r
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Editor and 1'ropriclor.
'.:L::;:r: J'--Z:::::;':::i:-:v-;
"Vol. IV.
AX INDEPENDENT EAMILY NEWSPAPER.
TVov I31ooiiifiolcl, .April
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At New IHooiiifield, renn'a.
HY
FRANK MORTIMER.
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Tlio Bank Robbery!
A GOOD STORY.
CONCLUDED.
i rriHAT is a boy all over," exclaimed
I he, under his breath. "Ho goes to
Tinborough to dance and cat strawberries,
and ho curries a pistol, loaded I dare say to
the muzzle. It is ten to one he will shoot
himself or his sweetheart before the eve
ning is over."
As Sir. Houghton fumbled over the bu
reau, his hand encountered a covered flask.
Even his unaccustomed noso was able
to recognize at once, its contents iis whis
ky ; and his regret at such a discovery in
his sou's room was' lost in the joy with
which ho hailed a stimulant so greatly
needed to put his nerves in condition for
the events to come. Perhaps lio forgot how
long it was since ho had called in such a
reinforcement ; perhaps his hand shook ;
perhaps he thought tho occasion required a
largo dose. lie took a hearty one ; and
when he was down stairs again the diffi
culties iu tho way of bagging tho burglars
vanished from his mind. Ho was a young
man once more, and entered into the ro
mance of Bixby's plot, ho said to himself,
as enthusiastically as Harry would have
dona. Ho paced the room with an elastic
stride, very different fvom tho nervous,
wavering step with which ho had heard the
news. Bixby and himself, ho thought,
would bo enough to overpower any three
burglars. Then his head was heavy, and
he felt drowsy. To bo in proper condition
for tho emergency, ho reflected, ho needed
all the sleep ho could get. Tho resolve was
ono to bo executed as promptly as formed ;
and a few minutes later, tho cashier had
locked tho door, fastoned tho lower win
dows, and was snugly in bed.
A gentle tinkle of tho door-bell aroused
him again before, as it seemed to him, ho
had fairly closed his eyes. " Tho robbers
at last," ho thought ; and then ho rebuked
himself for the absurdity of supposing that
a burglar would announce his coming by
the door-bell. "It is Bixby, of course,"
he said to himself, "como to own ho was a
fool and the story all nonsense." But ho
paused before ho turned the key, and said
in his fiercest tone, " Who is there ?"
"It is only mo, Foster," said tho sweet,
familiar voice of his wife, without j and
when ho had admitted her she told him, in
her quick way, that after sho had watched
with the child an hour or two, a profes
sional nurse who had been sent for a week
before, had arrived unexpectedly, and that
he had been glad to give up her vigil and
come home.
Foster Houghton rarely did anything
without thinking twice about it, if not
more ; so it came about that while ho bal
anced in his mind the pros and com as to
revealing to his wife the secret which Bix
by had confided to him, and thus giving
her a fright in advance for what might prove
to be a false alarm after all, the tired lady
went sound asleep ; and thus the scale was
turned in favor of reticence. Perhaps the
husband's continued drowsiness contributed
to tho resolve also ; for his eyelids still
drooped with strange obstinacy, and an in
fluence more powerful than even the ap
prehension of danger transformed his ter
rors into dreams.
One, two, rang out from the Belfry on
tho breathless Juno night, already heavy
with tho rising fog from tho river. Foster
Houghton found himself broad awake as ho
counted the strokes; but even whilo he
thought it was tho clock that had disturb
ed him, he felt a cold, hard ring of steel
against his temple, and saw through tho
darkness, a man by his bedside.
" Not ono word, or you will never utter
another."
Ho noted tho voice even in tho whirl of
tho moment, and knew that it was strange
to him. Ho turned towards his wifo and
saw that there was a man by her side also,
with a revolver aimed ; felt, rather than saw
that she had waked when ho did, and was
awaiting, self-possessed, for whatever was
to conic, As tho darkness yioldod to his
eyes, ho was aware of a third figure, stand
ing at the window.
" Perfectly quiet, remember, and wo will
tell you what is to l:e done," said the same
voice, cool, firm, with an utterance entirely
distinct, yet hardly louder than a whisper.
