Year: 1861

About Two weeks since, the wife of
Sacramento Street merchant, whose residence
is in Stockton Street, was suddenly awoke,
late one night, by footsteps in her bedroom,
and the next moment the light of dark
lantern flooded her face, SO near that she
could almost fell the beat and hear the sup
pressed breathing of the intruder. She was
entirely alone. Her husband lad gone 10
Sacramento two days before, and the only
person in the house besides herself was
servant girl, who slept in the story beneath
She eomprehended all. The house had
been entered by burglars, who knew Of the
absence of her husband and the person
who held the lantern was probably armed
and prepared TO silence the first attempt at
alarm with the stroak of knife or .bily.'
Her presence of mind did not forske her
1t doubtless requires resignation and fortitude
in woman to witness or listen TO, without
scream or expostula;ion, the ransacking Of
her repositories of laces, and the appropria-
ton of her jewelry and other yaluables /;
but the lady very nationally deemed her
life of more consideration than all the laces
and diamonds in the world, and without
thinking of what the raseals would help
themselves to, what leave as worthless, she
closed her eyes and awaited the result.


The light was withdrawn from her face,
and she heard the opening Of drawers, the
rustling of silks, the picking of locks, and
occasionally a low whisper of surprise and
disappointment. Then there was silence
| for a full minute-it seemed an hour to her
and soft footstep approached the bed
and the glare of the lantern again fell upon
her face. Through the closed lids of her
eyes she saw the light, but remained calm
and motionless in its scrutinizing rays, fear
full that the least movement might imperil
her life. What moment of suspense l.
The light was removed from her face, and
she felt that some one was leaning against
/ the bed. Still she remained moiionless-
now more through feeling of terror than
the council of policy. Nor did she stir
when the warm breath of burglar touched
her cheek Not until his lips pressed her
forehead did she spring up and half shrek
"Who is in this room"


Hush" responded voice in hoarse
whisper, while rough hand was laid or
her shoulder. "Speai nothing, and fear
nothing" fhe next moment she heard the
sound of retreating footsteps and the creak.
ing of a shutter, and then all was still again
Satisfied that she was alone, she sprang from
the bed, and touching lighted match tc
the burner, sank into a chair completely
proslrated with the danger through whicl
she had passed. Recovering she closed and
fastened the window through which The
burglar had entered and then looked around
to ascertain of what she had been plundered


The drawers were ransacked and almos
everything with lock had been opened
but, strange TO say, little or nathing wa;
missing. A easket of jewelry was open OF
the bureau, but the diamonds aud the golC
were all there, and her watch hung wher,
she had placed il on retiring. Beside tht
casket, she discovered little roll of paper
She picked it up.and found that it envelop
ed hard substance, that the hard substanc,
was a rnig and that ring had been given iC
her many years before, and bad been il
her possession ever since. Half bewildereC
at the singular proceeding she was about
casting the scrap Of paper from her, wher
her eye caught the marks Of a pencil upor
it. She carefully opened it and read -


This ring which was once mine, tell.
me in whose house am. did not known
you were in California. You know an
an cuilaw-the world knows it, AMI do no
care to deny ii-but fallen as I am, can
not rob you Maria Forgive me. God bles.
you. HENRY