Year: 1878

'baSe;been sent to tell you so. 1
YOU hayeahything Of value there
you had better go atonee and have
them removed toa safe place. Twill
ride on and say you are coming"


AS soon as he had said this he gal
lqped of before. We had time to thank
him for coming to tellus


"What a provoking thing thai
this FIRE should occur now, William,
l said, "just as you arrive at home
tired after being out all day, and Jer
ry gone away, tool WholBill saddle
the horse for your


81 can manage all that myself
Bella; but / confess ! don't like leay
ing you with only the two servants
when there is SO much money in the
house. 1 brought nearly two thous.
and pounds back with me. AS ]
pass the lodge l will send Jerry.
son Ned to stay here until return
he is a courageous fellow, and l can
trust him entirely. Keep,upa a good
heart, little Bella, and don't look SC
miserable"


After William left, waited for
some time expecting Ned, but, as
there was no sign of him, | got tired
at last and went up to bed, as | sup
posed he had gone to the wake
with his father. l brought Rory
with me for company, knowing what
a capital watch he was. | did not
undress, but lay on the bed; 1 was toe
anxious to be able to sleep and was
frightened at the least noise. linear.
ly screamed once when acinder fell
out of the fire, and every moment
fancicd l heard footsteps / got up
and walked about the room, and stir
red the fire to make a blaze, as the
candle had burned down.


Presently Rory gave a low growl
and raised his head as if to listen
Then he growled again. That fright,
ened me very much, for l know that
he must have heard one, so L listen
ed intentlv.


Yes, 1 did hear footsteps-it was
no fancy this timel Quite distinctly
| heard them on the gravel outside.
In the greatest terror | went and
called the servants. ] lsIa them to
dress as fast as they could We then
went to the bedroom next 10 mine
the shutters Of which we're not fast
ened. l peeped out and as well a;
the darkness would permit, / saw six
or eight men trying the windows Of
the lower rooms and also the hall
door.


"Lot us pray to Heaven to help
u.s." said. "They are come for the
money; they must know it is here
1t will take them some time however
to break in, for they can not easily
cut through the iron shutters.


Just then there was crash oI
glass. Rory tried to rush down stairs
but l held him back, not wishing the
robbers to know that we heard them


GLOW stupid of me not to think oI
Rory before, Ellen" I said.


As quickly as 1 could, I got piece
of paper and a pencil, and wrote tc
William, telling him that the rob
bers were trying to break into the
house, and asking him to come back
without any delay, and bring a sufii'
cient guard of police to take them
l tied this around Rory's neck, and
having ascertained that there was nc
one as yet at the back Of the house,
opened the door leading into the gard
en- and sent the faithful dog to find
its master, praying fervently that
he might be successful. The wall al
the end of the shrubbery was low
enough in one place for him to JUMP
over it, and was his usual way of go
ing and coming. But what if any
one were in the garden on his rturni
l could only hope for the best.


l returned to the room where the
two servants were. We had nolight
so we could not be seen from the out
side. l softly raised the window Q
few inches so that we could heal
what the men were saying. They
seemed to be dreadfully disappointed
at not having effected and entrance


"If we don't be quick about it now
Bill, the master will have found out
by this time that the story of the