Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1876 — AUNT ANNIE AND THE BURGLAR. [ARTICLE]

AUNT ANNIE AND THE BURGLAR.

“The paper says that they’ve caught the fellow that has been breaking into so many houses in this part of the town lately,” said cousin Jennie, one morning, as we sat at the breakfast-table. “It’s a pity he had ant come here sothatybu could, have added another laurel to your crown, mother, by capturing him. Wouldn’t it have been splendid if it had happened so? The family would have been famous. I rihoitid have been iritro■atEsssa ness and satisfaction. A Did,mother ever tell you about catcliirig that awful thief and probable murderer, Toby Darrell, years ago, • before any of us appeared on the stage of action t” “Nm i never hedtd anything about it,” I answered. “Please teli me about it Aunt Annie.” ' 1 “I’ve told it so.iuany times,” answered aunt Annie, “‘that I’ve got rather tired of it, but 1 suppose you won’t Ifet mri off?’ ’ Aunt Annie smiled across the table at me in ®> kind of self-satisfied way that assured me that she was quite as willing to tell me the story as I was to hear it. Like all the rest' of us aunt Annie was a,,0 “ • “It happened a year after your Uncle George and I were married. We had just begun housekeeping here, when the neigh' borhood began to be me plate were takep. The police were called upon, and detectives wers?pmuppu the alert, but to no purpose. The officers deof the worst oases in the whole list of villains with whom they had to deal, and one of the most, expert and careful. He had been suspected of murder, and dozens of other crimes had been traced to him, but so successful was be in eluding the officers of justice ffiat they had succeeded but twice in arresting lnni,and on both of these occasions he had,managed to escape. So frequent had his thefts become, and so daring, that at laflt a heayy.rewaf4* “ goTout of town, and I waoleftmlone with grandfather Van 1 Stratton, who had come to spend a few days with us. I didn’t know where the two servants we kept had gone to. I drew down as the dusk settled in the streets’, 'rind put some fresh coals on the fir®, and sat down in our little sittingroom with a, new book, while grandfather busied himself over his newspaper. In this way, with occasional .remarks, the ■ evening passed off;-when the clock struck nine grandfather declared that he was so sleepy that he .was . going,to bed; after which declaration of intentions be took • out his big silver snuff-box and look a pinch of thrif to be so fond ftf,“rind, bn closing jt, instead and proceeded to warm his feet before going off to bed. I ti& box on the table, and suppoOr newould .think of it before going to bed. But, after he had said good night and left me, I that he had left his srjaJf^iX’SeNfnd»mJ I took it up and openW^Fo^ldlri’ cT riosity, And lhe faintest scent of its contents det me* into a Paroxysm of sneezing, and lirftugltt team to iny eyes. “The room was warm and cozy, and my bob’k'waf very ih|m , esting, and! concluded th&t J wofildread da, for ari hoar been lon© fat the clock’ striking eleven woke me. I woke as people occasionally do, quietly and completely, steps ißtldH»ol<antf they vmFftl!alffij7 sinister ones. My face was turned from the was in partial shadow. I remember of thinking, in to quick kind of logical reasoning, thatjdiari'ttjouM j itself about syllogisms, that I iefaffi ripen M eye# a trifle without Wftwmg till Wet that J wasn’t asleep, and discriver who and what my visitor was ‘1 was frightened, but felt that it waff , toe safest Way frirtneto feet ftenTT&e. with the flickering fire shining full / into, bls fade, Aid It Was difficulty that I Jwpt from screaming out,: and I often of -Trj-W flfe.friat 1 now, and ahraftsA# I sawAfef d. j ing in thlhWlrtjight. lit up his face with toe look of a demon, watching me with his cruel, tigerish eyes. through the house and plundered it of .everything worth hia 1 while to take.

L ** You’kriow that your uncledeorge and I began hoasekeeptag in a wkxkut why; house, wo didn’t Have a great deal left to purchase other things witii. You, cm readily understand, then, now angry it made me to sae that’ great, Brutal feilbW standing there witii bis sack full of articles whose value represented, months of hard work; I havri often Wondeted at It since, but the feeling of indignation was. so intense as to almost'overcome my fear and prudence. ■ But 1 f knew ■from the devil] in his eye that lie would not Jwsitate at any crime that he might be provoked to might'cry bitt for’ help' and have the wrrticft given*up to the punishment he so richly - ' »’’ “Suddenly his eyes caught sight, of grandfather Van Slrutten’ssilver snu ff box, standing* On the table at my side, and be tiptoed toward it. I hud not qiofefed |t when I put it down. The lid was open in such fi way the light reflected f eta it brightly, and that was what had oaught his attention. My arm lay on tlie side of my chair, and my hand was resting onflie table so near to the box that wlien he leaped over and reached down to get it, his fingers touched mine. I. could, not help a shiver at the touch, but he did .not detect it. “ He lifted the box from the table and held it up close to his face to examine its contents. I don’t know flow I papie to do it, but I never stopped to think what the possible consequences might be—l flung up my hand, and the fiery snuff flew into Mis eyes in a yellow cloud", "blinding him instantly. He gave a howl of agony and rage, and made a dash toward me, put I eluded him. Tlie snuff got into his hise and mouth, and he began sneering and coughing frightfully, and tears kept running down his feheeks. His exhibition bf pain was intense. It seemed to make him crazy. He ran about the room like a mad “ I slipped out of Hhe room, locked the door, and ran up to call grandfather Vari he had heart! toe raeket gtw he ran out after help, and was back in al v most no time with Seine of thfe iie’tgijbors. “It was espy the burglar in the condition fie was in. They bound him securely, and took him off to the stationhouse. It was frightful td hear him curse and rhve as they led him away. In the morning I heard that I had* been the means of capturing the very person the polio®, had been in search* of so long—silver. That spoon you have in your cup 4s one of th<. fttfe half sick for a week after the affair took place, but I concluded there wasn’t-any irte in being feidk over what danger was passed, and got svd' my fright bravely.- And Toby Darrell got a dozen years in Sing Sifig**^ l ! x