Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-02-02

by this, and thc farmer II not have more.
He ought to be coming by nOw,' sal,
the first, anxiously, coming a step or tw,
nearer the kennel. .sHallo, What's that
4. The tone made me turn sick again. Has
Charlie found help already? No Tn,
three men were standing close to the kennel
and during the moments silence that fol
lowed the mans exclamation | remembered
that lad dropped my muf. | tried to stoT
the hard, quick humping Of my heart. which
| felt certain they must hear, and then, az
If fascinated. L raised ny head from my knees
for till that moment had been crouching
at the furthest end Of the kennel-and saw
a harry, ferce-lOoking face glaring in at the
entrance Of my hidIng-place. | tried hard
not to scream. and | succeeded but in an
other moment | should have tainted if the
face had not been taken away. To my utter
amazoment.as the face disappeared, ITS owner
said
II thought some one might be hiding
That's lady's trumpery. What can it
mean ?"
Evidently had not been seen, thanks to
my dark dress and the gathering twilight.
| breathed freely now ; unless something
very unfors-ecn &C c.urrod, WIS safe.
= Some one bas been, ami has dropped it, -
a voice sald, quickly. e That's all ON SC
coun. Of your cursed f0olery, Dick, it went
on angrily. - Why couldn't you stop at
the door, as told you -
" Wen, let's do something now the
/ third said, anxlOusly, "or we shall be hay
/ ing some one here
/ The three men then went back into the
house again, and could hear them srcak-
/ ing in low tones presently the voices grew
louder, and they were evidently quarreling.
In another minute they came out again, and
from what could hear, they began to search
in the iarm-buildings and outhouses for the
owner OF the muf.
3" There's NJ one here, at last one called
out. '' They must have gone away again.
Go TO the gate, Bill, and see if any one is
coming that way"
After a moment, Bill returned TO the
other two, who were now standing talking
in low whispers at the back Of tie kennel,
and said
d" No. there's no one coming" And my
heart sank as thought hoH long If would
be before succor could arrive.
L" The fellows late one Of the others
said after a minute or two " but We had
better be on the watch now Mind. both Of
you, that he's down from ms gig before he
seo- US
They walked away along the line Of house
toward the other entrance by which Mr.
johnson would come; and ], thinking they
had gone to take Up their hitinc-Tlacls, put
my head cautiously out of the mouth Of the
kennel, and looked round.
Surely l could reach the house without
being seen. thought, and i'll could but
reach the big, ruinOus irawing-To1a, which
commanded view Of the fields the farmer
would cross, might be able % warn him
back from the fate which awaited hin. 1
must warn him if | could, il was too horrible
that another murder should be done.
was out of the kennel and in the kitchen
before | recollected that | should have to
pass close to the murdered woman before |
could gain the door leading into the hall,
which / must cross TO gain the drawing
room. | shud tered as passed the table and
drew near 70 the horrible scene; but, 70 my F.
utter surprise and no little terror, Mrs. /
johnson had vanished the dark cleaning .
pool OF blood and the dead dog were still. .
there, but the huddlcd up bundle Of clothes /.
was gone.
What had they done with it? In spite OF
the urgent necessity there was for Immc-
diate action. | stood motionless for minute,
hesitating to cross the dim-lighted hall.
Suppose It should be there. / had never
seen death before, and the thought Of again
seeing the dead woman looking so ghastly
and horrible with that great gaping wound
across her throat, was at that moment more
terrible to me than tho thought Of her mur-
derer' 5 return.
while l stood hesItating, a shadow passed
across the first window, and, looking up
quickly, to my horror | saw the three men
in another moment pass the second window
had no time for thought In another
minute they would be in the kitchen. |
turned and fed down the passage and across
the hall, rushing into the first open door,
and instinctiyely half closed 1t behind me as
| had found it. Then glanced wildly round
the bare empty room in search Of shelter.
There was not particle Of furniture in
the room, and it was quite empty except for
some apples on the floor, and 4 few empty
hampers and sacks at the further end. How
could hide
| heard the footsteps crossing the hall and
then, as they came nearer. with the feeling
Of desperation | sped nolselessly across the
room. laid fat behind the hampers, and, as
the door opened. threw an empty sack over
nc. felt must be discovered, for my
head was totally uncovered; and | watched
them fascinated, breathless from intense ter
ror. They walked to the window, saying.
We shall see better here, and looked out,
presently all exclaiming together, Hes
coming now, that black spot over there:
and, without glancing in my direction, they
left the room again. was safe, but what
could | do to save the farmer? Surely Char
lie must be coming with help now, but
would be be in time must try and save
him. was the conviction that impressed itself
upon me IN a lightning thought, and as 1t
crossed my brain | sprang to the window.
All thought Of self vanished then with the
urgency of what had to do. | was only
r-nervously, frantically cager-tO save
the farmers life.
They say that mad people can do things
which seem impossible TO sane ones, and l
must have been quite mad with terror and
fright for the next few minutes.
Seven feet below me, stretching down the
slope of the hill, was the garden, now lying
in long plowed ridges, wisA she frozen snow
on the top Of each Of them, and at the bot
tom of the garden was a store-Tan four feet
high. Beyond this, as far - the eye could
reach, extended the snow covered fields, snd
coming along the caTt-r0ad to the left was
Mr.. johnson in his gig.
threw open the window, making noise
enough to alarm the men if they .
heard 1t, and sprang of my jacket,
threw it on the ground, and on to
the window ledge, AM then, tearing
shutting my eyes, jumped down The high
Jump hurt my wrists and uncovered feet
dreadfully, but dared not stop moment. |
rushed down the garden, tumbling two or
three times in my progress, and when
came to the wall, scrambled over 1t head
formost. The farmer was just opening the
gate of the field l was In, and made |
Straight toward him, trying to cal Out. but
| could not utter a word go few across
the snow. dashed through tt c brook, careless
that the bridge was was few feet further
down and when rushed up to Mr.. John
son's side, could only throw up my arms
and shrek out Murder" just as loud |