Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-01-07
A step on the Gravel.

$4,000 TO $4,000 No insurance.
A step on the Gravel.
j" Just "A knob or two more, for its cold
as winter tonight: then one game at
chess. and off to bed. BY the way. did
you send the girl -
- Half an hour ago, said my wife. II
is past eleven
Humph. Time goes 80 when one Is
reading" ] said; and then, setting out
the men, We prepared for our battle, with
the understanding that. a it was late,
the moves were to be made quickly and
without c9n,id ration. And, 10y tie way,
these are tile games in which | generally
come off victor, my very near relative
being gifted with long head. IN whose
depths she concocts abominable schemes,
full of checks and discoveries. fatal 70 the
existence OF my poor queen, against whose
reign She IS dL-loy.l as any Eenian.
The little timepiece had just struck it,
single alarm note 10 saw that i was mid
night, and ! Aai given check with q
bishop in two-edgcd way that assured
the loss of my adversary's knight, when
she suddenly sat very upright upon her
chair and held up her finger.
Some one crying" / said. thinking Of
kicked-om clothes aud shiyeriug li,'le
limbs somewhere in the upper regions
" No she whispered - step on the
gravel"
Nonsense .. / said for | hate people Of
nervous temperament to rouse me out 81
my easy-chnr at night. Ia 20 shivcring
down tho garden Ia try if the front gate
i locked and peep behind the Laurels for
panccalcd burglars or to shake me out
Of pleasant dream TO get up aud drtr-
and 90 down stairs 10 try all the doors
or open the window and shout, :" see
you there the same as did one night
when it was bla k as Ercbu-. and gruii
voice answered, Then y0a must have
blessed good cyesight. sir, and the ever
widening rays OF a policemans bulIs-eyc
were east in my face. | was sick OF being
bothered with imaginary noises, for ours
was no: the house burglars would attack.
Our whole stock of plate, in it, neat.
baize-linod basket, only cost fifty pounds,
Z wedding present, and / suppose, II
brought to the melting-pot, would not be
worth more than half while * to other
valuablcs. We had each a watch and chain.
To be sure my wife had wha: she called
her treasures mp stairs-seyen of them
think there were; but who in the name
OF all that's sensible would in these days
OF no kidnapping commit a burglary TO
steal children Certainly mine were
safe, for they would have proved as noisy
booty rs pigs OF marketable size. So,
under the circumstances. very naturally
and testify exclaimed, Nonsense.
:. ~ ny daar." said my VIII, did
you not yourself find a suspicious looking
individual lurking about the place early
the other morning
Very true, ry dear. answered :
T." but he said he was i cousin of our jane
John Thompson by name and though we
don't allow followers, you know girls will
have sweethearts lurking about at times
Didn't Jane herself half confess il which
You asked her about il
There il is again, exclaimed my wife
earnestly. I'm su, Of II. Depend upon
it, it, Thar fellow come back again = and
As She spoke / certainly did hear wha;
sounded ike the grating Of Il fnot upon
the gravel walk. -" There now. she cx-
claimed in a triumphant whisper. whats
that
Jane has not locked The gate. and it,
the policeman"
But locked it myself tonight, deir
Some one has climbed over, I'm sure,
"Check +" said !.
But pray, dear
Don't You see :" | said testify, check
to my queen :" and then / turned sharply
round, for there was a light tap upon the
window as ii from some ones nail. and.
on drawing aside the curtains and moving
the blind, | could just dctec: mans face
close TO the glass.
"Hullo" | exclaimed loudly.
Hush - said voice Can | speak
to you q minute: Please open the win
dow"
Now, that wa. all very well, and very
ciyilly spoken but, under the circam-
stances.-I did not feel disposed to do any
thing Of the kind, and, letting fail the
blind, | stood hesitating as TO what would
be best. Ii took mp the poker, | felt that
L should be a match for any one man if he
had evil intentions but then there might
be two or three; but "Pooh-nonsense y
| exclaimed the next moment; some one
is i'll, or something of that kind. Be-
side,' / said, - one thing is very certain.
Its not John Thompson"
where are you going, Edward Z" said
my wife anxiou.sly, as | moved towards
Up stairs, to hold a parley," I re-
piled.
But you are never going to leave me
here by myself
"Not unless you wish it, my dear.
Come up with me-" 1 said.
So, hand in hand, We went up TO the
little staircase window over the front door,
and throwing it up, / looked out to Just
dimly distinguish figure by the draw
ing room window.
snow them said, whats the mat
ter z"
Hush, pray" whispered voice that
was quite strange to me; and there was
again the grating upon the gravel, as
the figure came beneath where was.
"Are you Christian, SIR" whispered
the voice.
Well, that was rather poser. go to
the church in the morning and to church
in the afternoon, pay my rates regularly,
and never put less than sixpence in the
plate ON collection days; 20 under the
circumstances thought ! was, aud said
lSs.