"I"m so afraid those wicked men will hurt papa," sobbed Grace.
"G.o.d will take care of him, dear child," Violet said, repeating her caress. "Beside your papa just told me he thought there was no cause for apprehension.
"But, Lulu, I have not heard yet how the burglars came to be locked into the strong room. Tell me about it."
"Something waked me, Mamma Vi, and I heard them, and by listening a little I made sure where they were. At first I thought I"d run and call papa; but then I thought there are two of them if not more and papa is only one, so he would hardly have a chance in trying to fight them; but if I should slip quietly down and slam the door to and lock them in, it would save risking papa"s life; and if they should catch me and kill me it wouldn"t be half so bad as if they hurt papa.
"So I asked G.o.d to help me and take care of me. Then I ran down the back stairs to the library.
"The door into the back hall was far enough open to let me slip in without touching it, so that I did so without making any noise to attract their attention; then seeing by the light coming from the crack at the back of the strong room door, that they were in there, I crept close up and peeped in, and there they were; one down on his knees working at the lock of the safe, the other holding a lantern to give him light.
"When I had watched them for a minute, I asked G.o.d again to help me; then I felt for the bolt and kept my hand on it while I, all of a sudden, pushed against the door with all my might and slammed it to, and shot the bolt in.
"I"d hardly done it when I heard the men drop their tools and run to the door and try to get it open; saying dreadful words too, that frightened me. So I only waited to lock the door also before I started to run upstairs and on through the rooms till I got to papa.
"He was asleep and I was so out of breath, and my heart beating so fast I couldn"t speak for a minute. But I put my arm round his neck and my cheek on the pillow close to his and he woke."
"And it was you who locked the burglars in?" exclaimed Violet in astonishment. "I"ve heard before now of women doing such things, but never of a little girl like you attempting it. You dear, brave, unselfish child! I am very, very proud of you!" and she bent down again and kissed Lulu several times.
The burglars, quite aware that their presence in the house was known, were making desperate efforts to escape, trying to force the lock or break down the door, at the same time cursing, and swearing in tones of concentrated fury.
The captain drew near and spoke to them.
"Men," he said sternly, "you are caught in a trap you have laid for yourselves, and escape is impossible; both lock and door are strong enough to resist your utmost efforts; therefore you may as well take matters quietly."
"That we won"t. Let us out or it"ll be the worse for you!" growled one of the villians, grinding his teeth with rage.
"Have a little patience," returned the captain; "you shall be taken out presently, and off the premises; you are by no means desirable inmates in the home of any honest, law-abiding citizen."
The response to that was a threat of vengeance to be taken sooner or later, should he dare to deliver them up to justice.
Finding their threats disregarded, they tried persuasion, appeals to his compa.s.sion--a.s.serting that it was their first attempt to rob, and that they were driven to it by necessity--they and their families being in sore straits from extreme poverty--and promises to lead honest lives in future.
One voice the captain recognized as that of the groom he had dismissed some months before because of his cruelty to Thunderer.
"Ajax," he said sternly, "you are lying to me! I know that your family are not in distress, and that you can make an honest living if you choose to be industrious and faithful to your employers. You were well paid here but lost your situation by inexcusable cruelty to dumb animals.
"Since discharging you I have more than once supplied the wants of your wife and children; and this is your grateful return;--coming to rob me, bringing with you another, and perhaps more desperate villain than yourself."
The men-servants had followed their master into the library and stood listening to the colloquy in open-mouthed astonishment.
"How dey git locked up in dar, cap"in?" asked one.
"Miss Lulu slammed the door to on them and locked and bolted it," he replied, his eyes shining at thought of the unselfish bravery of his child.
"Ki, cap"n! you"s jokin", fo" shuah, dat little Miss Lu lock up de bugglars? how she gwine do dat? she one small chile an" dey two big men?"
"She undoubtedly did it," returned the captain, smiling at the man"s evident amazement. "She heard them at work with their tools, on the safe door, came softly down into this room, peeped at them through the crack behind the door there, and before they were aware of her vicinity, slammed it to and bolted and locked it on them."
"Hurrah for little Miss Lu!" cried the men; one of them adding, "Dey mus" hab her fo" a kunnel in de nex" wah."
"No, sah; higher"n dat; fo" brigandine gineral at de berry leas"!" said another.
Seeing no hope of escape, the prisoners had ceased their efforts and awaited their fate in sullen silence.
They did not know who had been their captor, and in telling the story of Lulu"s exploit the captain purposely so lowered his tones that scarce a word reached their ears.
At this moment Max appeared at the door opening from the library into the front hall; only half dressed and asking in much excitement, what was the matter? what was the meaning of the lights and the noises that had waked him?
His father explained in a few words, and as he finished a loud knocking at the front entrance told of the arrival of the sheriff and his posse.
They were promptly admitted, filed into the library and formed a semi-circle about the door of the strong room--each man with a revolver in his hand, c.o.c.ked and ready for instant use.
The door was then unfastened and the burglars stepped out only to be immediately handcuffed and carried away to prison, sullenly submitting to their arrest because they saw that resistance was useless.
But before being taken from the house they were searched and the captain"s watch found upon Ajax. He had evidently visited the dressing-room of his late master to obtain the key to the strong room door, and appropriated the watch at the same time.
The lock of the safe was also examined and found but little injured. The scoundrels had not succeeded in getting at the valuables there.
They had collected together some from other parts of the house and made them into bundles ready to carry away, but they were uninjured and had only to be restored to their places.
Max was greatly excited. "Papa," he said, when the sheriff had departed with his prisoners, and doors and windows were again secured, "we have had a narrow escape from serious loss; perhaps worse than that; for who knows but those fellows meant to murder us in our beds?"
"I think not, my son," replied the captain. "I presume their only object was plunder, and that if they had succeeded in rifling the safe without discovery, they would have gone quietly away with their booty.
"Had they desired to kill any of us, they would have been likely to attempt it when upstairs in search of the key to the strong room."
"And it was Lu who spoiled their plans! Just think of it! I"d like to have had her chance. Papa, I think Lu"s splendid!"
"She has certainly shown herself very brave and unselfish on this, and several other occasions," the captain said with a happy look in his eyes.
"But come, we will do well now to go back to our beds, for it is scarcely four o"clock," he added, consulting his recovered watch.
The men servants had returned to their quarters, and father and son were alone.
Violet, in dressing-gown and slippers, met them at the head of the stairway.
"You have not been able to sleep, my love?" the captain said with a glance of concern at her pale, excited face. "But of course that was not to be expected."
"No; we have all been too much excited to close an eye," she answered."
They are gone? Do tell me all about it!"
"O papa, please come in here and tell it where Gracie and I can hear,"
called Lulu entreatingly, from the inner room, and the bed where they still lay clasped in each other"s arms.
"I will; I think you deserve the indulgence," he said going to them, Violet and Max following, the latter asking, "May I come in too, papa?"
"Yes," replied his father, placing a chair for Violet. "I presume it will be a relief to you all to talk the matter over together with your mamma and me, and you will perhaps be more inclined for sleep afterward."