The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-13
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BROTHER OVENS STORY
THE SIEGE OF the BLACK COTTAGE.
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III looked upward ~ that comforting refsec
ton crossed my mtnd-I looked up and saw
rs plainly ~ I zee the paper am now writ
inside Of The roof just over my head. Our cot
tagc had no upper story, and our rooms had M
ceilings slowly and wickedly the knit,
wrissIed its way through the dry inside ths:ct
and there came a sound Of tearing. That. Ia
its turn. stopped too there was great fail q
dry ihs'ch on the moor, and saw the heavy
knife, come through after the fallen fragments
He tapped at the rafters with the back OF thu
knife. - II TO test thetr strength. Thank God
they were substantial aud close together
Nothing lighter than q Ratchet would have
snmced TO remove any part Of them.
The murderous hand was s'ill tapping with
the knife when heard q shout from the man
fathers s,ons..S shed ' in the back yard. RI.
hand and knife dieapl cared instantly. went
TO the back door and put my ear to 1t. aud lis
tened.
Both neu were now in the she'd I made the
most desperate efforts to call to mind what
tools aud other things were left In II which
might br used against me. But my agitation
cept my fathers big stone-saw, which was far
too hesvy aud unwieldy to Be used on the roof
OF the cottage. / was still pulling my brains,
when 1h heard ,he mem DR. sssias sometime on;
of the shed. At the same instant that the
noise cangh, my ear. the remembrance flashed
across me like lightning OF some beams of wood
which had lain In the shed for years past. l
had hardly time to feel certain that they were
removing one Of these beams before heard
ShifLy Dick say 70 Jerry,
(Which door 2"
The front" was the answer. "We'ye
crscked II already; we'll have 1t down now In
no time
Senses less sharpened BY danger than mine
a hAx-n aAoe 1nsse
these words, that they were about to use the
beam as a ba,teriHg- ram against the door,
When that conviction Overcame me, lost
courage at last felt that the door must
come down. No such barricade as had con.
structed could support it for more than a few
minutes against such shocks as it was now to
receive.
II can do no more to keep the house against
then,' said to myself, with my knees knock
ing together, and the tears at last beginning to
wet my checks. 81 must trust to the night
and the thick darkness and save my life by
running for 1t while there is yet time.''
Ihnddled on my cloak and hood, and had my
hand on the bar of the back door, when pite-
Gus new from the bedroom reminded me of
the existence of poor Pussy. ran in, and
huddled the creature upin my apron. Before
! was out in the passage again, the first shock
from the beam fell ON the door.
The upper hinge gave way. The chairs and
the coal-scuttle, forming the top Of my barri-
Cade, were hurled, rafting, on to the floor,
but the lower hinge of the door, aud the chest
OF drawers and the tOol-chest still kept their
places.
'One more!" l heard the villains cry-"one
more run with the beam, and down it comes ~
Just as they must have been starting for
that lone more rum" opened the back door
fled ou' nto the night with the book full of
bank notes in my bosom, the silver spoons in
my pocket, and the cat in my arms. thread
ed my way easily enough through the familiar
the pitch darkness Of the moor before I heard
the second shock, and the crash which told me
that the whole door had given way.
In a few minutes they must have discovered
the fact Of my flight with the pocket book. for
] heard shouts in the distance as if they were
running out to pursue me. / kept on at the
top OF my speed, and the noise soon died away
1t was so dark that twenty thieves ms tead Ut
two would have found it useless to follow
me.
How lorg it was before reached the farm.
hOuse-the nearest place to which could fiy
for REFUGEE cannot tell You. / remember
that had just sense enough to keep the wind
at>ny back (having observed in the beginning
Of the evening that it blew toward Moor
Farm and to 60 on resolutely through the
darkness: In all other respects was BY this
time half crazed by what had gone through
If it had SO happened that the wind had chang.
ed after had observed its direction early in
have probably persisted of fatigue and exDo.
sure on the moor. Providentially, It. still
blew steadily as it had blown for hours past.
and reached the farm house with my clothes
wet through, and my brain in high fever
When made my alarm at the door, they had
all gone to bed but the farmers eldest SON. who
was sitting up late over his pipe and news
paper. l just mustered strength enough to
gasp out few words telling him what was the
matter, and then fell down at his feet, for the
nrst time in my life in a dead swoon
-, Ihaf swoon was followed by severe Illness
When got strong enough to look about me
again, found myself in one Of the farm. house
beds-my father, Mrs. Knifton, and the doctor
were all in me room-my cat was asleep at
my feet, and the pocket book that had saved
lay on the table by my side.
There was plenty of news Cor me to hear as
soon as was Ill to listen TO it, Shifty Dick
and the other rascal had been caught, and |
assizes. Mr.. and MES. Knifton had heen so |
shocked at the danger I had run-for which |
they blamed their own want Of thoughtfulness
In leaving the pocket-book In my care-that |
they had insisted on my fathers removing
from our lonely home to q cottage on their land
which we were to inhabit rent free The bauk- |
notes that had saved were given to me to buv
!Srn'ture Wild, IN place OF the things that the
a SIS ted so greatly in promoting my recovery |
thai was soon able to relate to my friends at
the farmhouse the particulars that have
written here. They were all surprised and in.
terested, but no one, as thought, listened to !
me with such breathless attention as the farm /
ers eldest son. Mrs. Knifton noticed this.
too, and began TO make jokes about it, in her
way. as soon rs we were alone.-1
l thought little OF her jesting at the time hut
when got we'll, and we went to live at our
new home, 1.-THE young farmer" a. he was call.
ed in our parts, constantly came to see ms. and
constantly managed to meet me out of DOORS
l had my share OF vanity, like other vounr
women, and began to think of Mrs. Kniflon
jokes With some attention To he brief the |
young farmer managed one Sunday-I never |
could ,ell how-to lose his way with me in re-
turning from church, and before we found ont
the right road home again he had asked me TO |
b his wife.
His relations did all they could to keen us
asuIder aud hre.k Oh the match thinkinr a |
poor stoned ason's daughter no tit wife for a
prosperous yeoman. But the farmer was too
obstinate for them He had ono fern of answer
10 all their objections. "A man, If he ia worth
The name, mArries according to his own mo-
lions, and to please himself" he used to saw
My notion is, that when l take wife am !
placing my character and my happiness-the
most precious things have to trust-in one /
TomHn's care. The woman mean to marry
aad small charge cOnflded 10 her care. and
moved herself worthy of it At the risk OF hex | !
lfe That Is proof enough for me that she ia
worthy Of the greatest charge l can put into !
aer hands. Rank and riches are fine thiurs
, y the certainty ofgettiDga COED wife 10 some.
iAughter.r &
nn0 ne oid marry me. Whether proved nv.
.eII wortny or not OF his good opinion il n nncs
= :, men must leave yon TO ask NV h ma 6and |
a. a. tnat had to relate about mvcelf ma nv 4
~. no or,9 - noW told. Whatever Interest nv
, au sSntafe may excite ends am wefi
h"~a. WIN my escape to the farm .house.
.. cuiy vehtured ON writing these fs,v sSdi
cohai sentences because nv marri.~.. ~
cnni"aei my story. 1t has brought ma ~
n..Sost dressings Of happiness and r,c..,.,;e- | ~