Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1866-04-27
sEAPLEFORD GRAgEE.

sEAP1EFoRD GRAxEE
I heard the following narrative at
dinner party In a country house abOu
five miles from the place where the even
referred to occurred, and it was relatet
to me by the chief actress In it--Ciss,
/ Miles, pretty, lady-lIke girl of twenty
| the daughter of the rector Of the parIsl
in which StaplefOrd Grange is situated
1t was the Saturday afternoon befori
/ Christmas day, two years ago, when m!
I six brothers-aIl younger than myself
and 1, we're skating on the squire's fish
pond. We had been skating since din
ner, and it was not till the winter day
| light was beginning to wane that the rec
collection rushed on me that / had en-
/ tirely forgotten to do commission ny
mother had given me IN the morning
| This commission was to go to the Grange
I q big farm house, and bespeak somt
/ geese for dinner, on New Years Day
I My mother had said, decidedly, Those
/ geese must be ordered to-day, Cissy." 81
l knew I should have to 60, though the
/ Grange was a mile off, although it wal
very cold and darkness was coming on
and although I was rather afraid Of big
/ black dog which was chained up Just il
/ front of the Grange back door.
Who'll 60 with me to the Grange
1 called out quickly, as this remembrance
occurred to me, sitting down and begin
ming to unstrap my skates. I've for
gotten all about the geese, and mamma
| said / was to order them to-day"
/ No one answered. The next day was
| Sunday, and it might thaW before Mon
day Every boy, big or little, seemed de-
/ sirous Of making the most of present op-
| pOTtunItIes.
Il daren't go by myself, Vt called out in
pathetic tone 1t would be quite
| dark before l got home again"
Tell the truth Cis," called out Char
| lie, q quick, good natured boy of fifteen,
and say you're afraid of Jip. Never
mind, I'll come with you, if you must go. D
And he Joined me on the bank, and pro-
ceeded to take off his skates.
Thanks to all my brothers, I was a
pretty good runner, and we sped across
the squire's field, and through the narrow
lane toward the Grange, as fast as posi-
ble When we got to the last field, which
Joined the farm yard, we slackened our
pace a little, and when we got into the
big court yard itself, we we're walking al
most slowly.
How dreadfully lonely it looks,
Charlie ?" I said almost with a shiver at
the desolate aspect of the place, which
had been a grand gentleman's house for
ty years ago, but had been suffered to fall
almost into ruins. L am glad N not
Mrs. johnson, particularly as she has no
children, nor anybody to keep her COM
pany when Mr.. johnson is away.
Well, don't you stop and prose to her
forever at such a time, Cis, do you hear?'
returned Charlie, good humoredly.
Jip did not greet us with his usual
noisy welcome, and there was no sound
of any sort about the place except the
cabling of some turkeys in the rear of
the farm buildings. We went up and
knocked at the door, and when 1 turned
round I observed that Jip's kennel,
which stood exactly opposite, IN line
with the front of the house was empty.
Where can Jip be, Charlie p I said
in whisper.
Il don't know" Charlie returned
thoughtfully; poor Jip.has come tosgrief,
perhaps, It's odd Mrs. J ohnson dosen't t
come [ think I'll go on a voyage of dis
cOvery stay here till L come back, and
he pushed the door further open.
'' No, let me go too, [ said, hastily,
half frightened-I am a coward at the
sight of blood.
" Well don't make a row, then" and
we entered together.
There was a big blazing fire in the CRATE,
which showed that On the table the tea
things were set for tea the kettle was
kissing away merily, and some tea cakes
stood to keep warm on low stand be-
fore the fire. Everything looked snug
and coy. Evidently Mrs. johnson had
prepared everything ready for tea when
the farmer should return from D-mark-
ct, and was gone up stairs to clean"
herself
[ had time to make all these observa-
tions over Charles shoulder, before he
gave a sudden start, and strobe with a
low exclamation to a bundle of clothes
which lay at the further and darker side
ofthe kitchen, on the smooth stone floor.
A bundle of clothes it looked like, with
Jip lying beside it in very strange atti
tude.
[ shall never forget the horror of the
next moment. Huddled up, evidently in
the attitude in which she had fallen, lay
Mrs. johnson, with gaping wound
across her throat, from which the blood
was still trickling, and Jip, with a large
pool of blood near his head, lay dead be-
side her.
[ stood for a moment, too paralyzed
with hoTror-such intense, thrilling hOr-
ror, that only any one who has eEpe-
rienced such feeling can understand it
and then, with a low scream, 1 sank on
the moor, ana put up my mus 70 Try anu
hide the horrible sight.
Hush ~ whispered Charlie, sternly
taking hold of my hands, and forcibly
dragging me on to my yafeetagain you
mustn't make a sound. Whoever has
done this can't be far off you must run
home, Cissy, as hard as ever you can.
Come ''
He dragged me to the door, and then I
turned sick all over, and tumbled down
again. felt as if I could not stir anoth-
er step.
It's no use, Charlie, I can't STIR" I
said. Leave me and go without me-
Nonsense Try again"
tried again, but it was no use. My
legs positively would not move, and prec-
ious time was being wasted.
You fool |" Charlie said bitterly and
passionately. How was boy of fifteen
to understand a woman's weakness ?
g Then [ must leave you. It's Johnson's s
money they want no doubt. They
wouldn' murder if they could help it,
and johnson will be back directly"
Yes, yes, CO." [ said, understanding
that he wanted to fetch help before the
farmer came. will hide somewhere. p"
'' In the kennel there" he said, look
ing round quickly, and don't stir. .
He pushed me into poor murdered
Jip's kennel, and then he disappeared,
and I was left alone in th e gathering
j.. 18th kbosa 4vuo y.w~ukwaAo fovu1a