Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-04-03
,linds Ia their lowest limits.

blinds 10 their lowest limits. The
twins and Connie trailed them fear
fully az every step.
Every breath of wind against the
windows drew startled cries from the
younger girls, and both Fairy and Pru-
dence were white with anxiety when
they heard the loud voices of the Al
Ians outside the kitchen door. Pru-
dence began crying nervously the mo-
ment the two angels of mercy APP
peared before her. and Fairy told their
tale of woe.
%Well, there now" Mr.. Allan said
with rough sympathy, you just got
scared, that's all. Everything's sus-
picious when folks get scared. / told
my wife the other day bet you girls
would get good fright sometime, left
here alone. Come on, Jim, and Well
go over the house in a jiffy."
He was standing near the dining
room door. He lifted his head sud-
denly, and seemed to sniff a little.
There was undoubtedly a faint odor
of tobacco in the house.
"Been any men in here tonight?" he
asked. "Or this afternoon? Think,
nowl
mo one" answered Prudence. 81
was alone all afternoon, and there has
been no one in this evening"
He passed slowly through the din
| ing room into the hall, closely followed
by his son and the five girls, already
much treasured. AS he passed the
dungeon door he paused for moment.
listening intently, his head bent.
"Oh, Mr.. Allan" cried Prudence,
'Iets look in the dungeon first. l want
TO see if the money is safe." Her hand
was already on the lock. but he showed
her away quickly.
as there any way out of that closet
besides this doOr?" he asked.
mo. We call it the dungeon .
laughed Prudence, her self-possession
| quite recovered. sit is right under
the stairs, and not even a mouse could
gnaw it's way out. with this door shut -
"Who shut the door?" he inquired
still holding Prudences hand from the
lock. Then, without waiting for an
answer, he went on, Lets go back in
the other room a minute. Come on, all
of you" In the living room he hur.
ried to the telephone, and spoke to the
| operator in a low voice. "Call the pc.
| lice headquarters, and have them send
| two or three men to the Methodist par
sOnage, right away. We've got bur.
glar locked in closet, and they'll have
to get him out. Please hurry"
At this, the girls crowded around
him again in renewed fear.
Don't be scared" he said calmly
we're all right. He's in there safe
enough and can't get out for a while
Now, tell me about it. How did you
get him in the closet? Begin at the
beginning, and tell me all about it.
Carol began the story with keen rel
ish. Il woke up, and thought heard
someone in the room. 1 supposed ii
was Prudence. I said, Prudence aud
nobody answered, and everything was
quiet. But 1 felt there was someone
in there. l nudged Lark, and she woke
up. He moved then, and we both heard
him. He was fumbling at the dresser
and our ruby rings are gone. We
heard him step across the room and
into a closet. He closed the door after
him, didn't he Lark?"
"Yes, he did," agreed Lark. Ills
hand was on the knob"
$50 we sneaked out of bed, and
went into Prudence's room and woke
her and Fairy" She looked at Connie
and blushed. Connie was asleep, and
we didn't waken her because we didn't
want to brighten her. We woke the
girls-and you tell the rest, Prudence
1--WE didn't believe her, of course
We went back into their room and
there was no one there. But the rings
were gone. While they were looking
at the dresser, l remembered that !
forgot to lock the dungeon door, where
we keep the mohey and the silver
ware, and I ran downstairs and
| lIl6 uOOL anu lOIhcu H. anu
went back up. ] didn't hear a sound
downstairs"
Mr.. Allan laughed heartily. "Well
your burglar was in that closet after
the money, no doubt, and he didn't
hear you coming. and got locked in."
In q few minutes they heard foot.
steps around the house and knew the
officers had arrived. Mr.. Allan lei
them into the house, four of them, and
led them out to the hall. There could
be no doubt whatever that the burglar
was in the dungeon. He had been
busy with his knife. and the lock was
nearly removed. If the officers had
been two minutes later. the dungeon
would have been empty. The girls were
sent upstairs at once, with the Allan
boy as guard-as guard, without re-
gard for the fact that he was probably
more frightened than any one of them
The chief officer raped briskly or
the dungeon door. Then he clicked his
revolver.
There are enough of US TO over
power three of you" he said CURLY