Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-12-21
.0!Bio Statesman:
MY GRANDMOTHER'S RING.
TcoNCLUsioN.5

$50 / waited up there till I saw my
father strolling, pipe in mouth, toward
the green, and knew by. the gathering
plates that my mother was, washing up
in the back kitchen, and then I went
softly down and through the wood
yard to the workshop. Once, in there,
l turned the key, and looked about me-
Some tools were lying on the bench, and
from these chose two or three-a sharp
screw. driver, hammer. and a wedge
Then 1 went to.a cupboard, and push
ing back some boxes and parcels, came
upon an old dark. lantern that had stood
there untouched for perhaps a dozen
years. 1 had to look in another closet
for aEbit of candle and some matches;
but j had them all at last, tied
up the tools and lantern in
"a b. scrap 9srofI 81 mating, slipped
thecandle and matches in my pocket, un-
locked the workshop door, and then cross
ing it, went out with my bundle in my
hand by. a side-door at the opposite end,
which led, not into the village, street,
but into a cart track shardlyseyer used,
and then into paddock, shut in by high
hedges. There was no one in sight as /
ran across the paddock, and so struck in
to the sandy ,lane-7-you know it well,
Miss Hester-which runs along by. the
churchyard wall. In two minutes more,
1 was over the wall, and skirting it in
side. At the corner close by, I knew
there was some loose stones. I knelt
down by these, pushing aside two or
three, laid my parcel down between them,
and piled the stones carefully up again,
so that they hid ito Then, / looked eau
tiously all round, to be isurea that I was
not seen, and vaulting over the low
wall, slid down the Steep green bank.
Now Iicould breathe again, for 1 didn't
care who met me.srI went round by the
sexton's house, (which stood snear the
Ichurehyard gate, but 4 did not go in
there, ! only, looked well at, it, and at
the little clubhouse, hard by, as l. passed,
and then i was away over the moors to
Kettlehorpe.g walked fast, not, whist
ling, not thinking, only, trying to- get
over the ground as quickly as / could.
My business was soon done, but yet it
was quite dark when I turned my face
homeward-darker than usual, for the
moon was young, and the driving clouds
hid the stars. 1 heard the church clock
strike ten as | crossed the last bit of
level ground, and began to make my
way down the slope toward the vii
flage. ga 6''.' 'ol2's'-l '''''D = us : -
+ s.I wasn't in a hdrry now. now. though the
| l-night-wind blew chill in my face. and
made me shiver; sat down on on a. tuft Of
damp grass and watched till one by one
the lights in the village beneath died out.
When the last glimmer Of candle.light
was gone from the sexton's windows Just
below me, started up. and half. ran, half
scrambled down the hillside. o. This time,
i stopped by the wicket gate that led
into the Sexton's garden, lifted the
latch O Silently, and stole across the
grass not to the cottage-door,a = but to
the little shed beyond, and stepping
ih5 I felt cautiously with my hand
along the wall. Yes, there stood the
spade and fpick-axe as I had seen them
two hours ago. It was the pick axe I
wanted and lifting it on my shoulder,
1 crept back, over the little grass plot.
and out into the Iane.' Dark as it was,
I felt as If hundred eyes were watching
me then. Painting, and with shaking
knees, 7 climbed up the bank, and over
the 'church-yard wall, and groped my
way to the corner where had left my
tools. By the dim moonlight, I could
Just see the white heap of stones, but it
took me long while to find my Parcel.
1 had it at last, and with it in one hand,
and the pickaxe in the other, T struck
across the church-yard toto the vault.
You know now what 7 meant to do;
was going to rob the idead..gt ed
9r"i1 stumbleditwice over the low foot
stones, which i could not see. Once
fell. br1ising my knee; but Iagot there
at last.oect If hadn't known the place SO
well, j should hardly have been able to
find it; but i had taken my bearings that
morning, and i could just see the sharp
point of the marble monument standing
ont against the gray sky. The stone
had to lift was not many inches off, and,
STOPPING down,sI felt for it upon the
ground. I soon found the roug edge,
more, by my fingers than my beyss,
and then I9i,- knew whereabouts
to stick in my pickaxe.r b1When
| / had done /, this, the loose soil
round SO lately disturbed made my
work easy enough, and though itcost me
La tough strain, had the stone up before
you could count hundred. 1 did not
wait moment. L was like one possess
ed as 1 went on hands and knees down
the narrow slippery stone steps into the
vault. i was scared enough, and though
the perspiration was running down my
face, 1 was all of a cold shiver. But
yet verify believe that if anybody had
come upon me then, should have killed
them. There was just glimmer of
light thrown into the vault from the
opening above, but not enough for me.
It helped me, however, to push back
the slide of my lantern, and stick in my
bit of candle, and then !. grouped my
way on to the farthest side of the.
vault, and struck match. 1t fixed,
blazed up, and went out. With NUT
tered oath-it wasn't often that /
syore, but I did then-I tried another,
and this time it kept alight till the wick
of the candle caught, and showed the
vaulted roof and the dark row of cofins
ranged round the stone floor. I did not
want to look at them. Iclosed up the
lantern, and putting it on the ground
with its light side towards the one coffin
I svanted [ went back to the steps, to
find ont if there was any glimmer to be
seen above. No. ] was safe SO far; no
spark of light showed there. Now for
nv .screw-driver. If only I could do