Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-04-27

anxious to afford them every help in our pow
er. Old Mr.. Ellesmere was ashamed to re-
member how he had sought to displacc my
father; but he conquered his feelings so far
as to come once or twice TO acknowledge his
obligation TO US; to our father he was unaf-
fectedly sympathizng. and he treated US with
gracious but somewhat distant politoness,
which awed and agitated Anna extremely,
while /, regarding him as a fellow-mortal, and
something more than fellow-sinnor, was so
entirely unombarrassod that it was evident he
felt more at home and better pleased with me.
After few days Of great anxiety. stephen
Joined us one evening in Nannys kitchen.
Only my sisters and were there, and he told
us that his only hope Of oxtricatng his father
from his difficulties rested upon a large remit
tance which he expected by tho post two
mornings hence. While be was talking Ire
vors voice was heard calling Ettie into tho
sittng-rOOm. Stephen knew Of my dislike to
him; but, as Anna disagreed with me on
that single topic, he only laughed at my pre-
Judiccs. BY strange combination he had
never seen Trevor, and now, at my suggestion,
he stole out into our town garden, guided by
Anna's warm little hand to peep through the
uncurtained window Of the sithng-room.--
There knelt Trevor beside Ettie, drawing
down her head till her bright curls fell upon
his handsome face, and her whispering lips
rested almost against his car Stephen had
imagined raw, awkward boy, but, when he
saw one who greatly excelled himself in ex-
terror advantages, he acknowledged the full
force Of my objections to his intimate domes-
tic position in our home, and grew jealous and
uneasy. Anna wished to get up the morning
named, and did not oppose her, for Stephen
was 20 come for his letter at five. When she
rose at three watched her, as in a dream,
Gress herself in pretty morning wrapper, and
arrange her soft brown hair, until Trevor came
calling impatiently at the foot of the stairs.
Upon entering the office, Anna Immediate
ly seized the London bag, and eagerly sought
the expected packet; she stamped it herself
and laid it carefully aside. leaving other let
ters to the stamprr. Old Nanny had taken
her usual post in the kitchen, and, when the
stamping was finished, and the stamper gone,
she sat half DOING by the fire, but by and by
the absence Of customary oounds aroused her,
and she tried to open the door communicating
with the Office it was fastened inside With
a quick apprehension of mischief, she hasten
ed round to the other door, which she found
locked. She had presence of mind to come
and wake me quietly, and with duplicate
key, which possessed, we soon entered the
Office Trevor was not there, of course, but
u
bags near the counter
Immediately guessed the meaning Of tho
scene before me, and, as bent over my sis
ter heard the shrill whistle of an early Lon
don train which doubtless was conveying our
confidential clerk from his fruitful field of la
bor The usual appliances restored Anna to
consciousness and after few hurried words,
| left her, pallid and trembling, under Nam
nys care. With the mechanism of habit |
proceeded to finish the sorting Of the letters,
while my mind was busy in conjecturing what
| ought to do. If made the robbery known
at the police station of our own town, the
news spreading from one to another would
bring upon the Ellesmeres the accumulation
of claims which would be their ruin. Thus
pondering, | collected the letter bills from the
various towns and, finding one of them miss
ing. put my hand into the bag to which il
belonged from the bottom | drew forth
letter, which had stuck between the seams
and had not fallen out when the bag was emp
tied it was in Trevor's hand, and bore the
stamp Of our office, dated the night on which
Stephen had spoken confdentially to u.s. He
had evidently slipped it into the bag after the
tied bundles of lottors had been put in. 1t
had been missed at the post office to which it
was addressed, and consequently had been
returned to us by the next mail Here then,
was an important and certain clue to his route;
and, as held it in my hand, tremor of ex-
ultation qulvered through my whole frame.
feasible plan presented itself to me. At
five a train started to our county town, where
Mr.. Jermyn lived, and leaving the work to
Anna. and what chance aid she could obtain,
was speedily on my way to Longborough.
with Trcvor's returned letter, which was. of
course, unauthorized to open.
Trevors letter was addressed to his ''dear
wife" and instructed her to meet him at
Southampton before noon that day Mr.. Jer-
myn at once communicated the circumstances
to the superintendent of police, and return
ed home in time to start Stephen off by the
second train to Southampton, to claim the
packet that was sure to be found in Trevor's
possession.
1t would be vain to attempt to describe my
fathers grief, and of Ettie's agony none of us
have ever spoken from that time TO this.
By night Anna was delirious and, after the
excitement OF the day, had to begin an aux-
ious watch beside my win-sister-Stephens
poor Anna. for whom he had waited and work
ed eight long years. She lay tossing 10 and
fro, and raving of the work that had wasted
her youthful energies and bodily strength
What need is there to tell of Trevor's ar
rest aud conviction of .he black shadow that
fell on Ettie's youth Of Anna's dangerous
illness and Stephens despair of Mr.. Elles-
meres pride and prejudice broken by his sons
great sorrow; and of the quiet marriage that
quickly followed Anna's recovery.
The laws of compensation and change move
the machinery of life as upon wheels After
the lapse Of few years, Eltie married young
er brother Of Stephens; Mr.. Jermyn was at
the wedding, and could not help moralzing
. .al ipve "a do hor tlo.r 1.i,, H..
selves in the right, especially upon public
question | dare say uttered many falacies
on the effect of low salaries upon honesty.
"Nou talk like a woman, was the only re-
ply Mr.. Jermyn vouchsaled to my remarks.
OBSERVE THE RuLEs.-Gentlemen who
are in the habit Of visiting printing offices,
would do wei to pocket this scrap, as it might
be useful to all concerned. 1t has been adopt
cd by the "crah, and it is expected that the
rules will be universally observed.