The herald., 1912-12-05
Burglars
By NELLIE D. SWIFT

bed. at the same time clutching her
husbands arm in q visellke grip.
whats what?" grunted Mr.. Blunt,
irving to wake himself up.
Burglars. Didn't you hear 'em?"
"No. WhereT
Downstairs. They've run against
some glassware and smashed it"
I'm going down." said Mr.. Blunt, at
tempting to rise, but his wife held
him. He broke away from her and,
going to a bureau. took a 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 1t 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 1t 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.
Eyes"
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 II. He was In his
nightshirt, with a revolver in one hand
and a 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, and 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
show the villain just where he was.
He would not be so foolish again. He
would carry the lamp, but would not
flash until occasion required. Mrs.
Blunt declared that IL there was again
evidence Of burglars in the house she
would lock her husband in their bed
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
ped on his coat, for the house was cold,
tiptoed to the bureau, where he found
the revolver. then to the mantel, where
he found the electric lamp, and taking
as before one in each hand he stealthily
unlocked the bedroom door and felt his
way by the banister downstairs.
In the hall below he felt something
jar against his leg. At the same time
a street lamp throwing a faint light
into the drawing room showed him the
dim figure Of man on the other side
Of the room. 1t occurred to Mr.. Blunt
that he was standing in the dark and
while he could see the man indistinctly
the man couldn't see him at all. His
first impulse was to run upstairs and
lock himself in his bedroom; his second
was to shoot the intruder before the
fellow was aware Of his presence; 9TH
erwise he might be murdered by a des-
perate man. Raising his revolver, he
shut his eyes and let drive.
He heard a shrek upstairs and sounds
made by something running away. The
FIRST came from Mrs. Blunt; the second
was like the fight Of an animal and
came from the cat. Hearing nothing
further, Mr.. Blunt crouched behind
newell post and flashed his lamp into
the drawing room. He saw no one,
but a hole with radiant cracks had
been made in corner Of a mirror rest
ing on the mantel.
Don't be frightened. my dear. Come
down here"
Mrs. Blunt, who was hanging on to
the banister above, responded family:
Heavens! Are you killed."
mot exactly. I'm only fool"
"What is itY'
shot at reflection in the mirror"
"Oh, dear! Did you break the mir