Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-10

I
since | entered the house, and disagree i
able sense of something strange and mystic O
rious gradually took possession OF me- d
What was there about these sisters to In c
spire mistrust? With the elder, indeed l t
could understand it. There was physical !,
repulsion which made the blood curdle IN .
my veins when thought of her. But the
Younger was beautiful to look upon. She ,
had shown herself tenderly inclined towards
me. Why should find myself thinking OF
her, with feeling akin to dread? Her
words REQUIRED to me. At what danger
had she hinted? There was something
wild about her eyes, at times. Then there
was her extraordinary proposal. Was she
mad? | remembered her strange conduct
at the supper, the fierce authoritative look
wherewith her sister had overawed her. 1t
seemed likely solution to much that was
inexplicabc about them both. But if so,
how unaccountable that Lori, knowing her
sister to be subject to fits and tancles like
these, should offer hospitality to stranger
There was nothing immodest about the de-
meanor of either of them; there was moth
ing that could suggest the suspicion that
this was q7tet-a-De of any sort. The
idea of robbery was ridiculous. Was not
my poverty apparent in my threadbare
students blouse | wore, sufficient safe
guard? Why, had not even my KNAPP
sack with me, as they knew; and L was
Young and muscular not an easy victim
for open violence, had any been intended.
racked my brain with endeavors to ar
rive at some definite conclusion; for as to
irving to sleep, found it useless My
brain seemed to be on fire by this time.
} Every moment | felt myself growing more
excited, more keenly alive to every sound
and all my mental perceptions quickened.
The single candle they had left me burned
? dim; it seemed to fill the room with all
, sorts of grim shapes and shadows. After
r long interval, during which everything IN
I the little house was absolutely still, got
' up. in my restlessness, feeling that any
0 thing was better than TO lie tossing there,
. prey to feverish fancies. | walked about
5 the room with the candle, examining every
article in it. First, there were the colored
E prints upon the walls,-among others, one
n of the Lorely, remember, and one, scene
t from Schiller's Robbers, which made my
d blood run cold as l looked at it. There
was a cupboard, which | opened nothing
d but few plates and one old knife. sat
r. down again upon the bed, and my eye was
z attracted once more to the red tongues Of
) the patchwork quilt 1t was very In
/ genious piece of work | tried to follow
e the kaleidoscope pattern into which the
n various shreds had been wrought with tina
strange device Of crimson cloth at regular
Is intervals Regular? No. At one place
= in the corner, perceived now that thre'
/ or four tongues seemed to have been sew
y, together. | held down the candle to ex
ID anime them. and started back. What
is had taken for crimson cloth was stain o
coagulatcd blood.
u shuddered Perhaps some one Gu
" his finger here" | said But didn be
lieve my own words; and then | tried I
he laugh at myself, and said my brain wa
giving way. | started up. | saw nothin
' clearly. The Robbers and Lorely wer
er dancing hobgoblin dances on the wall. Th
III moonlight through the sycamore branche
PLAYED iu a shivcring shadow on one spo
~ of the floor. | knelt down and crept alon
on my hands and knees, examining tn
o. boards. But there was no stain there
e ONLY the smell of the beer in one place
an and an army of those horrid BEETLES, VIII
ran away from Ine llRHt a. l lu"tItu H.
the back of the stove. | pursued thel
ne with a sudden savage impetus towards de-
Is truction They all disappeared between tw
chinks in the floor | sat my foot on tn
oS boards / thought one moved. stoope'
and saw at once that the two boards imm
81 diatelv behind the stove, though tittin
lu- closely. were not nailed down-might
gu removed no doubt. with some little troubl
ON due NV nails into the chinks and tried
lift one. In vain only tore my hng'
ny with a splinter Then | bethought me
the old knife had seen in the cupboar
With its help | presently raised the end
'u7 one of the boards, and so drew it out
ma square deal box lay concealed beneath.
cu' '. had no lock or fastening of any kind.
Although my excitement strong tn
tly remember my two hands trembling as th'
bc laid hold of the lid. vet | paused for a IN
ver mcnt before raising il. Was it dishonC
owe able action MY conscience 'o'u me
40 justified and tore the box open neal
dropped the candle as my eyes beheld
- contents
i'' First there was great bundle of coar
black hair then one of curly taxen, like
child's: then another of very long and sll
oot brown-a woman's evidently. Along W
not these were four.-six six.--eight, rows
les teeth some large and strong, some fine a
DIV white \ common ring or two, sill
49,, watch chain poor cloth cap filled the
naming space in the box.
The horrible truth flashed upon me.
not been brought here, not to be robbed OF
low poor clothes. nor of what little coin L
ows about me. These were only to be hro,cn I
the bargain. They were seeking to comp
nv life. as they had done the lives of othe
q" for the sake of such possessions as these
uli- fore me-possessions Independent OF pove
lori or wealth, / remembered the tales that
ing been rife in my own country, not long bet
CON that time, touching Burke and Hare. An
hla now remembered. too, the look that Lorl
! :; given her sister. when, in my idiotic vani
! /, - had smiled and showed my teeth.
nc" Now. | knew what was the danger,
ule which Gretchen, in sudden compunct
call and softening of heart towards me, had
s of ferred Now, | could see clearly whit
nich every incident of the evening tended.
IS of beer at supper was drugged with some str
= narcotic Gretchen had tried to save
Had she really done so? had tasted
pe- drink and though | never felt wider aw
in nv life than did at that horrible MON
ubt, when the sweat started out upon my br
,urs, in the consciousness that my life might
We a be worth an hours purchase, might not
4 ,t effect of the drug be only weakened and
- tarded for awhile? The small quantit
'@y' had imbibed had excited my brain into
aleh abnormal condition for the time. had Ii
doubt of this. Might it not be succeeded
have "A reaction? / seized with a horr
had dread of succmbing, sooner or later, to sl'
IA | should then be powerless. | cared
uiu nothing. comparatively. if | could only /