Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-05-31

yo"lo afterwards, L could not nelp
shuddering. Itrecalled SO vividly the
attitude of the two sisters as beheld
them in that terrible moment. The
women were digging a grave; the
Ielder one with all her masculine en-
ergy; the younger, reluctantly, as it
seemed, removing with slow strokes
OF the spade, the black earth, and
pausing long between each. Once
she looked up, and the moonlight fell
upon her wan, haggard face. She put
back the long silver-lighted hair from
her brow; she leaned upon her spade !;
and then whisper like serpent's
IN her ear, urged her to her task again.
| Should | fall asleep now, | was a
dead man. | knew it. No strength,
no agility could save me. The dread
OF this became so acute that it worked
upon my imagination. l began to
think | felt drowsy. A numbness
seemed creeping over my limbs. A
weight was falling gradually on my
stiffened eyelids. l prayed, in an
agony of terror that | might not be
killed asleep-that I might, at least,
have a fight for my life.
Suddenly Lori raised her head and
listened. The sound to which she
listened-a whistle. so low that |
could scarcely hear twas repeated.
She crept stealthily across the garden,
and raised the latch of the postern,
which evidently did not open from the
outside. A man came ina burly,
thick-set fellow-and the door was
closed again. The three stood to-
gether for a moment in the moon
light. Lori and the man looked up at
window | took care they should not
see me- while Gretchen turned her
head away and wrung her hands,
Then all three came noiselessly to-
ward the house.
Now, or never, was my moment for
escape There was one chance for
me. | had seen how the door opened.
\ : if | could manage to reach
it But if | hesitated, a
few moments hence the drugged beer
might complete its work, and I be I'M
able to move hand or foot. | opened
the window softly, and looked out.
There was drop Of about twenty
feet into the garden (Which it will be
remembered, was some feet below the
kitchen again. If [ jumped this, the
noise must attact attention; and |
might sprain or break my leg into the
bargain. An expedient occurred to
me. | had not replaced the flooring
which | had removed. The board
which ran the full length of the room,
measured nearly sixteen feet. Lean
ing, as far as | could stretch out of
the window, [ managed to rest one
end Of this board upon the ground,
the other against the house wall some
four or five feet below me.
| had scarcely accomplished this,
when heard the sound of feet outside
my door, a bolt withdrawn, the handle
turned. Ny barricade would obstruct
the doorway for some few minutes !;
but for some few minutes only. |
had just time to swing myself from
the window-sill by my hands, to get
both feet round the plank, to slide to
the ground, to fly like the wind, to
raise the postern latch, when the
crash offalling table and chairs reach
ed my ears. | ran-I know not in
which dlrection-up one street, and
down another. on, on, fancying | heard
the sound Of feet behind me, no soul
visible, to right or left. At last,
breathless and exhausted, down by
the rivers side, came to a soldiers
guard-house. A sentry was at the
door; there was the ruddv light of
the mems pipes and of a lantern with
in. No haven was ever more CRATE
full to a shipwrecked mariner. | fell
down upon the step; the sergeant and
| his men came and stared, demanded
with oaths what | wanted, and as !
could not speak at first, declared
was drunk. Then, as in half-inartic-
!, ulate phrase | poured out my strange
tale, they changed their minds, and
! declared | was mad. But as | was
an amusing rather than dangerous
: luuatic, and served to beguile the te
dious hours of the night, they let me
| remain among them; asked the same
| stupid questions over and over again
, laughed their horse-laughs; and spa
: all around me, until day-break. Their
| they directed me to the cathedral
: and | left them. One of the sacris
| tans was unlocking the doors as | go
: there | found my knapsack untouch
, ed, in the dusky corner of the confes
: sional; there, utterly worn out, a
3 last, with the excitement of that event
) full night, l leaned back, in the gra,
/ morning light, and fell asleep.
: The sun was high when awoke
a the feet of the devout were shutting
e in to their morning orisons. | shoul
7 dered my knapsack and crept away
: My head ached; my limbs felt chill
i and numb. Had | been dreaming
e Were they no more than mere shad
e ows of the brain which had left be
r hind them so deep and terrible an i'm
e preston | met a sacristan-no
o the one whom remembered the nigh
It before-as | was going out. | STOP
e ped to question him. Did he knoy
t, anything of the two fair-haired VIC
y men who had been at vespers last eve
It ming? l described them. He stare
e at me and shook his head. In th
e crowds that came there daily no,
could he tell whom meant? | lei
f him, and entered humble littl
u n 90 ofb bopa bord nv xuhoro Gov 70,