part of our residence at Rudder Grange I neve

t a Colt's revolver loaded in t

d visited us, but we much feared they would. Several houses in the vicinity had be

th of cold by swimming out to us; but Euphemia having replied that it would be rather difficult to move a canal-boat every night

t exposed window, and the other to the door which opened on the deck. These alarms were very simple affairs, but they were good enough. When they were p

to the door every night and to take it off every morning. However, as Euphemia said, it was b

floor or get under their beds. Then the boarder and I were to stand up, back to back, each with pistol in hand, and fire away, revolving on a common centre the while.

e alarm, and the burglars might not be willing to wait while I went forward and roused him up, and brought him to our part of the house. But thi

ore there was an opportu

nt off with a whirr and a wild succession of clangs. For a moment I thought the

he room, hurried up the stairs, opened the door (setting off the alarm there, by the way), and ran along the deck (there was a cold night wind), and hastily descended the steep steps that led into the boarder's room. The do

and the cold muzzle of his Derringer pistol was at my forehe

o long as during the first

as much as breathe, and

n't b

uld it hold good in a case like this? Or w

into the little

laxing his grasp. "What do y

n his room. You took one and dipped i

gasping a litt

put down his pistol

aid, and away we w

e stairs all was d

of hesitancy a

n first, but the bo

go down,

I, "my wife

s safe enough yet, and they would fire only at a man. It wo

usly, his pistol in one hand, and

ed my mind. I could not remain above while the

into which the stairs led. I could not see him, but I put m

pered

backs together and

he may be on a shelf by this time,

followed the boarder, as he slowly made his way toward the k

we saw the rascal standing on a chair, leaning out of the windo

m in," whisper

ly. "We don't want him i

" returned

softly approached the window. Being

three," breathed the

. Each of us took ho

d together we gave a tremendous lift

good deal of water around the boat.

as no need

ck and shoot him as

l get the boat-hook, and jab

the boat-hook and looked ove

the bottom!"

aid the boarder, "for it's not

on was attracted by a

lank?" We looked ashore, and there s

ds, but lowered

ame a

d the boarder, an

I, "what have y

on, sir, when pop! the cha

t do that," I

wned. Take off your wet

mean," said she, as

ghted the lamp, and found E

l right?"

e was no burglar. Pomona

plaster?" asked E

She's all right now. Were y

irely, and I think I doze

nute she

tion afterward, but Euphemia gave the girl a lecture on her care

discover it, but we certainly did find it out,-and this fact was, that housekeeping costs money. At the end of every week we c

ken along all the time, and which gets bigger and bigger like a snow-ba

always got our pencils and paper

unconcerned, "but it would be all well enough if we c

fire where there are sno

"and that's ju

so happy, for she had been very quiet and preoccupied for the first part of the week. So much so, indeed, that I had thought of ordering smaller roa

r?" said I, when I had greeted he

et, but I am going to make

a plan that she intended to keep to herself until she saw how it worked. I did not press her, becau

that she would make some money by her own exertions, to help defray our household expenses. She never had made any money, but that was no reason why she should not

mpecunious, could, in a very quiet and private way, get sewing to do. They could thus provide

carry, and, what was perfectly dreadful, it was wrapped up in a newspaper! When Euphemia told me the story, she said that this was too mu

ld not be so good as to have that wrapped up with the other things. It was a good deal to ask, she knew, and the woman smiled, for the articles she had bought would not make a package as large as her hand. However, her request was complied wi

plain sewing, and was much afraid that she would not do it neatly enough. Besides this, she could only work on it in the daytime-when I was away-and was, of co

nd any more money on the trip than was absolutely necessary, and so was very glad t

uch farther when she went on foot than it had seemed to her riding in the street cars. She handed over h

at idea engrossed her mind entirely. There was no mistake about the sum paid, for the lady clerk had referred to the printed table of prices when she calculated the amount due. But something was wrong, and, at the moment, Euphemia could not tell what i

ime that she had ever visited one alone. What she wanted was something simple. So she ordered a cup of tea and some rolls, and a piece of chicken. The meal was a very good one, and Euphemia enjoyed it. When she had finished,

r eyes, and when I came ho

aid. "I don't believe

nvinced her that she was fully able to help me better than any one else on earth, and t

ing our attention on our weekly balance,

ll the capital we had), and became as ca