The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-07
A BURGLAR
EPISODE
By ESTHER VANDEVFER


One of the doctors who recommended
me was Alexis Fisher | stood first
on his list of nurses, and / have known
him to pay me what | would be earn
ing in order to have me disengaged
/ when he expected to need me for spe-
cial case.
One day DR.. Fisher sent me to nurse
nervous old lady who was very ILL.,
She was very rich. and. although the
doctor was as diligent with poor pa
tent as rich one, he made his in
come out of the latter. never charging
those whom he knew were very DOOR
He told me that my patient. Miss Bar
tow, must not meet with any shock
for there was a heart complication in
her case. and even the violent slam
ming of a door might cause her death.
Imagine my horror at having bur
glars in the house with my patient
About midnight was going from her
room to my own when a dazzling light
was flashed in my eyes. | was i'm
PEELED to run somewhere, but the men,
ory that it was my duty to prevent any
one causing Miss Bartow's death pre-
vented me
l stood still while this was passing
through my mind and when | had
nerved myself walked toward where
l had seen the light, near the head of
the staircase. l leaned over the ban
Ister and waited. In another moment
the light was flashed again Then
said:
There is sick lady up here at the
point of death. Stay downstairs, and
will go down and turn over what val
uables l can find"
"All right" said mans voice.
Come down"
He flashed his light on me. and
went down the stairs, feeling that he
might shoot me as l walked or stab
me when reached him. He went
down into the hall backward and
when | reached it ordered me to go
into the dining room. and there he
lighted the gas. | saw a short, thick
set man, masked. who said to me:
Now, what have you got?"
Miss Barlow had been used to taking
the silver upstairs, and l had not been
able to quiet her before settling for
the night until / had brought it I'D to
her and put it in a closet in her room.
where she was used to keeping it.
Had it been in any other room would
have turned it over to the burglar at
once. AS it was, l was obliged to plan.
To gain time | opened the sfdeboard
as though | expected to find it there.
then told the burglar that it was up-
stairs in the sick chamber
He didn't believe me and. placing
the cold muZZle of a revolver on nv
ear said that If | didn't produce some
Vaiuables he would kill me | was so
terrified that | told him | would get
some jewelry at once but since Miss
Barlow had both silver and iewelrv in
her room l could do nothing. Finally /.
desperation steadied me, and | reiter-
ated what had said. telling him that
to remove anything from that room
would inform the sick woman that
there was burglar in the house and
that would give her a shock from
which she would die
Go and get it." he said. but at once .
reconsidered. where's your tele-
phoneY' be asked
In there" I said and pointed to an
instrument in the hall. He went to it
and looked at it. then ordered me to
bring him the valuabIes. saying that if
was not back in four minutes he
would get them himself and kill every
one in the room
a great hope sprang up in my breast.
MISS Barton, who was very timid. had
always had a telephone instrument be-
side her bed. l had begged her to per-
NIT me to move it into the closet. and
when the doctor commanded she con-
sented- told the burglar that | would
brlng him the vaIuables if he would
only go away on getting them and
went upstairs. He followed me with
haShilght till had gone into the room
but could not very we'll follow me
further without going in with me.
went straight to the closet, shut
the door and called "Policer' several
times, giving the location.
AS came out Miss Barlow. who had
been asleep. awakened and asked for
water l went out and found the bur
glar waiting at the door He had
heard the call for water. but. seeing
me empty handed, seemed to he in
doubt whether to order me back. go in
the room himself or let me get the
water Perhaps he preferred not to
make disturbances: perhaps he he
heVed my story about the invalid's
condition He ordered me to hurry
up. and. going into the bathroom 7
drew a glass of water and took it into
the sickroom.
dreaded for my patient the com
ing of the police and the disturbance
and what would follow. | must take
an awful risk. Going out into the hall.
beckoned the man to follow me
short distance from the sickroom and
said,
There's telephone in the closet i'm
-hnEe and harn LII H. ----..-- :.