilling her TO silence,
and the voice went on:
See here, lady, rye got no time to
waste with you. Just you stay where
less you want to get this!" and the
metal was pressed little harder to
her forehead. II am going to get out
Of this room quietly, and I'm going
right now. II you make any noise for
the next five minutes, I'll blow your
head Off"
The cold pressure was removed
from her forehead, and the burglar
moved about the room. The thick
carpet and doubtless the felt soles on
the mans feet as auxiliaries, made his
steps soundless. He went from her
dressing table to a writing desk. light
ing each in turn with a vivid circle
of rays from an electric pocket torch,
but holding the Illuminating device
always in such position that no faint
est CLEAN fell upon himself. Not for
moment, however, did he slacken
his alertness sufi GENTLY for Mrs. Del
aroche to have a good chance to get
search thoroughly several places
where money or Jewels might be
kept but, even to a woman of her
slow wit, II was apparent he did so
IN a half-hearted way. Millicent felt
assured the man knew Just what he
had taken from beneath her pillow,
and that he was satisfied with It. He
showed that to be true when he gave
up the pretended search without so
much as trying the handle of a small
safe in a 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 |
aroche was certain there was no pre-
tense about that
Then he walked to the door giving |
on the corridor, turned the handle |
cautiously, thrust his head through a
second opening, and looked up and |
down the hall. Evidently treasured,
he opened the door. stepped outside, |
and closed II swiftly and silently. |
There was not a sound to indicate
whether he had gone along the corri-
dor, or still stood Just outside the
door. Mrs. Delsroche waited. listen
ing intently In the hope Of hearing his
footsteps, but she listened vainly. She
waited perhaps a minute, for she had
no desire to hazard a shot from that
terrible thing the burglar had pressed
a kdAlEA hgA bNbNs ntT CDuEhEE
oozed back. and she bounded to the
floor. screaming with all her might.
pausing only long enough to snatch
a peignoir and throw II about her
shoulders ere she pulled open the out
or door of her suite and sent her
shrieks shrilling down the long hall
Her cries. for she was a msgnifcently
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
we're flung open, heads popped out.
and a dozen inquiries were flung at