The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-04-23
WHOLE NUMBER 3O4

i Very soon Hector's heavy tread re-
souaded along the gallery. lie was re-
turnipg-'o stopped aud knocked upon
her door. She opened it.
Mistress said the faithful black,
who having received some education and
having long been entrusted with the care
Of tho estate was able to converse in q
manner superior to the usual jargon of
his race. Mistress Ella, l am very
sorry you let that fellow in. | mistrust
him. I'm sure he's not what he seems
aud Brave, poor fellow, he thinks 80
too, for we had hard work to ge. him
out of the room, and now he has LAIN
down on the mat before the door, with
his rcd eyes fixed upon it, and growing
all the while. I've heard of them To-
ries' tricks, and I'm 'ftard this skulking
fellows one of 'em
Tories, Hector are there T Tories in
this eighborhood p asked Ella, palo
with fear, that had its Justification Of the
Iawless cruelty which had too frequently
followed the footsteps of these men. 'Oh
why did not papa tell me-why did 10
60 away =
L thought master did tell you, Miss
Ella. He bade mo bring all the men
into the house to sleep at night; and
he's left us plenty of arms and powder.
Reckon if the lascals DO come, they'll
get what master calls warm reccp.
ton"
What have you done, Hector :"
"I'ye placed some of the men to
guard the stables and the cattle, for the
sneaking rascals sometimes try to drive
them off and to steal the horses. The
rest are in the house and will not slcep
tonight. That fellows no more sick
than | am, Miss Ella, but | reckon Brave
can manage him. And maybe he don't
mean any wrong after all, so you'd best
go to sleep, Miss Ella, and We'll sec
that no harm comes to you"
He would have left Ella to her rest,
but-the young girl had been too long ac-
customed to care, to delegate her respon-
sibilities- She went down, saw that the
men were gathered, we'll armed, in the
hall and kitchen, provided for their re-
Ireshmcnt, enjoined rest upon the elder
aud more feeble ones, and made light Of
the fears Of the women who, she said,
we're not very brave, ifa sick stranger,
craving only rest and food, could so
frighten them.
But the Tories, Miss Ella, the To-
ries ~ chimed chorus of voices, while
a score of eyes, cleaning out of dusky
faces, grey with fear, were turned upon
the fair, young creature whom they al!
loved, and 10 whom they had common
pride as the daughter Of their master.
Ella tried to laugh, but her hysterlcal
mir,h had in it nothing re-assuring' so
bidding the women all retire to their
sleeping places, as it was already past
midnight, she returned to her room ae'
ompani.d only by her maid.
The strangers room being in al angle
of the building, was opposite her own.
Ella lifted the heavy curtains that
shroudcd her window, and sat long, ga
zing ou, into the darkness. A faint light
was visible from the strangers 8 WINDOW,
and she fancied she detected a figure
moving about in the dimness of the
apartment. Conscience smote her as she
thought her guest might be i'll and suffer-
ing, at the very moment when she wron-
ged him by suspicious of evil. She was
about summoniug Hector to attend him,
when his lamp flashed brightly forth
flom the window, and she caught sight
OF him for one instant, as he stood, com
pletely dressed, holding the light out in
to the darkness. For another moment
all was dark, then the light flashed ou'
again, then once more, in all three times
1t was evidently signal, and was an
swered by low whistle from out the
sbubbery. Ella, straining her gaze, was
sure she saw some dark forms moving
cautiously in the deep shadows Of the
trees.
At that instant Brave commenced
barking violently, and the strangers
deep voice was heard chidipg him. One
By one the dark figures moved into the
open space 10 front Of the house, and 81