MRS. CARTON'S BURGLAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 36, 1 February 1908, Page 4

MRS. CARTON'S BURGLAR.

■• Must you go, (jeoffrey 1" " Vcs, dear. If I dou<i*'go to-nigbl I shall lose the deal. JLixon Brothers are after the timber, and 1 promised ray clients that I would meet them tonight. If i carry the business through 1 make two thousand, and yuu shall have the best dress I can find in Chicago." " If you could only wait till morning."' " Why, Lois, what makes you so UerVOUsi"

"Freddie has been peevish all day, and he is quite feverish to-night. lam afraid he is going to be sick. Besides, there's the money." " Yes, there's the money, but jio one knows I drew it except Craft and .the cashier, and they knew I was going to pay it right out again. No one knows that Johnson didn t come; he may come yet. If he does, you can pay him as well as I, and have it off your hands. Just take a receipt, and I can fix the rest when 1 come home. Send Lois over to Maggie's and have her come and stay with you. (jood-byc, and don't worry." But little Lois came back with the news that Maggie's husband was sick and she could not come. Mr». Carton wondered what in the world to du7 She had learned to depend on Maggie, and didn't know of anyone else; besides, it was too dark for Lois to go out again, and she herself dared not leave Freddie; so she had to get along alone. Taking the four-year-old boy in her arms, she carried luni upstairs, undressed him, bathed him, and put him to bed. Ills fever seemed to be broken, and be was.soon resting quietly.

She then proceeded to locK the doors and windows, until it would have puzzkd a I'inkerton detective to Uud entrance to the house.

There, daughter," she said, " put out the lights and we will go to bed." She dared not show* Tier nervousness, for fear of frightening Lois. After she bad put m one oi her snoes the big roll of bub that her husband had left in her care, elfe extinguished the light—and felt better.

" When 1 can see out, and no one can see in, 1 feel as though i had the advantage," she whispered to herself. 11. Soon they were all sound asleep. The clock had struck eleven, twelve, and one, when Freddie awoke and asked lor a drink oi water. Mtb. Carton smoothed his forehead and found it cool; mentally she thanked lieaven that her [ fears about him were groundless.

Then she happened to think that there was no water in the house; she must go and get some. ->ot even stopping to put ou ner suppers, she went downstairs, found the pail, and unlocked the back door. The,hydrant stood by the door, and she was not afraid. It was a perfect night. The full moon was directly over head, and it was as light as day. She could hear the hor-e as he moved around in the barn, and the knowledge that he was there inaue her quite comfortable. Stepping to the hydrant she turned on the water.

.lust then a breeze sprang up, ami the door swung shut. ."sue tried 'he knob, and then remembered with a stait that -lie had not la-teued back the spring catch. lacked oui. at de-ad of night, in her nightgown, bare-footed, and Freddie sick upstairs in the dark: She thought «f all the care -be bad exercised in locking the hour*-, aud wi-hed -he bad not been I -H) cautious, but she knew that every | hole wa« stopped. To ring the front-door bell would be n<> good, for it sounded in the diningroom, and would not waken Lois, and if Freddie heard it it would only frighten liim. He roust be beside himself with fear uo», as he lay there alone in tindark. I'oor dear! She must do some-

I thing. «-uddciilv -he thought oi the grapevine whieii ran up to her bedroom win- j ilow she had been troubled with the children climbing up and down it, and had expected a broken limb In-fore this. Tlm- truilK in iue vine at the base was .i- lar-e i- a man's arm. and it waan old!old thing. i llten -In- hud begged Hcoirrey to cut it down, but he wa, fond of it and had put her off. Would it hold her weight ? She hoped -o. and would eham-c it. I'n ddie must wait lor hi- drink. 111. Sue -tarted around the corner of the boii-e. ami ghm.e.l up. Her heart -tood -till. What ua- that half-way up the vine:

It certainly war. a man. St.-althiK. -tca.lily. up hi> vent. llr.-athl.-K -I"- »-ilf I him, li"t>"Vlliat In- wiiil-l 'a": "'"'" -'"' -'"' 1| "" r,.,,,0v.- (1,.- -Teen -Ik- amu-cd lu-r-lf. ||iiir..r-! What would Fr-dilie .I"':

