Year: 1878

at that moment starting up in their
minds toward the unknown cause of it.


His first rational idea was, to bolt for
his room, and gain 1t before any one was
fairly reused. But the shock had so
scattered his wits that he could not at
once recollect his bearings, and he real
lied, with indescribable sensations, that
he was lost He consumed precious mo-
ments humping himself all about the
room before he found the right door.


AS he reached the foot of the stair
case, voices were audible above, and
lights were cleaning down. His retreat
was cut off, he could not get back to his
room without being discovered. He
now distinguished the voice of Mrs.
McLane in an agitated tone entreating
somebody to be careful and not to get
shot, and the gruff voices of the broth
ers responding, and then their steps rap
idly descending the stairs. Should he
go up and take the risk of u volley
while announcing himself? 1t would
be pretty tableau. Presenting himself
in such guise and under such circum-
stances, what sort of reception could
he expect from John, who treated him
with undisguised contempt in the draw
ing-room and whose study it was to
place him at disadvantage He might
have hesitated longer, but at this mo-
ment the voice of Angie, crying down
to her brothers to be careful, decided
him. He could not face her under such
terribly false circumstances, and with
out his wig.


All this took place far quicker than l
can write it. The glimmer of the de-
scending lamp already shone dimly in
the hall, and Bob frantically looked
about him for hiding place. But all
the furniture stood up too high from the
floor, and the corners were distressingly
bare. He sprang into the dining-room,
but in the dark he could not see how the
land lay, and hurried on into the library.


The dying fire still shed dim light
around, and he eagerly canvassed the
various possibilities of concealment
which the room offered. Youthful ex-
perience in the game of hide-and-seek
now stood him in good stead, and show
ed him at glance the inutility as ref
uges of half dozen places that would
have deluded one less practiced by the
spacious but too easily guessed shelter
they afforded.


Vainly seeking refuge, he ran around
the apartment like rat in trap. He
heard the brothers in the dining-room
| picking up the silver and wondering to
find it all there, when, obeying sudden
inspiration, he clambered upon lofty
bookcase that ran across one end of the
room, arching about the dinng-room
door, and reaching within few feet of
the ceiling. In cold blood he never
could have scaled it. Lying at full
length upon the top of the bookcase
with his back to the wall, the bulge of
him was still visible from the further
part of the room, in case it should occur
to his pursuers to look SO high.


The latter now entered the library !:
and, peering over the edge of the book
case, Bob recognized with singular SEN
sations the two gentlemen with whom
he had been quietly conversing little
earlier in the evening. Then they were
arrayed in faultless evening dress, and
their manner, although supercilious
enough, was calm and polished. Now
he saw them half dressed, with dishev-
elled hair-John carrying students
lamp in his left hand, and in his right
an ugly looking swOrd.cane with its
blade painfully naked, while George
held revolver at full cock.


Talking in low tone, as they called
one another's attention to various spots
where possibly the burglar might be
concealed, they went slowly from corner
to corner; probing every recess with the
sword, and in an attitude of strained
attention to every sound. Their faces
grotesquely lit by the mingled fire and
lamp light, showed fierce hunters look
that made Bob fairly sick.


He did not dare to look at them lonl
lest the magnetism of his gaze shoult
attract their involuntary attention. Nay
he even made frantic effort not t.
think of them, from the fear that som,
physical current might have the sam,
effect-for he believed strongly, though
vaguely, in the mysteries of anima
magnetism, and had notion that per
son sensitive to such influences NIGH