The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-08-09
A Burglars Visit

A Burglars Visit
"Prue!"
Prudence sat up in bed with a
bounce.
What in the world?" she be-
gan, gazing out into the room,
half-lighted by the moonshine,
and seeing Carol and Lark SILVER
ing beside her bed.
Ssh! Sh! Hush!" whispered
Lark. There's a burglar in our
room"
BY this time even sound-sleep-
IL Fginar -. r.-.make N
ing Fairy was awake. oh, there
isl" she scoffed.
Eyes, there is" declared Carol,
with some heat. We heard him,
plain as day. He stepped into the
closet, didn't he, Lark"
"He certainly did," agreed
Lark.
| Ibid you see him?" mr..
mo; we heard him. He was at
our dresser, but he shot across
the room into the closet. He's
there now" -,
| "And you two great big girls
came off and left poor little Con-
ME in there alone with a burglar,
did you? Well, YOU are nice
ones, I must say" so.-t.,
And Prudence leaped out Of
bed and started for the door, fol-
lowed by Fairy, with the twins
creeping fearfully along in the
rear. ~ 4
she was asleep" , muttered
Carol. se.4a5.
1--WE didn't want to scare her."
added Lark.
Prudence was careful to turn
the switch by the door, so that
the room was in full light before
she entered. The closet door
was wide open. Connie was
soundly sleeping. There was no
one else in the room.
"You see?" said Prudence.
sternly.
"I'll bet he took our ruby
rings" declared Lark, and the
twins and Fairy ran to the dress
er to look.
But sickening realization had
come home to Prudence. In the
lower hall, under the staircase,
was a small, dark closet which
they called the dungeon. The
door was solid, and equipped with
a heavy catch lock. Here Prud-
ence kept the family silverware,
and all the money she had on
hand, as it could be there safely
locked away. But more often than
not Prudence forgot to lock 1t.
| Mr.. Starr had gone to Burling-
ton that morning to attend spe-
cial services for three days, and
Prudence had fifty whole dollars
in the house, an unwonted sum in
that parsonage! And the dungeon
was not locked.
without a word she ran down
the stairs, making never sound
in her bare feet, and saw that the
dungeon door was open. Quickly
she flung 1t shut, pushed the tiny
key that moved the catch, and
was rushing up the stairs again
with never a pause for breath.
A strange sight met her eyes
in the twins room. The twins
themselves were in each others
arms sobbing bitterly. Fairy was
istill looking hurriedly through
the bureau drawers.
They are gone" walled Carol,
"our beautiful ruby rings that
belonged to grandmother"
Nonsense" cried Prue, with
nervous anger, you've left them
in the bathroom, or on the kitchen
shelves. Well search the house
just to convince you"
/ mo, no." shrieked the twins.
"Let's lock the door and get I'M
der the bed"
The rings were really valuable.
Their mothers mother had divid-
ed her real jewelry" between her
two daughters. And the mother
of these parsonage girls had fur
Their divided her portion for her
own girls!
| Prudence had a chain of pearls.
Fairy's share consisted of hand
some diamond brooch. The twin
rubies OF another brooch had been
reset In rings for Carol and Lark.
And In the dungeon was brace
let waiting until Comics arm
should be developed sufficiently
to do 1t Justice. de
Maybe we'd better phone for
mfr. Allan" suggested Fairy.
THE girls are so nervous they
will be hysterical by the time we
finish searching the house"
WELL" said Prudence. get
your slippers and kimonos, and
we'll go into daddy's room"
But inside the door of daddy's
room. with the younger girls
cIinging TO her, and Fairy looking
odd and disturbed, Prudence stop
ped abruptly.
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