Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-06
TheEvening Story
The Boy at
! Beechenbrook
BY M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press.


1t to Beechenbrook, large house q
little outside of Manchester. was
to arrange in the library q large lot
of books ordered from our store. On
the day arrived the owners wife and
daughter started for Scotland on Wis
1t, while Mr.. Markham himself depart
ed for Paris to attend to certain bust.
ness
He had departed so suddenly that
plate and all other valuables were left
in the house, though he hired a private
Waterman to look after the house at
night. This man was named Haynes,
and almost at once l learned that he
was drinking man and had made
up his mind to take things very easy.
Something had gone wrong with the
drainage. and the pipes had been I'M
covered at the back of the house. Re
pairs had been made, but the ditch was
not to be filled in until MIR. Markham
returned.
Things went along all right for a
week, and If any of the servants feared
a visit from burglars nothing had been
said to me about it. About half past
10 one night ! suddenly awoke In
great fright. could not remember
that / had dreamed of anything, nor
could say that my sleep had been
broken by noise. My room was dark,
and outside there was a monotonous
4 pour of a September rain. | had TO
taunt myself with being a coward be-
fore | dared to get up and light my
candle. and. though l had little cour-
age to spare. even when found moth
ing wrong ] determined to go down
stairs and have word with the
wstcaman. | laid my hand on the
door to find 1t locked ] had never
locked my dooE at night and had never
seen key on either side of 1t. To find
that some one had locked me in while
/ slept frightened me badly for few
minutes. had been given maids
room. and there was door leading
into another bedroom This second
bedroom was an inside room. and a
door led into a third which cornered
on the hall. The hail door Of this last
room was not locked.
/ hitched myself down the stairs an
inch at a time, and then on hands and
knees began creeping across the par
| lor. ! had been In this room a dozen
times and knew the location of the
various pieces of furniture. | had an
idea that the Waterman used this room
as his headquarters. as a leather COW
cred lounge had been wheeled into 1t
from the library. As crept across
the room | heard a snore from the d.
rection of this lounge. and. deviating
from my course. made for It to find
the Waterman stretched out at full
length and fast asleep.
| decided to get out of the house and
arouse the gardener and get the police
from the station. two miles away.
crept back to the hall. across into the
drawing room, and at the far end OF
the big room | raised the window and
stepped to the ground. Once out |
made my way to the stables. but there
surprise awaited me. Il found "A
horse hitched 10 Il chr and the gar
dener and head groom standing be-
side the vehicle. The plumber was to
menseryants were In league with the
robbers. 1t came to me like fash
and In time to save myself and drew
back and wondered what should do.
| WIS AL for preventing the robbery,
ard pretty soon | skulked back to the
open window.
When | had re-entered the house and
crept back to the door leading into the
dining room the fellows were work
ing at the plate room door with iron
bars. Five minutes later they hnd 1t
open. and then the groom passed out
piece after piece. while the robbers
deposited them In their sacks.
had been watching everything III a
helpless way, having no plan and no
hope. and it was only when the men
shouldeyed the sacks to carry them out
that | made a move. l determined to
try the effect Of scare, and as the
last Of them stepped outdoors | fred
my pistol into the sack on his back
and shouted at the top OF my voice.
All three men started to ruin. The
groom threw down his sack. but the
robbers chung to theirs. They all knew
about the ditch. but in the darkness
and confusion they made right for II
and tumbled In, one after the other.
Az they went In fired two shots In
the direction Of the sta bles. Both cut
the two men there so close that they
took to their heels. and thus with
three shots and four yells had scared
Off the whole gang. had even done
better. In falling into the ditch the
three fellows were badly knocked
about, and when 1t came to climbing
out they couldn't do 1t, especially as |
was there with my pistol In hand and
threatened to shoot the first man who
showed his head.
The row awakened the women. and
when they came to know what had
happened they took the horse and cart
1 and want for fhe paljea whilp | rom