The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-03-24

on in silence for some distance down a
dark turning, and thea down another,
until We stopped At the door Of cot.
iage, vhen be said
Good night, gr--eood night. We
are at home now, Good night The
Lord be with you, sir
Amen said | good night and
away walked at brisk pace, never
once looking behind me for nearly
quarter Of mile aud then | turned
and rHn back swiftly upon my toes, for
fell strong conviction that some
thing was wrong, although had no d.
rect clue to what it was. | had taken
sufficient notice Of the cottage to reach
It without any difficulty. and in n few
rather out Of lreaih, ! admit
i stood before it,
1t was one Of those cottages with n
door in the center. and lailiced window
on each side, but there were shutters 10
the windows on the inside which pro-
voking prevented me from getting a
glimpse and there | stood fancyinc
there was some secret within, but total.
W unable 10 find out what it was. |
iancied too that heard the murmur Of
voices and being resolved not TO be
folled, il possible, ! made my way to
the back Of the cottage, where there
was a garden, and then got into a kind
of scullery or wash-house. There was
a window exactly the level of my eyes.
and ] once saw into room, where n
scene was going on which trans6xed
me with horror aud astonishment.
The man and woman were both in
the room. on chair was placed small,
common. rough looking child's coffin
At the moment that looked into the
room. the woman was upon her knees
with both hands uplifled, as If in sup
pllcailon, while the man stood over her
with his fists cenched, and in an atti-
rude as if to strike her
'Ah John, John she said, won
know he is not dead. John, have mer-
cy--hasc mercy. Do not do il. Oh !!
God, God, do not let him do itn
Peace, fool-peace, | say, or you
will tempt me to silence you most ef-
feciually. Get the child-pet the
child
John, John, it only sleeps-no, it is
not dead. Oh God. oh il is not dead,
John. You know got the laulannm
from Mr.. Spragg and you gave it.
oh, no, no, no. You cannot, now that
It has come 10 the point, put the living
child into the coffin. 1t will wake-it
will recover. Oh oh oh XIII
me first
But you consented You know YOU
consented and when Mrs Blanchard
left you the twenty pounds, and said
that she'd not be back from France for
year, you consented to make way
with the brat
i was mad
You are mad now. But if you won't
get the child, will. 1t won't awaken
I'LL it is under ground in the morning.
III be bound; and then ii don't matter
We haven't killed it, after all. Didn't
we send for MIR. Spragg, and didn't he
look at it, and say it was dead 2
No, no, John. Mr.. Spragg came, but
he never went into the room where the
child lay. You know he did not
What is that to you' Confound you,
the coffin is TO small, or you should get
into il as we'll Oh, you leave 90, won't
your Wen soon see about that. Take
what you deserve
A blow struck her down, and then
he stepped TO little bed that was in
the room, and took from it what looked
like sleeping child, and crammed it
into the coffin. His wife recovered suf-
iicienily to see what he was about, and
clung to his knees, shricking. lie
struck her with his disengaged band,
and commenced putting on the lid Of the
coffin. | ran round the house, aud
snaiched up stake, was about 10 dash
in one Of the windows, but | stayed my
hand. for ] thought might do better
John, John, john | shouted, "a
gentlemen wants you at the Bull and
Bash," directly
| hid myself instantly. and in about
a minute The door opened. and the frl-
loW appeared shading the light with
hi. hand.
What. lhay Whats that he
cried who wants me Z Mr. Lane, ,ii;
Eh; Who called II must have
only iancied 1t, and yet it was so plain.
Coniouud IL could have sworn to H.
Never mind
He closed the door again, bot was
moi disposed 10 give him any peace.--
Tie had given me hiut upon which !
acted.
John. John ! cried again. in f loud
voice John. M Lane wants you al
the Boil and Bu,h~ directly
'Who the devil Is 2 be said, com
Jog 10 ihe door again, in a moment
where nre you Mr. Lane, iid you
say IN come. of course, directly
lie weui into the cottage a, ! sae.s-
ed, 20 ,ay something 10 his wife ADD
then 10 half ninaie be came out
With his bat OF. and salked od in
the direction n ihe publie house bad
named did not he.iiate moment
bot sent 70 DE door and raped At il.
A. iid 20, ! found il yielded to my