Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-09-27

the agent OF two or three SeWIng-ma-
chine firms, and one life-insurance
company, and the correspondent of
the Tinborough Trumpet" He own
ed farm, and managed it at odd
hours. He gave some of his winter
evenings to keeping writing-school,
with which he sometimes proftably
combined singing school, with lucra-
tive concerts at the end Of the term.
He was the clerk of the fire company,
and never had been absent from a fire,
though some of his manifold duties
kept him riding through the neighbor-
ing towns in his light gig great deal
OF the time. He had raised compa-
ny and commanded it, in the nine
months army of '62. He kept lit
tie bookstore in one corner of the vii
lage quadrangle, and managed a very
small circulating library, with the aid
OF the Oldest of his ten children; and
he was equal partner in the new fac
tory enterprise at the Falls. So Mr..
HoughtOn did not venture to guess
on what errand Mr.. Bixby came to
see him, and showed him to a chair
IN the twilighted sitting-ro0m, with a
face composed to decline a request to
discount a note, or to join with inter-
est IN q conversation on the Sunday
school, or to listen to a report on the
new tire-engine fund, with equal ease
and aIacrity.
Mr.. Bixby looked about him to see
that nobody was in hearing. You'll
excuse NE, | know, Squire, if l shut
the windows, hot as it Isl" and be-
fore bis host could rise to anticipate
him he had suited the action to the
word.
its detective business. It's a big
thing. It's a mighty big thing. Do
you know | told YOU. Mr.. Houghton,
the first of the week, that there was
dangerous characters about town, and
asked you to keep your eyes open at
the bank. Viii! you bear witness OF
that ?'
a remember it very well, Mr.. Blk.
by, and also that there has not been a
single person in the bank since that
day, other than our own townspeoPle
and friends"
That is just it, sail Silas Bixby
twisting his whisker5 reAectiyely
they have got some accomplice who
knows the neighborhood, and whom
we don't suspect. But we shall catch
him with the rest. The fact is, Mr.
Houghton, the Blue River National
Bank is to be robbed tonight. The
plot is laid, and | have got every
thread of it in my hand"
Foster Houghton was one of q
class in the village who were habitu
ally increduIous as to Silas Bixby's
achievement as announced by himself
but there was a positiveness and as
surance about the cOnstable's manner
which carried conviction with it, and
he did not conceal the shock which
the news gave him.
Just you keep very cool sir, anC
I'll tell you the whole story in very
few words, for have got one or two
things to do before | catch the bur
glars, and | have promised to lool
into Parson PettengilI's barn anC
doctor his sick horse. There is two
men in the job, beside somebody il
the village here that is working will
them secretly. You needn't ask m,
how | managed to overhear thei
plans, for | 8han't tell; you will reaC
it all in the Tinborough Trumpet O
the day after tomorrow. They ar
regular New York cracksmen, ant
they have been stopping at the hote
at the Falls, pretending to be lookin
at the water-power. They come her
on purpose to clean out the Blue Ri7
er Bank"
"Do they mean to blow open til
safe?' inquired Mr.. Houghton, VIII
was pacing the room.
Just have patience, Squire" sal
Sjlas Bixby. Il thought it best t
prepare you, and so led you up kin
O gradual. They have got falls
keys to your house door and you
bedroom door. They are going t
. come in al midnight or an hour afte
= and gag you and your wife, and fore
you at the mouth of the revolver {
60 over to the bank and open th
combination lock. Your help, the
say, has gone off; and they SCENE
: not to be afraid Of Henry"
5 Henry has gone to Tinborough
said Mr.. Houghton, mechanically.
J, 81 presume they knew that to
2 then," said the constable. "The
G calculate on forty thousand dollars
| the safe, government bonds and a.
: Their team is to be ready on the ii
S borough road, and they mean to cate
5 the owl train. You they calculate
e leave, tied hand and foot, on the bar
e floor, till you are found there in tt
e morning"
Y Foster Houghton stopped in Il
|. rapid walk up and down the lit
r room, and took his boots from tt
d closet.
= Fair play, Squire" said Bixt
c laying hand on the cashiers arm
d he sat down and kicked off his sli
is pers. "I've told you the whole ST
ry, when l might have carried out L
e plan without telling a word. Nc
IL what are you going to do ?"
9 Going to order a stout bolt p
e on my front door at once, and to {
is posit the bank keys in the safe
,. Felton's store"
It, "You will think better of it if Y
s. will just sit still and hear me through
le replied the visitor. Don't you s
,e that will just show our hand to I
in gang who are on the watch, and tn
h, will only leave Elmfeld and rob sol
y. other bank and make their fortune
tn Moreover, the plot never would
7e believed in the village, and such
way of meeting it would make
if sensation at all in print. No,
be Houghton, you are cashier of
he bank, and it is your business to p
en- tect the property. l am constable
ok Elmfeld, and it is my duty to capt