Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-01-10

dear TO give them to mer' she added.
Ana Robbie. again quite wide awake,
saw bis mother hold up to the light Z
string Of very pretty beads--very, vsfy
pretty beads, Robbie thought, for they
sparkled In the light very much - he
had seen some dewdrops sparkling In
the sunshine away back last summer
sparkled with such beautiful little
flashes Of blue and violet and orange
and crimson that you almost wanted to
shut your eyes to keep out the dazzle.
The string of beads mast have been
something very nice. Robbie was sure,
for his mammals ordinations of pleas-
ure when they were handed to her
from the tree had attracted his notice
for q moment in spite Of the lively
stunt Sambo was at the time perform
ing. He had seen the beads sparkling
then and had thought he would ike to
have some just like them They would
look pretty tied around the speckled
chargers neck. His mamma had put
them round her neck, and they had
looked very fine there, and they would
look flne round the speckled chargers
neck even II his neck wasn't as round
and white and pretty as mammals. So
for q moment Robbie was Just a bit
envious. Then he had looked back at
Sambo, manfully scraping at the fiddle
and dancing to his silent tune. and his
envy slipped away. Sambo was worth
hundred strings of beads, and papa
had given Sambo to him instead Of to
mamma. SO mamma ought to have the
beads. and be was glad she'd got them,
but little sorry for her that she
hadn't got Sambo instead. Sambos
must cost great deal Of money.
though, and papa, rich as he was,
couldn't be expected to buy two Sam
hos for the same Christmas. So 1t had
been only passing shadow for Rob-
bic. SO light and fleeting that 1t had
scarcely dimmed the brilliancy of the
Christmas tree at all.
But now Robbie was more certain
than ever that the beads must be
So ething very choice. else his man.
ma would not he SO particular about
hiding them away from robbers.
Il know where I'll put them" he
heard her say as the box lid snapped
down ana shut in the beautiful beads
lin the fireplace. right down In this
corner. There. And this spray Of hol-
~ thrown over it quite hides the box.
No burglar would think Of looking
thee for 1t. And tomorrow. Robert,
ycn must put them in tile safe deposit
vault. It's too valuable necklace to
Keep here In the house
lust look al Robbie! He's taken his
sword and gun to bed with him ~ she
added. comm. nearer the cot. "Why,
yoiI're awake. dearie, aren't your" she
smiled. Then she bent over and kissed
h,ia Il second good night-such beau
tifn'. beautiful mamma she was when
SIC got down close to kiss him land
after they had smiled into each others
eyes and she had laid her soft cheek
against his for one delicious moment
she ard papa went out, and it was
dark again. But the dark was very
nice and nothing whatever to be afraid
OF. Afraid! Why. there was his faith
full gun right where he could lay his
hand on it! 1t was OH 1t this very
minute! And just beyond was his
trusty sword! And right there by the
bedpost waited the speckled charger
ready to flee with him II necessary.
And over there on the Elantel, stand
in: guard, was Sa'nbo, as true a SEN
t.ncl cs ever scrapc1 n noiseless fiddle !!
50 there was no.hing ut all to be
afraid of. even IL it was dark. And
there were such sweet thoughts in his
mind now that there would have been
no room for fear even If there had been
anything to be afraid of-thoughts
wherein the speckled charger, the
faithful gun and trusty sword and
even the genial Sambo himself re-
treated into the background, while in
the foreground. very near, was the
vision Of lovely face with the ten
derest and most beautiful eyes looking
into his. So had he dropped to dreams
again. forgetting the dear toys in the
dearer love for his mamma.
He awakened second time to be-
hold very different vision. At first
he almost believed 1t was one Of those
horrible Nightmares Of which he had
had not more than one or two during
his short life. But even while almost
believing it was one he knew quite well
that 1t wasn't. He knew 1t was man
"a real, live, dreadful understanding
there within foot Of the bed and flash
ing queer little beam Of light around
the room. The light behind the lantern
was so dim that Robbie could scarcely
make out the face of a man at all, but
that only added to his conviction that
the face was truly horrible, and he
knew very well what the man was and
what he was there for.
Robbie hadn't lived all his little life
In city house without knowing what
4 burglar was. True, he had never seen
one before but Charlie Stuart had told
him only last week about one Charles