The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-04-05

laugh came from somewhere down that
long, dismal passage 1t was Browler,
for we recognized his voice in spite of the
hollow, ringing reverberations. We
looked at one another in terror, and more
than half inclined to put off out the door
into the street, and leave the prisoner to
his own reflections.
IL told you So" muttered Baxter, as
soon as his teeth stopped chattering.
"He probably imagines himself in the of.
flee, and that the've raised his salary"
Before we had time to muster enough
courage to run, turnkey entered and
beckoned us to follow him. Half choked
and half scared we did so, and skipped
along over the stone pavement with
tread anything but firm and even.
Don't you feel little spooncy
Smythe ?" whispered Baxter.
YES" said /, ''hove you got pocket
handkerchief"
"No, | want it myself"
Now, then, youngsters" said the Of
ficer, who looked rather pleasant, "hurry
up and get through He pushed open
the solid iron door and we fled in, | being
the last.
Where's Smythc?" heard voice
ask, and pushed forward, and we all
stood stupefed with amazement at what
we saw. Instead of being chained, half
starved, and bleeding from bullet holes,
to the wall, and being sick and raving
crazy, there was old Browler sitting smi.
ing and hearty behind dinner-table,
surrounded by his three spectacled sis
ters, all staring at us goodhumoredly.-
We all went sheepishly forward and gave
limp hand shaking, hiding onr chicken
and Rhine wine behind us.
well, young Smythe," cried the od
fellow, "is it all right %
Yes, sir, he'll be here to-day" Then
there was was great confusion, Browler
giving his three sisters a hug all around,
while Baxter and the fellows gured at
me like wild beasts, for had given
them to understand my absence had been
on my own business, and it had really
transpired that | was traitor after all.
II should like to know, Mr.. Browler,"
said Baxter defiantly, stepping forward
and cycling him, whether you ran off
with O'Neils fathers money or not? If
you really did, why, we won't stay, and
We only came because We thought you
might be miserable. But it seems to me
that if you can carry on this style with
such thing on your conscience, you can
get along well enough without our SYM
pathy or grub
1t was Just like Baker to say that.
All the four spectacles broke out into
scream of laughter, while We all looked
black as thunder. Presently Browler
sobered a little and leaned forward on
his knuckles on the table.
Boys, you are very kind to me indeed.
Indeed, | cannot tell you exactly how
stand just now, but | and my sisters
thank you from the bottom Of our hearts,
and we assure You that your sympathy is
NOT misplaced
At this instant the turnkey entered,
and whispered to iirowler, who nodded
quickly, and then whispered to his sisters
who Immediately began to idget with
their hats and gloves and to look very
much cut up.
Presently somebody came along the
corridor, and pushed open the door.
Dear old Van :"
Then came such i tempest OF embraces,
exclamations, hand-shakings, tears and
all that stuff, which Baxter declared af-
terwards made him sick, but know it
made him cry with the rest of us. 1t was
long while before any thing like sense
was restored, and then Browler discover
ed us sitting all huddled up in the corner,
with the confoundcd jugs Of Rhine wine
between our legs. He whispered to Mr..
O'Ncil, who looked at Us and then
shut the door
Boys" said he very kindly and pleas
antly, "Mr. Van Colt or Mr.. Browler,
has long been known to you, but much
longer to me- Latterly he has been in
the character of defaulter and robber
to few people in this city, but is known
as such all through the South where he
made his extensive theft" Here he
bowed to Browlcr, who bowed back a.
gain.
81 have been known in the South as an
upright but sadly unfortunate merchant,
who was ruined by the Vaccinations of
his principal clerk. Now l briefly say,
that | an the criminal and Mr.. Van Colt
the innocent man. was the forger, the
wrong doer, and ! thought my operations
were unknown to any but myself, but was
mistaken Van Colt knew me; Van
Colt imagined had all to lose if was
discovered, and by the earnest entreaties
of his brave sisters he did steal a com.
paratively small sum and fed, leaving a
letter for me explaining his conduct, and
.olemnly assuring me that all hopes of
discovering him would be useless The
storm broke, | remained passive and let
il lerment and settle as it would The
odium wns heaped on Van Colt, and |
escaped. | settled according to law. and
have since been able to re-make my brok-
en- fortunes, just as the savior of my name
is discovered and thrown into jail for
crime he never committed. He sends for
me, having kept track oil me, and here |
am, beginning to rectify the infamous
yet generous error of his reputation, by
setting him right with those who will be
the happiest to know the truth"
We all made dash for old Browler
and his sisters, vowing as loud as our
thick voices would let us that we knew
all along that he was shamming and beg
ging he would forgive us. He was guilty
of a little dampness and his three sisters
of great deal
Young O'Neil was very penitent, but
Browler told him he did Just right, and
was pretty smart at it too, and they were
great chums after they got settled again.
Mr.. O'Neil settled up dollar for dol
l..