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Judy, a novel by Temple Bailey |
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Chapter 20. Anne Hears A Burglar |
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_ CHAPTER XX. ANNE HEARS A BURGLAR Anne was wakened that night by a sense of utter loneliness. "Judy," she called, softly. No answer. "Judy." Anne reached over and found that the covers of the little white bed that stood beside her own had not been disturbed. "She hasn't come up-stairs," thought Anne, who had left Judy reading in the library when she went to bed. There was no light in the room, and as little Anne lay there, trembling and listening, her breath came quickly, for she was a timid little soul, and the talk of burglars that day had upset her; and without the wind howled, and within the house was very, very still. At last she heard a sound. "She's coming," she thought, thankfully, but all at once she became conscious that the sound was not in the upper hall, but down-stairs on the porch. There was the quick patter of little feet, and then an appealing whine. "Why, it's a dog," said Anne, sitting up straight, "It's a dog." She got up and looked out of the window. A little short-eared, stubby-tailed Boston terrier was running back and forth on the sand, anxiously. Anne was a tender-hearted lover of animals, and his apparent distress appealed to her. "I'll go down and see what's the matter with him," she decided, thrusting her feet into her slippers and tying the ribbons of her pink dressing-gown. She flew down the long dark hall to the top of the steps that led below, and there she stopped still, with her hand on her heart. The fire in the hall was still burning, and the flames wavered fitfully over the great picture above the mantel, and on the jar of red roses in front of it. The rest of the hall was in the shadow, and darker than the shadows, Anne had made out the figure of a man standing on the threshold. As she gazed, he crossed the room and stood in front of the fire, his eyes raised to the great picture. Suddenly he leaned forward and took one of the red roses from the jar. "He is even stealing the roses," thought Anne, indignantly, but then, what could you expect of a man who would carry off boxes of candy and thimbles and kittens? She was sure it was the Durant burglar, and she dropped to the floor cautiously, and crouched there. Outside she could still hear the whine of the dog, but she had no thought of going to him now--she could not pass that silent figure on the rug. Then, all at once, she thought of Judy. She was in the library, and there was just one room between her and the burglar! Anne wasn't brave, and never had been, but in that moment she forgot herself, forgot everything but that Judy was not well and must not be frightened at any cost. Judy must not see the burglar. As the man moved across the hall Anne staggered to her feet, feeling along the wall for the electric button, and then suddenly the lights flared up, and the little girl, a desperate pink figure clinging to the stair-rail, looked down into the upraised face of the man below. "Don't," she said, with white lips, "don't--go--in--there--" As she stared at him in a blur of fright she was conscious of wondering if all burglars looked so gentlemanly--if--why, _where had she seen his face_? "Judy," breathed the man, and his whisper seemed to thunder in her ears as he came up the stairway two steps at a time. Anne gave a little scream, half fright, half delight. "Oh--" Why, his face was familiar--it was the face of the man in the picture over the fireplace! "Judy," he said, again, as he reached her and caught her in his arms. But as her yellow hair flowed over his coat, he laughed excitedly and put her from him. "I beg pardon," he apologized. "I thought you were Judy." "And I thought you were a burglar," quavered Anne, as she sat down on the top step weakly. Her fair little face was alight with joy as she held out her hand. "Oh," she said, "you are Judy's father, and you are alive, you are really alive!" "And you are Anne," said the Captain. "How did you know?" wondering. "The Judge told me." "Where did you see the Judge?" she asked. "He has been with me ever since he left here," said the Captain. "Dr. Grennell discovered me in a hospital in Newfoundland, and I was very ill, and he sent for father, and he has been with me ever since. And he has gone straight to Fairfax, for he isn't very well. But I had to see my girl. Did I wake you?" "I heard the dog." "Terry? I brought him to Judy, and left him outside so he wouldn't startle the house. Where is my girl--where is she, Anne?" "Oh, she's in the library," said Anne. "I'll call her. Oh, how happy she will be! How happy she will be!" She sang it like a little song, as she flitted through the hall. At the same moment the electric bell of the front door thrilled through the house, and the Captain opened the door quickly. Preceded by a blast of wind, and the scurrying Terry-dog, Launcelot Bart came in. He stood irresolute as he saw the strange man on the rug, and before either could speak, Anne came running back. Her face was white and her hands were shaking. She did not seem to see Launcelot, but went straight up to Captain Jameson. "Oh, where is Judy, where is Judy?" she wailed, "she isn't there." "And where is Tommy Tolliver?" demanded Launcelot Bart. _ |
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