Year: 1876

rain had been falling, sometimes IN
heavy showers; the roses and pinks in
the garden had sickly look, for the
petals hung low, and were heavy with
water and with mud that had sPlashed
upon them. The clouds were still dark
and threatening bespeaking a stormy
night. The little town Of Ashton, IN
Virginia, was nnusalIy quiet. The streets
we're too muddy and the weather too IN
element to entice people from their
homes. Only now and then solitary
traveller was to be seen.


IL a vine wreathed cottage on flower
sprinkled lawn the supper had been
waiting an hour for the master of the
house, whose business had nece@"iiated
his being absent from home all day.
Mr.. Jacobs was the Tax Collector of the
district, and consequently did not wai'
the return oe pleasant weatEeg before,
pursuing his journey. Therefore, be
had equipped himself in his India rub
Der overgarment in the morning, and
had gone about his business, leaving his
wife, the promise of an early return in
the evening; bnt supper time had come
and gone without his making his ap-
pearance. Mrs. Jacobs, however, was
not anxious as yet. Such delays were
too frequent to cause this one to give
her any uneasiness of mind.


She fitted about the house, busy with
evening duties, singing gay song as she
went with world OF courage written in
her dark, sparkling eyes.


Anon she disrobed her little ones and
put them to bed; and when the night
shadows turned into an inky blackness
she seated herself by the lamp and began
to work still leaving the supper table
spread, and the food ON the srove keep
ing warm for the return of her husband.
But the little clock on the mantle-shelf
had told the hour of tea before his step
was heard at the door. He came in
hurriedly, and strobe to a scat without
removing his dripping outer garments.
"Imust go to Richmond Tonight" he
said, in answer to his wife's questioning
look


"To Richmond" repeated his wife in
dismay. Twenty miles in the storm !"


''Can't be helped, he returned. "Bus-
mess is business, you know"


He removed his hand from his pocket
and took off his hat, and brushed back
his hair, revealing the handsome face of
a light-complexioned middle-aged man.
He had large gray eyes, but they wore
an anxious expression, and their glance
wandered restlessly about the apartment.


"Jane," he said suddenly, again div
ing his hand into his troublesome pock-
ct, "do you suppose you could take
charge of large sum of money until
Tomorrow"


"Why, yes" she answered in surprise.


al have collected S5,000," he continu-
ed; cit is too late to get the sum into
with me-"


"Well, you can leave it here as well as
not. No one would think of my having
such a sum of money"


He drew large wallet from his pock-
ct and placed it in her hand.


alt belongs to the Government, and if
you let it pass from your hands, am
ruined" he added.


And he rose as if to depart.


"You are going to eat some snpper ?'
she inquired.


"No, have no time to lose. I must
reach Richmond by midnight. Good
bye Take good care of the money, and
fasten all the doors"


He gave her hurried kiss, and was
gone.


But the sound of his footsteps had
scarcely died away before Mrs. Jacobs
began to feel strange fear creeping ov-
er her. Why it was she knew not. She
had lived here seven years, and slept
there many a night without the doors
being even shut Now they were locked
and boIted she could not think of goin 8
TO bed. She was too nervous for that


She was likewise too nervous to work.
She put the money in the pocket of her
dress, and clasping it tightly in her
hands she sat very still, gazing anxious
ly into nothingness, and listening 40 in
tently that silence became a fearful
mingling of discordant sounds in her
ear


An hour passed. 1t had been an age
to her. Presently she heard sound. II
was not the rain. for there was a perfect
lull in the storm. 1t could not be .
neighbor, for she lived on the outskirts
of the village some distance from any
one, and she was not likely to be called
up in case of sickness.


Again she heard it. 1t seems as if g
window sash had been slowly raised
Strange that she should have forgotten
to fastem them down.


"Why didn't John leave me his re
yolyer?" she mused. II have nothing
with which to protect myself in case
should be molested tonight. 1t wal
really an oversight in him."


Again she heard the sound. 1t seem
ed to come from the bedroom. 1t wa
surely the raising sash. Then there wa
the sound OF movement as though
one was entering that way.


Fear nearly paralized her for a mo
ment, but she quickly rallied, and tax
ing up the lamp, proceeded to investi
gate the matter. She had scarcely open
ed the door when she started back wit
half suppressed scream. Two men i
hideous disguiaes were already in tn
room, and third ruffian was in the &C
of crawling through the window. Ir
voluntarily she clutched the pocke
which contained the money, thinkin
meanwhile how she would protect hel
self and it. Alasl she had nothing bu