The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-11
g6af AFTERNOON. she sat In her room

shSt afternoon: she sat In her room
sewing, instead.
The Innings Of q neat waist were
ripped, q thin layer of cotton batting
was laid against the dress MATERIAL
and to this were neatly secured. with
q few invisible stitches. many tiny
packages covered with oiled SILK.
Then another layer of cotton batting
covered these and the lining was
again adjusted.
When she had finished her sewing
Tin which she exhibited the same
neatness and dispatch that she dis-
played in her household duties), she
passed ner hand caressingly over her
bodice and smoothed out and arranged
another one in her bureau drawer
She then took out . clean cap. collar,
and cuffs, to brighten her black gown.
That night, before she went to bed
Jenny carefully examined q leather
case which was none the worse Tor
naving been buried.
She pressed the spring and looked
earnestly at the shining yellow stones
in their old-fashioned settings.
Lucky I heard about that star
shaped defect" she said to herself.
Guess I'll send them back-it would
be q joke" She looked carefully at
the stones. but could not see. with
her naked eyes. the telltale marks.
Then she yawned, locked the door.
opened the window, and crept into
bed, leaving the leather case upon
her bureau. She was awakened from
q light sleep by the sound Of creak-
ing board and a gently raised window.
She knew that there was some one
In the room. She held her breath for
a while and heard in the stiffness
the sound of some one breathing.
A button near the head Of the bed
controlled the electric light, and her
hand slid gently and cautiously toward
it. AS it moved she heard the clock
on the old Westinghouse chime two.
There was nothing cowardly about
Jenny. She snapped the button and
sat up straight in bed.
AS the burglar swung around-a
tall fellow, with his mouth and chin
covered by a black muffler, and soft
hat pulled low over his forehead-she
again slid her hand under the pillow.
In an instant a revolver confronted
him. Jenny looked toward the bureau;
the jewel case had vanished.
Stay where you are" she sand in
low, cautious voice. keeping him COW
cred with her pistol as she slipped
out OF bed and made a few steps
toward the door.
Il beg your pardon, madam" the
burglar whispered. Il assure you that
l an. not what l seem. You'll regret
/. IL you alarm the household. Surely
you cannot have lived here long and
failed to hear that limitations are
sometimes very-er-peculiar? +"
oh" said Jenny. She favored him
with q long stare and weighed his
words carefully. What initiation is
taking place tonight?"
Lady" said the burglar pleading.
ly-and the dissyllable and the whine
with which 1t was uttered destroyed
Jenny's shortlived tendency toward
credulity-"lady, I'm sworn not to tell
and not to let any one know that am
not q regular thief. My stunt is to rob
some one of something, to get away
with the goods, and to show them to
the initiators as proof"
His eyes. quick and furtive under
his soft hat, measured the distance
to the window. Jenny smiled and
shook her head But the hand that
held the weapon did not shake.
Don't move. or I'll shoot" she said
calmly Il mean 1t. I'm not blufiing.
You can explain all about the initia-
ton to Professor wilson
And. with eyes and pistol still point.
ed unfaltering at him, she backed to
ward the door, opened 1t with her free
hand, and filled the hall with a loud
call for help.
The burglar sprang toward the win
dow A bullet stung his arm.
The next one will not be in your
sleeve" said Jenny tartly Then, as
the room filled with people and the
professor of political economy grappled
with the intruder, she added modest.
ly:
We'll, hope that this ends the
Athenetown burglaries. Though this
man declares that this is only an in
itiation trick"
1t was quite clear to the community
that the intrepid little waitress cap
tive was indeed the skillful burglar
who had kept them all on the anxious
seat for two months. For they found,
concealed upon his person. the very
set of topazes which had been stolen
from Mrs. Webster the night before.
The burglars stream of profane abuse
OF women, his wild denunciation of
his captor, his crazy asseveration that
he had found the jewels in the treas.
ure's room, only injured his cause and
made his hasty conviction more Ger.
tain.
Its wonder you don't say that
you found them in Professor Wilson's
safe, you impudent creature" said
Jenny with great warmth.
When, month of two later, Jenny
left Mrs. Wilson's employ and went
home to Canada to recover from the
effects of the shock, band of CRATE
full souls Of College Hill presented her
with silver toilet set in recognition
Of her plucky capture of the thief