Ijiiicklv -iii' ■•liinl»-d =it"<"'- ,1 '" "' ; '"' '"'' nliite role aii'l !>'et miikm;: -harp «•"» !ra-t again-t tlic -online line »l the l„ ..„„.. r.i-hi..n -h" r.-acliod th- «'" \ .].,.. ;,n.| looked i"- r're.l.lie m»-t have u |.,.„ ~.1..,p a*.in. Tin' -Iran;:" man »a- looking int" the' ,] ""' u -she ..iii-klv mail.- h.T calculation-. I \.u f. ili.-'nindow -t.«.d th.' dr.-s-.-r. .■ml al.iiil a fw.t from it. ami tin- same • iUlaiii'- from th.- .'i.riier »!' the room. „ ,- th. .1 t .1..0r. 11,.. ,„.,„ ~.,. in Hi.- do-el "•'«. r .,„.i,r,„.. ~„..,.- i,.-r im-Unid'- *"- .... .'rtt'. ,n i I.,'lii.'. in th- i—k-K MiI :„-,... , ;-,!.-:-. ;' ■■]< th" «iml"«. I-!,!,,:,,.-.! ih- •■!■-' 'l'""' -I""- ,nl Lii-iir.l :l. .li" • up i■■>'' ■>'■ i"'"!'' 1 .''! '!■ , . ~ \. -!:■■ -> : '.'""■ : '""- '" l-i'''"'ii' ~...,;„-• i.. ! i.'-art. -In- -"Ml.l hear t!i" 1,,,n i'l-i'h' f«"li»;-' ''" r tin- i- 11 " 1, of the il'i'jr. hu: -lw know that he coul I

not move the dresser. It was a huge, old-fashioned iill'air, and only the sheer nlrciigth of desperation had enabled her to lift it alone. Sue had never moved it before. "Mania, 1 want a drink/' "lln-h, l-'reddie. dear: mama will get you one in a lew minutes. 1 left the water running, and as soon as it is cool, I'll tiring you a nice fresh drink. Only be patient a minute. \\ liile she was quieting him she was trying to form a plan for fastening the diwr, so she could leave the room to summon Mr. C'ratt, the sheriff, by the telephone in the dining-room. She looked around to find something to use for the purpose, when her glance fell on the window. "

She almost fell from her perch. Another man had started' to climb the grapevine. With itirhculty she suppressed a scream. "Freddie, darling," she said in a whisper. "Come here, quick." lie obeyed instantly. " Open the top drawer of the dresser." The little fellow tugged and pulled, and with her help on one handle, managed to get it 0(1*11 so that she could insert her hand.

She knew just where the revolver wis, but had never touched it in her life. Kveu now, when her life depended upon it, tihe was more afraid of it than she was of the man in the vine. Had she lieen alone she would have run downstairs and out of the front door. She grasped the revolver firmly in her hand, pointed it out of the window, and as soon as she could npeak, shouted: "Stop where yon are!" IV. The man stopped. The vine swayed with his weight, for lie was a burly fellow.

" 1 liave a revolver here, pointed right at you. IT"y6u - 'inove I'll shoot, but if you obey me you are safe. How (ieoffrcy would laugh when he heard that, H nhc ever got out alive. " I have your partner here, shut up in mv closet."

'' Laws a massa, missus, 1 ain't got no partner." It was a negro, she knew by the tone. The town was full "f them. "Don't tell uie any more lies, you haven t time.'' " Hope to die, uia'ain, if I don't tell the Iriif. . Dar ain't nolmdy with me. "There is a burglar shut up in my closet. You come here and do as 1 tell von. -Vow: one, two, three, climb." lie came lip the rest of the way its fast as he could, pulling himself by the window-Kill. Her heart turned sick and she nearly fainted as he thrust Ms shoulders into the room. '• Climb in," she said, as well as tdte could.

Her life, it was plain, would not ne worth much, if it was not for the revolver. .She was getting quite brave with it: she almost thought she could shoe* the burglar, and she had a notion to try; then open the closet door and shoot the other one.

