Year: 1874

1 freSn- airr ana QnWiItiQgly lett tue
door ajar. threw myself upon it,
and it slammed against the ready
foot of Mr.. Morris, whose burly form
was Swallowed against the ground
glass panes.


Rap-a-tap-tsp went his stick
against the door.


Don't trouble yourself to knock
again. I whispered through the key
hole, "kor you shan't come in" Then
warning the doctor of what had hap
pened, ran rapidly through the
house to examine the fasteIiugs. The
siege was commenced.


From the first moment, that COW
cred porch was q danger and trouble
to the defense. Within it our assail-
ants could lurk unobserved, and it
gave them a shelter from the weather
that ! was by no means inclined to
afford them. At the very outset, all
my pains were nearly frustrated.
heard ringing sound upon the pave
ment ofthe hall, and running hastily
thitherr found that the key had just
fallen f1om tho lock, and another key
was being Introduced from outside.
Ny land ord had evidently kept dup
lieate keys of the doors, and the bai-
Tiff had made use OF one of these
little instruments known to the house
breakers, by which the end of q key
within is lock can be seiz-d and turn
ed around from the other side. / was
Just in dine to place my foot against
the door, while succeeded in putting
the bar across My heart beat violent
Iy with excitement, and ! was tor
Iured by the thought that some fOt-
gotten precaution might ruin every
thing. But after this first attempt
nothing more was done quiet aud
silence reigned everywhere through
the house.


let the doctor out through the
drawing-room window, which im-
mediately secured. He had under
taken to see Mr.. rranter, aid try to
induce hum to withdraw his men.
He presently returned, and spoke to
me at tue window of my bedroom.


"No use,n be said softly; "he'Il
have his pound Of hesh."


The day passed heavily enough. At
every sound quivered sod trembled,
thinking that the men had broken in.
paced softly up and down the
house, watching at every opening.
After some hours, Mr.. Morris went
away, leaving his man on guard-a
fellow with q dirty-white comforter
twisted around his neck, and batter
ed greasy hat. He forthwith began to
pace about the grounds, and as he
passed he turne,. his bloodsbOt, ferrety
eyes to the upper window where l
sat, and laughed ct me defiantly.


Thankfully I saw the sun disappear
behind the hills and darkness creep
over the landscape. Everything had
gone well in the sick-room in anOth-
er hour it would be safe to open the
doors, and wander freely about. 1t
was one of those moments suitable
for surprises, when vigilance is lulled
by feeling of coming safety. sud-
denly / heard q sound upon the roof,
as Of some heavy body Dumping up
on the states. Could they be effecting
and entry through the roof Then l
bethought me of the 'skyiight In the
closet bedroom, which l had over
looked. ran to the place, and sure
enough the skylight was open, and
the ill-omened face of Morris peering
in. Luckily the room was quite dark
and the man hesitated to lower him.
self down into the seeming abyss.
He turned to cali his luan, and seiz-
ed the opportunity to spring at the
fastening of the skyllght, and pull 1t
down, hanging upon It with all my
weight. After several ineffective at
tempts to raise it, the men desisted,
supposing it securely fastened. This
was their last enterprise for the night.
Soon after, the men drew OF, and L
was free To open the doors.


All was still going on well with
mother and child +; but the former
had been a great deal disturbed by q
noise on the roof her face was quite
fevered and flushed as she eagerly
asked what the noise meant.


ga man come to look after the roof;
1 sent him away, of course"


Presently the doctor came. He
was not altogether satisfied with his
patient.


'Frhere is feverishness," he said to
me after he had left the room, (which
L s%.'t like She must be kept quiet,
at all hszards.n


But THAI was easier said than done,
for now that the immediate peril was
over, she began to worry and fret
about me. Was / made comfortable,
and did the servants look after me
Had 1 had a proper dinner? She
should like to see the cook, to give her
some directions.


"The doctor expressly forbids any
! one to see you"


tT don't care what he says"


"Fhen forbid you," 1 said, max
ing q prudent retreat to avoid further
rejoinder.


had long walk in the darkness
| thinking over what / should do. L
had written to several friends, on the
spur of the moment the night before,
asking for temporary loan to meet
this call; but had little hope of any
favorable reply, and l almost regret
ted hsving subjected myself to the
humiliation of refusal. My father
was in India, and had troubles
enough OF his own, for mis- fortunes,
too, were em barked in this bank. Or
course, I couldn't hold out very long;
the men would find way in at last,
and all my goods would be seized.
Fairly sold, there was enough to sat-
isfy all my Liabilities here, and give a
handsome surplus; but in the hands
Of these harpies, everything would go
for an old song. Still, if I could keep
them out for q week, till Jane got
strength enough to rally from the
shock, that was all could expect or
hope for.


reached home weak and hungry,
for 1 had not had enterprise enough
to cook anything for myself, ana bad
eaten nothing but bread all the day.
To my surprise was greeted by q
fragrant smell of cooking from the
kitchen, and entering, found David
standing over q capital fire, mis- face
glowing in the blaze. "Caught some
trout for your supper, captain" quoth
David. Delicious they were, those
crisp, brown trout, to hungry, weary
man. David waited upon me with
gratified pride, and urged me on to
eat still more and more, hot from the
pan. He had come to the conclusion,
he told me after supper, to which he
had been prompted by his wife, that
he must come and look after me, and
assist in the defense Of the house, and
would employ his leisure moments in
| looking after my fishing tackle, and
trying some particularly killing flies
| for our next fishing expedition.
was very glad of David's company,
| for had felt the strain OF loneliness
and isolation very much that day.


After supper David produced truss
OF straw, and spread it over the oven
and about the kitchen fire to dry.


"What's that for, David ?' | asked.


avery likely I sleep in it," he re
piled, winking knowingly.


There were plenty OF beds up stairs,
I told him but he went on In his Op-
eratIons with the straw.


We had q quiet night, but the pa
tient got very little sleep at first, be-
ing nervous and frightened when l
was out of her sight, so that took
my rest in an armchair by her bed
side, and after that she had some re-
freshing slumber. Daybreak brought
our besiegers back again; but this
time there were three Of them, and
they carried among them something
that took to be ladder.


Iwoke David and set him on the
alert, and went over the house once
more to see that all was safe. David
took up bis position upon q table in
the little closet chamber, with his
head out of the skylight reeOnuoiteI-
ing the neighbirnOOd. Suddenly l
heard him close the skylight and hur-