HELEN'S ADVENTURE.

Lake County Press, Issue 2135, 13 September 1906, Page 2

HELEN'S ADVENTURE.

BY LYDIA E. WEBB. "I am sorry, Helen," said Mrs. Atworthy to her daughter, "that v"ii are going out this evening. Your father is away, and my h<'n<l aches so badly that I feel I cannot sit vi]) and wait your return." "I wouldn't go, mamma, but it id '"oiisin Tom's last evening in the city ; then 1 am so anxious to Julia Arthur in 'More than Queen'." "J will sit up for you, sister," said her brother, a manly boy of about fifteen. "Xo, dear," replied his sister, "please do not wait for me, anyone, .lust let the gas burn in the hall and if mamma will let Gracie sleep with her, while Burt takes my room. I will go up to brother's room without disturbing anyone." Helen went, to the theatre, but when there it started to snow. Alter the play was over she and her cousin hurried to the ears, hastening home as quickly a-s possible. Then, bidding Cousin Tom a hasty goodbye, she stole quietly into the house, turned out the light, and. without the least disturbance, went upstairs to the third floor. She noticed several coats and hats on the hall rack in passing, but intent on other things, did not give them a thought, congratulating herself on reaching her room so noiselessly. Helen had to fumble about for some time for a match. "Burt, certainly is a careless boy, why can't he leave the matches where they belong ?" she exclaimed. Finally she found one, and lit the gas. To her surprise and consternation she was in a strange room, while a man rose up in bed calling : "Who's there ! Murder ! Thieves ! My revolver !"

Quick as a flash Helen turned out the light and rushed from the room. Frightened nearly to death, the girl ran behind the first thing that presented itself—the portieres hanging before a door in the hall. Clinging close to them, more dead than olive she heard footsteps passing 1c and fro and people talking in an excited way.

"I saw a figure in a long clcak, standing in froat of the dressingcase. I believe, too, it was a woman ; anyhow, it sounded like the swish of a woman's dress. Here. now, is the handkerchief ; rather a, dainty affair for a housebreaker."

Helen felt tempted to show herself but the thought that they might [ire Ixjfore she could explain, deterred. She wondered why they had not looked behind the curtains, but tie space was so narrow that they had not thought cf looking there.

It. seemed hours before they gave up searching, and went to their rooms. Womanlike, t tie poor girl suffered everything. T\cr life, as it were, seemed to pass in review : all her misdeeds, things long forgotten stared at her, making Iter tremble from head to foot. Oh, if she were only safe at heme ! She felt as if she could not hold out much longer, but at last the house grew quiet. Helen peeped from tier hiding place. and feeling indeed like a thief < rept silently down the hall to the door. ■and finally gained the street, not knowing the direction to take alone in the middle of the night.

Running to the corner, she discovered by the sign on the lamp-post she was one block from home l'.\ some mistake they had conic uptown on the wrong' car line, a line that took her farther from her home, and they had turned up the wrong street.

She was never able to toll exactl.v how she ran thai block in the blinding snow nor how she made her mother hear her at the door. All she could remember, was her mother holding her in her arms, while she sobbed out her adventure. Next, day she was 100 weak and ex hausted to leave her room. And it was many a day before she got over the fright of her nocturnal visit. That afternoon her brother brought home the evening paper. "Sister listen to tin's.'* he said, and read : "•Last night. Mr. C- of St. Paul-street, in his room on the tbird floor, was awakened by a Strang" noise. He saw someone in Ihe ;l et of lighting the gas. and immediately gave the alarm, but. in the darknes-s the burglar escaped. !Nlr. (' and his brothers searched the he. use They found the kitchen and pantr,\ ransacked. The pantry windew was open, while in the dining-room tiesilver had been packed, ready to he carried off. One of the number is supposed to have been a woman. The supposition is, the thieves thought no one was in the house. The woman had started to plunder the rooms when the discovery was made.' "Well, sister, what do you think of that ?" he asked. "Oh, Hurt. !" she cried, as she raised herself upon her elbow in bed. "It is too dreadful. To think then' really were thieves in that house, and I to be classed among them !" And she lay there musing there for a while. Finally she exclaimed : "Those people, if they but knew it. may ewe all to me for saving their sil\ er ; bill 1 shall not be the one to tell them. It is a very good thing 1 was not discovered last night,"