Year: 1872

quiet city or brooklyn, ara our uOHesuc
| life has, with one exception, proved n
very uneventful one. The exception was,
however. a decided adventure, of a very
unpleasant character, which might have
proved terrible experience. Fortunate
| lv. I came out of il unharmed, though
| shall not soon forget the episode. Brook-
| lvn residents had been, during the warm


months, greatly alarmed by the unwel-
! come visits of burglars, and nearly every


day the newspapers recorded fresh IN


stances OF the daring and adroit opera


tions of this class of thieves. Our neigh,,


borhoOd had, however, so far, escaped


the attentions of these depredatory gangs


and nv wife was so very careful about


her door and window fastenings that we


believed our little home to be quite safe.


To please mother l had purchased re-


volyer. which was kept in q safe place in


our bedroom, though it was never used,


and was out of my reach when most


needed.


have for years devoted an hour. or
two, after the family retire, to rerusing
a favorite author, and on the nighg II,


question was so occupied Costly seateQ
| in huge arm m-chair near the open slid
ing.doors between the two parlors, was


making rapid progress in my reading:
The house was wrapped in silence, ana
though the many noises OF the night were


remarkably distinct, yet they did not dis


t1rh me T'ffe window curtains moved
idlv as the nipht breezes came in at the


omen window at my back, the mice gam


boiled merrily behind the wainscoting,


and the clock on the maEtelpiece ticked


loudly, as If complaining at being com
PEELED to work while everything else rest
ed The footsteps of passers-by IN tne


street echoed strangely in the room, and


l could now and then hear the faint cry


of an infant in the adjoining house.


Save for these noises all else was silent


aboutme, and enjoyed my books as one


can only do under such circumstances.


AS the night air played coolly on my


cheek I experienced a sense of calmness


and security which made the Interrupt


ton so soon to occur only the more


startling.


Having read for some time, came at


length to a striking passage which led me


to lay the volume on my knee to. think 1t


over AS did so my eye caught the re-


Election of myself in the large mirror


standing between the windows OF the


front parlor In the same mirror | could


also discern the mirror at my back, and


in il my armchair and figure were dimly


visible 1t seemed odd to thus view my


self in two different aspects, and tell in


to reverie on the two pictures thus pre-


sented.


have forgotten to say that the side


door of the rear parlor was wide open,


and the gaslight in the passage burned


brightly. There was also at my back,


and on a line with the hall, small room,


the door of which was wide open. In


deed, it was seldom shut, having been


badly hung, and was constantly swinging


wide open when not closely latched. L


could see the edge of this white door in


the mirror before me, and 1t formed


distinct feature in that reflected picture.


Sitting thus, | was suddenly startled by


the unexpected appearance of another


face, peering intently over my shoulder,


while in the inner mirror | could discern
his back as he stood behind the bath. room


door. Though by no means timld man,
this apparition sent a strange and pain
full thrill through my body, and l felt very
uncomfortable indeed. The face OF the


intruder was sinister one, and Re was


apparently watching me in no pleasant
mood.


He was a burglar or a sneak-thief-


there could be no question of that. But


how could he have entered the house
As sat there looking at my visitor for
few seconds, remembered that my wife


had been sorely troubled about finding
one of the basement windows open,
though had paid very little attention to


the matter at the time. The fellow was
| evidently responsible for that window.
Even now can recall. the appearance of


the scene before me, so wildly is it inn
: pressed upon my mind. One of the slid
, sing doors had been partially drawn from
its receptacle, thus throwing part OF the
!, fi0wevef."n iilttrA hhaf f"VhD evEaErnE li'FltO


room. The gilt bindings on some books
Nd two nipfllrp9
( on the wall were clearly revealed. But as


saw all of these the face of that strange


man continued to peer at me, and the sit
! uation became quite dramatic in its IN
tensity.
e I was apparently utterly helpless, being
: alone and unarmed. Yet my courage
t soon rose equal to the occasion, and at
/ once sprang to my feet and faced the
4 ~ ~tF'DIon'I YOU stir or utter word, or Pll
t blow your brai2s out"
/, AS he uttered these startling words, the
e ruffian leyeled a revolver at my head, and
e his foce-a most villainous one naturally
/ -deepened in its lines until his features
L became fierce in their murderous intent.
r srWho are you? What do you want?
d How came you here?" l exclaimed, de-
E spite his caution.
If t'Never YOU mind" was the gruff re-
5, snonse. "You've spoilt my game; but
d I'm game to settle you if you hinder my
% leaving the house. I've got this shooting
ot iron. and mean to use it, too, II you
n don't keep quiet, and show me the way


out"


All this time the fellow kept his weapon
le almost at my face, and the sight of the
d muzzle, small as it was, made me feel very
oy uncomfortable 1t was a singular pre-
rt dicament-to be thus all alone in room
n with desperate and determined man
el who, having prison staring him IN th'
lis face, evidently preferred risking th'
to gallows by numbering me, II 1t coul'
tie aid his present escape.
,r "You want to leave the house, do you?
,e | remarked "Well l cannot stop you
II so put down your pistol and follow me
id III show you the door with pleasure"
~ ~ ASH spoke could not help laughin
w family at the grim oddity of the sltua


ton, but my visitor could apparently fin
NV nothing to laugh at, for he was dread
os. fully in earnest. He followed me int
az. the hallway, still keeping his revolve
~, cooked and unpleasantly near my head
l9 at the same time narrowly watching m
a', as undid the fastenings, evidently teal
yal ing some aggressive movement on m
1y' part.


his During the few seconds that had elapse
eld since we had fairly faced one another
to had fully matured my plan of action, fc
ger l naturally wished to capture the ruliia
afe and have him properly punished. Th
to- led me to acquiesce 50 quietly in his COT
mt, demand. Having carried of the matte


SO successfully, the burglar believed tn


| intended to make no trouble or r
ol- sistance so as opened the street door
rec quickly passed out, at the same time III
eir consciously lowering his weapon, The
in came my turn, and as he stepped OIL Il
Mr. doorsill l let the door swing with
nro crash, and by a desperate bound fur
Oo U myself suddenly upon him. The m
ne, mentum of my spring was so great that
'ne its sent us both tumbling headlong down Il