What a sensation it would create— Mrs. (leoltroy Carton single-handed Willing two burglars at once. She almost lauglted. Then the horror of taking human life »truck Iter, and she remembered that her liurglar was under orders. "See that phosphorescent match-safe over there? Scratch a match and light the lamp on the commode." It was done. She remembered th-it >h« was in her night-gown, but she could not help it. "Can yon think of any wajr to fasten this closet door, so I can get down from this dresser V" " If you had hammer and nails, missus." " The hammer anil nails are in the barn! You sec that sliding door. Open it, and they are in a box up on the wall on. your right. Ou*t of the window." "'B-eed, missus, couldn't 1 go by the door!" "Jso. You came up that way; you can go down. March," V, He clumsily scrauiblcd out as he had come in; she watched him open the barn door. He went in and got the hammer, Meantime not a sound from the closet. "Come up the vine," It was extremely ludicrous to watch the negro climb up with the hammer in his hand, and his hiouth full of nails. As soon as he was through the window again, she continued: ".Nail up the door." Her heart sank when ehe saw her newly-finished door marred, tor he drove tlie nails in,' and no mistake. He showed plainly that he was more familiar with burglar tools than with those of a carpenter. "ftow," she said, hopping off from the dresser, "downstairs to the telephone. One, two, tliree, march. Take tnc light." A queer procession they made. The big negro ahead with the light marched along with a little woman whom he could almost put in his pocket, with Freddie and Lois, who had been awakened by the commotion, bringing up the rear.

Mrs. Carton had seized her kimono and slippers from a chair as she passed, and was hopping first on one foot, then ou the other, trying to put on her slippers and keep up with the negro. \\ hen she reached the dining-room, she sank into a chair, and found that she was very faint. ""- I " Uall up Mr. Craft, number fuarfurty, four rings." As soon aa he had the other end of the line, she said: "Say to him: 'Mrs. Carton has a burglar nailed in a closet. Come, and bring handcuffs.'" As if a sheriff ever travelled without them! "Jsow sit down in that chair, and your hands in your pockets. If you stir hand or foot, I'll fire." VI. Just then she heard a quick step on the walk. Lois turned the lock and Mr, Craft stepped in. "Mr. Craft, here is a man who was passing, and helped to get my burglar shut up; lie will show you where he is." And she actually winked her eye at tho sheriff. ller word had been pasted to the burglar that he would be safe if he obeyed her; she was honest enougu not to say a word to commit him, but she could not resist that wink.

The sheriff, however, had taken in the situation at a glance. The timid little woman with a revolver pointed at the negro, at two o'clock in the morning! \\ hat sheriff could be so dull as not to understand that!

They marched upstairs. " Here is the i door. The man nailed it up." " 1 should think he did," said the sheriff with a snort. " Here are a pair of bracelets for the man inside, and here a pair for you, Slippery Dick—aud he hud them ou in a trice. " iou should not have come back here lor a few years yet." "Mrs. Carton, you have earned five huudrcd dollars to-night with this fellow. Sit down there, Dick." Dick sat down, and Mr. Craft strapped him to a chair. ".Now. .Mr?. Carton, just go and telephone Mick- and Smith. 1 don't know what I have to deal with in-idc." vn. As soon as the men came, Mr. Craft put his lips to the door aud shouted: "There are three of ub here, all armed. When we open tho door, you obey >rdeis. See I" A grunt was his answer. After much effort, they succeeded in drawing the nails, but the door was ruined. Craft turned the knob, and said: "March out to the middle of the floor. One, two, three, hait. Throw up your liands." He snapped the handtuiTe. on and turneel him around to the light. " Slippery Dick's partner, as I'm alive. Another live hundred, Sirs. Carton.'' "Hicks," continued the sheriff, "yon ■ and Smith got this pair of daisies to : the cooler. 1 will have to look after i Mrs. Carton. Send the doctor up, will

Mm. Carton meantime had quietly lainU'il. The sheriff used what rostor.i-' live- he could Dud. The doctor cu nit after a time, and he found it necessary tn work over her for hours. Her liushaml was with her when she regained .-imM-iimsness. '• I lid vou get your timber?" she a-ked. " > —M. Chipman Burritt.