Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-10-23


too late to think of that now. 1t will be such
Jolly fun -
And so we picked our way noiselessly down
the stairs, cautiously descending step by step.
Borlase, after a while, rang the bell. and
presently we heard Mary coming along the
passage, carving the tray with our sumner.
" That's right, Mary" said Thornton.
"a I'm awfully hungry. What time will the
doctor be home tonight ?''
- Not till late Master Thornton. lie left
orders that you were to 20 to bed at 10
O'Clock"
% How jolly" cried Thornton. e. Then
we have nearly an hour. say. Mary.
You re a good creature | wish vou would
% up into our room and fetch me book YOU
viii ind under my pillow"
90 Yes, Master Thornton, but You had no
business to put it there.
And of Mary tripped on her obliging er-
rand while we followed on tip-toe 10 the
foot of the staircase. Presently we heard a
most appalling shrek The window of the
room was thrown up with great violence, and
crash OF broken glass was heard at the same
moment We all ran upstairs in the great
est alarm. The window was wide oren. and
the grinning wretch III Borase's bed was
swayng to and fro in the wind which swept
through the apartment but Mary was no
where 90 be seen. Our room opened into the
next. and We rushed in, hoping to find her
there. But not trace of her was discover
ed. We ran down to letch the cook, and she
came up with a candle. but still no Mary was
10 he found. We procured additional lights.
and went through the whole house. We
searched everywhere. Every corner and cup
board was examined as we wildly hurried
from one place to another in our anxiety.
We lighted lantern, and uried into every
nook auc angie out Of doors, going up and
down the walks, and even among the rows of
cabbagas in the kitchen garden. in our troub-
le TO know what had become Of poor Mary
Stroke by stroke the great bell of ST. Os-
wald's tolled out 10 O'Clock. and yet no dis
cyyerv had been made
We dld not dream of going to bed. White.
trembling and cold, We sat over the cheerless
diuuing- hall fire, waiting for. and vet dread
ing, the doctors return. And long weary
time IL was as we covered over tie dead
CRATE. listening to the cooks stcalthv trend
as she moved about in the silent passages.
At length we heard the wheels OF the doe
tore carriage at first in the distance. along
the road, and then more distinctly. as they
crushed the gravel in the approach to the
front door. \ startling ring awoke the cch-
0e- Of the empty building and the couk ran
10 0pea the door, letting in a rush of cold
night air. as the doctor and Mrs Bloxam
came IN and passed On TO their sittins-room
And thcn we heard the cook follow and shut
the door. Once more all was silent.
That miserable ten minutes of suspense
Ny mouth was Tarchcd. my head was burn
ins hot but | shiyered with cold Thornton
s-t as olJodless as ghost. Borlase was ST.
iently crying, and | saw the drops trickle
through his fingers The doctors door WAS
opened, and the cook came TO Us saving,
'' The doctor wishes 10 speak to you 90
90 Jane, said DR.. Blxam to the cook. as
we entered, " % TO Smithson at once. and
fell him he must come up Immediately aud
be had better bring one of tie other cln,,a-
h.e- with hm-
" And now. boys, tell me all about this
sad business.
We old him the whole story. lust a. eve
rythins had happened. lie was very calm.
allowing US to recount all the circumstances
quite Iu our way. lie only interrupted us
occasionally to ask a question or tH1' Much
sooner than could have thought il possible
>uithspn arrived, and We Lad TO tell all our
story over again in his presence. lie did not
speak q word until We had finished and
then he proposed that we should 20 up stairs
with hun while he inspected the room. He
went o the window at once, and looked out
INTO the moonlight night.
80 II she jumped out OF this window in her
hight rhe Il be found down there, he said.
pointing with ms finger down the descent
90 l9ul4n have stopped herself Scarcely
t'inh SIZE could have done any lhlug 90 des-
perare. II She went that way, still point
M downward, as he neered into the gloom
caused by the mists Of the river. upon which
the moon was shlnlhg, &c she was mad when
she dld IL. ana She IL be dead now. jim.
be said 70 his subordinate, " get lantern
and see If You can find anything down
there"
Jim went and fetched lantern. and pres
emily appeared beneath the window. We
watched him as he searched about with his
Light close to the ground. lie did not sue
coed IN making any discovery which belned
us ut all in our anxious Investigation.
think it was Thornton. who now v-bisnered
that hc thought he saw sometime white
little way down the face of the broken
ground. We all thought we could see some
something. as soon as il was rolnted ONT
jim was thereupon told to 90 cautiously 70
the edge of the descent. and trv If he could
make ANYTHING out of this object. He crept
forward a little way. and then. stretebi6r
out his lantern in advance. its ,iebt fell uron
a servants white cap. Thornton gave my
hand grip of silent ar1nv. and p9or B9r-
lase s1bbed aloud.
Here. Jane" the doctor wbisrered.
e. take these bows to bed in another room.
Smitbson. he continued. D." Won had better
come down at once. and well 90 r,nnd and
examine the path bv the river Side -
Smitbson and the doctor descended tho
stairs and we. poor lads. went to bed.