| Show WHAT I 1 I 1 SAW IX A belive we live in a aquiat neighborhood in lla the quiet city of brooken Bro brook yn and our domestic life has with one exception proved a very uneventful one the exception cep tion was however a decided adventure of a very avery unpleasant character which might have proved a terrible experience peri ence fortunately I 1 came out unharmed har ined though I 1 shall not son oon forget the e episode brooklyn residents ts had been during the warm months greatly alarmed by the unwelcome visits of burglars and nearly every day the newspapers recorded fresh instances of theador the aar ing and adroit operations of this thia class of thieves our neighborhood had hail however so far escaped the attentions of these gangs and my wife was so very careful about her door and window fastenings that we believed our little home to be quite safe to please mother I 1 had purchased a revolver which was kept in a safe place in our bedroom though it was never used and I 1 was out of my reach when most needed I 1 had for years devoted an hour or two after the family retired to perusing a favorite author and on the night in question was so occupied cosily seated in a huge arm chair near the open sliding doors between the two parlors I 1 was making rapid lapid progress in in my reading the house was wrapped in silence and though the many noises of the night were remarkably distinct yet they did not disturb me the window curtains moved idly as the night breezes came in dt at the open windows at my back baek the mice gamboled gam merrily behind the wainscoting I 1 and the clock on the mantel piece ticked loudly as if complaining at being compelled to work while everything else eise rented the footsteps of passersby passers by in the streets echoe echoed d strangely I 1 in the room and I 1 could now and gen zen t then hear bear the faint cry of an infant in the adjoining house save for these noises all else was silent about me and I 1 enjoyed my book as aa one can only do under such circum stances As the night air played coolly ou on my cheek I 1 experienced a sense of of calmness and se security arity which made the interruption so soon to occur only appear the more startling having read for some time I 1 came at length to a striking passage which led me to lay the volume on myrnee my knee to think it over As I 1 did so my eye caught the flexion re of myself in the large mirror standing between the windows of the front parlon parlor inthe lathe in the same mirror I 1 could discern the mirror at my back and in it my arm chair and figure were dimly visible it seemed odd to thus view myself in two different aspects andi ande and I 1 fell into a reverie on the two pictures thus presented I 1 have forgotten to say that the side door of the real parlor was wide open and the gaslight gas light in the passage burning brightly there was also at my back and on a line with the hall a small room the door of which was wide open indeed it was vas seldom shut having been been badly hung and was constantly swinging open when not closely latched I 1 could see the edge of this th is white door in the mirror before me and it formed a distinct feature in that reflected picture sitting thus I 1 was suddenly startled by the unexpected another face peering intently over mi my shoulder while in the inner mirror I 1 could discern his back as be stood behind the bath room door though by no means it a timid man this thia apparition sent a strange and painful thrill through my body and I 1 felt very uncomfortable indeed the face of the intruder was a sinister one and he was apparently watching me in no pleasant mood he was a burglar or a sneak thiet thief there could be no question of that As I 1 sat there looking at my visitor for a few seconds ae remembered that my wife had bee been co sorel sorely y troubled about finding one of the basement windows open thou though h I 1 had paid very little attention to it t the e matter at the time the fellow was evidently responsible for that window even now I 1 can recall the appearance of the scene before me so vividly is it impressed on my mind one of the sliding boors doors bad been partially drawn from its receptacle thus throwing part of the tile front room into shadow A ray of light however illumined the centre of the room the gilt binding on some books shone brightly and one or two piet pictures uret on the wall were clearly revealed but as I 1 saw all of these the face of that strange man continued to peer at me and the situation became quite dramatic in its intensity I 1 was wa apparently utterly helpless being alone and unarmed yet my courage soon rose equal to the occa ocea occasion sio I 1 n and I 1 at once sprang to my feet and faced the burglar don lyou stir or utter a word or ill blow your brains out 11 ashe As he uttered these startling words the ruffian leveled a revolver ht at my head and his face a most Tilla villainous inous one naturally deepened in its lines until his features became fierce in their murderous hate who are you what do you want how came you here I 1 exclaimed despite his caution never you mind was the gruff response youve spoilt my game but im in game to settle you if you yon hinder my leaving the house ive got this shooting iron and I 1 mean to use it too if you dont keep quiet and show me the way out olit 11 all this th time he kept his bis weapon aim alm aim alm ed at my face and the si sight ht of the zie sma I 1 as it was made me ma feel very uncomfortable it was wa a singular predicament di tobe to be thus all alone in a room with a de desperate sperate and determined man who having a prison staring him in the face evidently preferred risking the gallows by murdering me if he could aid his present escape you want to leave the house do you I 1 remarked well I 1 cannot stop you so put down your pistol nud aud follow me ill show you the door with pleasure As I 1 spoke I 1 could not help laughing lau iau gliNg faintly at the grim oddity of the situation but my visitor could apparently find nothing to laugh at for he was dreadfully in earnest he followed me into the hallway still keeping beeping his revolver cocked and unpleasantly near my blead head at the same time narrowly watching me as I 1 undid the fastenings evidently fearing some aggressive movement on my part during the few seconds that had bad elapsed since we had fairly faced one another I 1 had fully matured my plan of action for I 1 naturally wished to clip crIp capture ture the ruffian and have him punished this led me to acquiesce so quietly I 1 in n ills his cool demand having carried off the matter so successfully the burglar believed I 1 intended to make no trouble nor resistance so as I 1 opened the street door he quickly passed out at the same sanle time unconsciously lowering his weapon then came my turn and as he be stepped off the door dour sill I 1 let the door swing hwing with a crash and by a desperate bound flung myself suddenly upon him the momentum of my spring was so great that it sent us both tumbling headlong down the stone steps the pistol ci exploding as we rolled over together the ru rue ruse e had proved successful for the burglar was taken y by bys ur prise and his revolver having fallen from his grasp I 1 found myself more than a match lor jor him the report of the pistol started the echoes of the night and the light from the hall gas jet gave additional force to my loud calls for the police fortunately one of that much abused class happened to be within call and I 1 had the satisfaction of seel seeing my unwelcome visitor safe in ills lils custody theres Th ereis very little more to tell tor the thel prisoner was recognized as an old and desperate of blander offender and my evidence proved s sufficient to send him to sing ging sing while I 1 keep the pistol he dropped on my doorstep as a trophy of that eventful night the occurrence made no end of nise in the neighborhood so to please my wife we moved to other tera there is a moral to my story however always be careful that your fastenings are all nil right and secure else you may in nind find 11 n unwelcome torson the premises gsg who my may prove far more troublesome than I 1 found my friend the burglar |