You have nothing to fear if you obey or
ders. A knifo is ready for the heart of
each if you disobey. Tho lady has simply
to lie still ; as sho will bo bound to the bed
and her mouth stopped, that will bo easy ;
and tho gag is very gentle, and will not
hurt if she docs not resist. Sir. Houghton
will rise, put on his trousers, and go with
us to tho bank, always in range of this pis
tol and in reach of this blade. The keys
are already in my pocket. Number Three,
will you scratch a match that I may help
the gentleman to his clothes."
The figure in tho window stepped noise
lessly forward at tho summons. As the
blue flaino lighted tho room Foster Hough
ton observed that his visitors were all mask
ed with black silk, through which a narrow
split permitted vision. lie noticed that
their feet were shod with listing, so thick
that a step mado no audible sound upon tho
straw carpet, lie noticed that long, thin,
black cloaks covered their forms to tho
ankles, so that no details of clothing could
bo noted to identi fy them. And whilo ho
observed theso things, not venturing to stir
until the threatening muzzle was withdrawn
from his face, ho felt his hand tightly
clutched by the fingers of his wifo beneath
tho coverlid.
Years of familiar association had made
him apt at interpreting his wife's thoughts
and feelings without tho aid of tho spoken
word. Either by somo peculiar expression
in the grasp itself, or by that subtle mag
netism which we know exists among the
unknown forccF, ho felt that there was
something more than natural terror of the
moment, more than the courage of a heart
ever braver than his own, more than sym
paty for his own supposed dismay, in his
wife's snatch at his hand. More alarmed,
at the instant, by tho shock thus given him
by tho more palpable danger, ho turned his
head towards his wife again, and in her
eyes and in tho direction they gave to his,
saw all that she had seen.
Tho maskod figure in tho centre of tho
room, in producing a match, had unwitting
ly thrown back one sido of its cloak. By
tho sickly flamo just turning to white, Fos
ter Houghton saw, thus revoalod, tho twist
ed chain he had played with in his own
boyhood, tho golden croscent with his
mother's hair, the massive key with its seal,
just as ho had seen them on his boy's
breast nt sun-set. In an instant more a ta
pir was lighted ; tho curtain of the cloak
was drawn together again. But the secret
it had exposed was impressed upon two
hearts as if they had been seared with iron.
Asa drowning man thinks of the crowd
ed events of a lifetime, Foster Houghton
thought in that moment of supreme agony
of a dozen links of circumstantial evidence
the boy's bafllcd desire for money, his
angry words, his evil associates, his missing
revolver, his deliberate explanation of a
night-long absence, his intimato knowledge
of the affairs of the bank, except the secret
combination of the lock, which he had often
teased for in vain. Two things were stamp
ed upon his brain together, and he was
thankful that his wife could know tho hor
ror of but one of them.
His own son was engaged in a plot to rob
the bank, by threats of assassination against
those who gave him life.
He himself was irrevocably enlisted in a
plot to capturing tho robbers, and so bring
his boy to infamy and punishment worse
than death.
Tho discovery compels a pauso in the
narrative. It made none in the actual pro
gress of events. Tho man who had spoken
motioned cashier to rise, and assisted his
trembling hands in covering his limbs with
one or two articles of clothing. The ono
on the opposite sido of tho bed, moving
quickly and deftly as a sailor, bound Sirs.
Houghton where she lay without a touch of
rudeness or indignity beyond what his task
mado necessary. A knotted handkerchief
from his pocket, was tied across her mouth.
The third figure stood at tho winr!ow,cither
to keep a watch without, or to avoid seeing
what took place within ; but Foster Hough
ton's eyes could see no tremor, no sign of
remorse or hesitation, in its bearing.
" Now, cashier," said tho ono voice
which alone had been heard since the stroke
of tho clock, "you will havo to consider
yourself ready, for we havo no tiino to
spare. I feel suro you know what is healthy
for you, but still I will tie this rope around
your waist to savo you from any dangerous
temptation to try a sido street. Number
Two, you will go below, and seo that tho
coast is clear."
