Year: 1874

"Come," said the voice in her own
room, "Im a good tempered chap
enough, but my mates in hurry: don t
provoke him. Look alive, and tell us
where to find the swag-money


She groaned and shook, and all her
limbs turned cold as the voice drew
nearer and nearer; and at the last words
a heavy hand was laid upon the bed.
Then, further to torment her, came the
thought that once this money were gone
there would be none to meet the people
with-the people who had saved it week
by week, day by day, all the past year |!
Heavy drops ran down her shaking
form her hands turned numb and her
lips clammy and cold, while the beating
of her heart was like the quick tolling
of bell-louder, louder-till it deaf
ened her.


"Ill find way to make her speak, I"
growled the second voice "here's an
other kid in this room" Then in one
instant thin streak of light shot across
the landing, and the next


Mother, mother, MOTHER |" shrieked
Rosie's voice and at that sound Ruth
redoubled her cries, and the unhappy
mother sprang up, clasping one child,
mad to protect the other.


"Silence, you fool p said the man
by her, speaking harshly for the first
time. "You'll drive that fellow yonder
to do the child a mischief, if you won't
do as 1 tell you. Keep down, won't
you?" For she was struggling wildly
to pass him, to get across the room to
Rose-Rosie, whose cries were sounding
strangely stifed. "Look here, if you
don't give up this game, by the Lord,
he'll knock you on the head, if don't"
And clasping one wrist like vice, the
man held her fast, while with the other
hand he turned on the light from a
small lantern slung at his side. She
lifted her eyes slowly, as fearing whom
she might see; but there was little
enough visible of the burglars face-a
wide hat, thick reddish beard, and a
loose, rough gray coat, were all she saw.


"Hush, hush," she murmured to
Ruth. Mother will send them away
don't look at him." And she turned
the baby's face towards herself then
raising her trembling voice, "Rosie,
my darling, your mother is coming |"
But Rosie did not answer her. go my
God /" she painted, and looked up wild
ly.


"Mate, said her captor, loud enough
for the other man to hear, stake your
hand off that child's mouth if you aren't
in hurry to be strung up." The
strange muffled sounds upon this broke
out again into the old cry, " "Oh, mother,
mother !"


"Now," said the man, zone good turn
deserves another. You're plucky enough
for woman, but can't waste all the
night talking to you;" and then he gave
her look that made her shiver from
head to foot anew. "Bundle those two
brats of yours into one bed, and come
and get us what we want"


She seemed powerless now, and her
very soul tainted within her as she
crept after the tall dark figure over the
landing into Rosies room.


ooh, my child p cried the poor wo-
man, and essayed to run to the little
bed where lay the small figure, pinion-
ed down by the heavy grasp of taller,
darker man than her own captor.


Glands of, missus," growled the
jailer.


Glands off now Just put that other
one in here along of this one, and I'll
take and turn the key on 'em both,
while you take us yonder to what we're
lookin' after"


No choice again but to obey; twopas-
sionate kisses and low "God keep
you;" and between the two men she was
marched from the room, followed by
the children's pitiful cries, their wild
frightened sobs.


She led them down the first short
flight of stairs to the door which, as we
have already said, was partly overhung
with curtain. This door opened into
a loom which had been used by Mr..
Fergusson's predecessor as an oratory.
The rectory had been built in the time
of the late rector, and built consequent
ly very much to suit his taste and
fancies.


One moro popularity of the room to
note: the doors-for there were two
fastened with spring on being pushed
to, and could only be re-opened by
hand accustomed to the task, and they
also were furnished with heavy bolts on
the outside; one door opened on the
landing; the other, a smaller one, in
one side of the recess at the further
end, led into bedroom which had been
Mr.. Fergusson's predecessors, and
whence he could get in and out of his
favorite oratory at any hour of the day
or night, as it pleased him.


Here, as the kitchen clock below
struck the hour three, stood the strange
trio-the mufled disguised men, the
trembling white-faced woman.


But one of them carried light, the
other had left his lantern outside.


"Now," said the darker of the men,
here's the room, you say we can fin
sh this business pretty quick"


The small safe, let into the wall, was
directly before them below it four
drawers reached down to the floor in
the lowest of these, at the back of it,
Mr.. Ferguson had laid the key.


She pointed silently to the drawer,
which they at once dragged out, with
too much strength, for they ierked it
quite out on the floor. One of them
suddenly turned particular about max
ing noise, and bade their unwilling
helper "shut that door," AS she felt
the spring catch securely beneath her
hand, there suddenly flashed upon her
thought hope-a way of escape for
herself, way of saving yet that fatal
money.


From the look the men had cast
around the room, Mrs. Ferguson was
sure they knew nothing of their where
abouts.


"Shut the door," the man had said,