With one look at his wife's eyes, in which
ho saw outraged motherly affection, where
tho strangers saw only fright and pain,
Foster Houghton suffered himself to bo
led from the room. One of the robbers had
preceded him ; ono held him tightly by the
wrist ; one, tho ono whoso presence gave
the scene its treble terror, remained only
long enough to lock tho door. Tho outer
door was fastened behind them also ; and
then tho noiseless littlo procession (for tho
cashier had been permitted to put on his
stockings only) filed along tho gravel walk,
through tho pitchy blackness which a mist
gives to a moonless night, toward the soli
tary brick building occupied by tho Bluo
River National Bank.
They passed tho school-houso where Fos
ter Houghton had carried his boy a dozen
years beforo with a bright new primer
clutched in his frightened littlo fingers ;
then tho desolate old mansion of his own
father, where tho lad had been petted and
worshiped as fervently as at homo ; a littlo
farthoron, tho church, where tho baby had
been baptised, and whero tho youth had
chafed beneath distasteful sermons its
white steeple lost in tho upper darkness ;
and, a few paces beyond, tho academy,
within whoso walls tho cashier had listened
with such prido to his Harry's eloquent
declamation of "Tho Return of Regulusto
Carthage," on the last Commencement day.
Ho thought of these things as they passed,
though so many other thoughts surged in
his mind ; and ho wondered if another
heart beside his own was beset with bucIi
rominiscences on tho silont journoy.
Beforo thoy had rcaehod tho bank tho
man who had gone on iu advance rejoined
them.
"It's all serene," he said in a low tone,
but with a coarser vo ce and utterance than
his confederates; "nothing more than a cat
stirring. I should havo unhitched tho
mare, but wo should be off in fifteen min
utes." "All right, Number Two," said the lead
er. "The swag will bo in the buggy in
less time. Cashier, you arc a man of pru
dence, I know. If you work that combina
tion skillfully and promptly not a hair of
your head shall be harmed. If you make a
blunder that costs us a minuto, not only
will this knife find its way toyourheart,but
wo shall stop on our way back and set your
cottago on fire. Our retreat will bo cov
ered, and you know the consequences tWio
beforo tho alarm will arouse anybody. I
have sworn to do it."
Foster Houghton fancied ho saw a shud
der in tho slighter figure beside him; but it
might havo been a puff of wind across the
long drapery.
"Oh, blow the threats!" said Number
Two. " Tho man values his life, and he is
going to open the safe quicker than ho ever
did before. Open the door, young one, and
let us be about it." Tho robber who had
not yetopened his lips, and whose every mo
tion the cashier watched steadily, stepped
forward to the bank door, and as he drew a
key from under his cloak tho prisoner
caught another glimpso of tho chain he
could havo sworn to among a thousand.
Tho door swung open. Tho cashier's
heart was in his throat. Ho had not heard
a sound of Bixby; lyt ho knew tho village
constable too well to fear, or hope, that ho
might have given up tho chase. All four
entered tho building ; but before tho door
could bo closed behind them thero was a
shout, a cry of dismay, a rush of heavy
feet, a flash of light in a lantern which
gleamed but a moment before it was extin
guished, the confused sound of blows and
oaths, and tho breaking of glass, punctu
ated by tho sharp report of a pistol. Fos
ter Houglitou could never give a clear ac
count of a terrible minute in which his con
sciousness seemed partly benumbed. He
took no part in the struggle, but seemed
to bo pushed outside tho door ; and there,
as tho tumult within began to diminish,
Silas Bixby caino hurriedly to him, drag
ging a masked figure by tho shoulder.
" Houghton, you must help a littlo. We
have got tho better of 'em, and my men are
holding tho two big fellows down. But tho
fight is not out of them yet, and you must
hold this littlo ono three minutes while I
help to tie their hands. Just hold this pis
tol to his head, and he will rest very easy."
Even whilo ho spoko, Bixby was inside
tho door again, and tho gleam of light
which followod showed that ho had recov
ered his lantern and meant to do his work
thoroughly.
Foster Houghton's left hand had been
guided to tho collar of his captive, and tho
revolver had been thrust into his right.
Thero was no question of tho composure of
tho robber now. He panted and sobbed
and shook, and made no effort to tear him
self from tho fecblo grasp that confined
him. ,
If tho cashier had beon irresolute all his
life ho did not waver for an instant now.
Ho did not query within himsolf what was
his duty, or what was prudent, or what his
wifo would advise, or what tho bank direc
tors would think.
"Harry," he whispcrod hoarsoly, hislips
close to tho mask, "I know you."
Tho shrinking figure gave ono groat sob.
Foster Houghton went on without pausing.
" Bixby does not know you, and thero is
time to escape yet. I shall flro this pistol
in tho air. Run for your life to your horso
there, and push on to Tinborough. You
can catch tho train. May God forgive
you I"
The figuro caught tho hand which had
reloased its hold as tho words were spoken,
and kissed it. Then, turning back as if
upon a euddon impulse, the robber mur-
muicd something which could notbeunder
f toxl, and thrust i lto the cashier's hand r
mass of chilly metal which his intuition
rather than his touch recognized as Peleg
Houghton's watch and chain. He had pres
ence of mind enough to conceal it in his
pocket, and then ho fired tho pistol, andhe
heard tho sound of flying feet and rattling
wheels as Silas Bixby accosted him.
"AVhat in thunder! did lie wriggle
away from you ? Why didn't you sing out
sooner?"
" I think I am getting faint. In Heav
en's name, go quick to my house and re
lease my wife, and tell her all itt safe. The
fright of theso shots will kfll her."
Foster Houghton sunk into a swoon even
ns ho spoke, and only tho quick arm of Silas
Bixby saved him from a fall on tho stone
steps.
"See here, hoys," said he, " if you have
got thoso fellows tied up tight, ono of you
take 'Squire Houghton and bring him to,
and I'll go over to his house and untie his
wife before I start after that pesky little
rascal that lias got away. If I had sup
posed lie would dare risk tho pistol, I
should have hong on to him myself. Mike,'
you just keep your revolver cocked, and if
either of those nxm more than winks, shoot
him where he lies,"
Having thus disposed of his forces and
provided for tho guard of his prisoners and
tho restoration of the disabled, the com
mander was off at a run.
Half of Elmficld seemed to havo been
awakened by the shots, and ho was met by
a dozen half-clad men and boys whom he
sent on this errand and that, to open the
lock-up under tho engine house, to harness
horses fai tho pursuit, vouchsafing only
very curt replies to their eager questions as
to what had happened. He was exasperat
ed on arriving at Foster Houghton's dwel
ling to find the door locked and tho win
dows fastened. So he raised a stentorian
shout of, "It's all right Mrs. Hough
ton. Robbers caught and nobody hurt,"
separating his words carefully to insur
being understood, and thon scud at full
speed back toward tho bank again. He
met half-way an excited and talkative littV,
group, the central figuro of which was the
cashier of tho bank, restored to life, but
still white as death, and supported by
friendly hands. Assured that Houghton
himself was now able to release his wife, Bix
by ran on to tho green, and in five minutes
more was settled in his gig, and urging his
cheerful littlo bay Morgan over tho road to
Tinborough, mentally putting iuto form his
narrative for tho Trumpet as lie went.
Thus it camo about that it was Foster
Houghton himself who unloosed his wife's
bonds bonding his gray head, as ho did
so, to print a kiss of sorrow and sympathy
on her wrinkled cheek, and leaving a tow
there.
"Ho has escaped," ho said, "audisoa
tho road to tho station."
" Will ho not bo overtaken ?"
"I think not. He has a fair start, and
knows what is at stake; and tho train
passes through before daylight."
Then tho woman's heart, which had
borne her bravely up so far, gave way, and
she broke into terrible sobs ; and tho hus-
band who would comfort her was himself
overcome by tho common grief, and could
not speak a word. Silently they suffered
together, pressing hands, until tho enter
ing light of dawn reminded them that
evon this day had duties, and perhaps new
phases of sorrow.
Til-. i!d hear tho quick stepsof passers
evident y c - of excitement cWer tho event
of tho night, and talking all together.
Thoy could not be long left undisturbed.
As they dressed, Foster Houghton unable
or reluctant to describe tho scene at the
bank, as hfs wifo was to ask about it sud
denly encountered in his pocket tho watck,
entangled In its chain.
I CONTINUED ON SECOND PAOl.
V