Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-11-08
The Stone Vault.

OCluS CAdCt dUOuJ udltS dul uO W
within a few weeks of seventy five
But as for being old, bless you, In
younger than the youngest clerk, Tom
Codgers, who, what with late supperS
and hard drinking, has hand that
shakes like those old ledger leaves
blowing in the wind by the open win
dow yonder.
Cold water, early hours, and TEN
perance in all things, keep man hale
his life through. If you don't believe
that, look at me, I'm an example, sir
Yes, I've seen changes here. The
firm was "Morris, Grinby & Bloom,
when | came, though young Bloom
died three months alter, and young
Grinby was taken into partnership
We had a fire bere. too, and the off
ces have been rebuilt on a different
plan. Ah, yes-changes enough sad
and pleasant; but the straEgest and
saddest Of all was what happened tc
poor Ben Wade.
All, dear me. 1t did seem hard
very hard, looking at it with human
eyes, and forgetting, as we are apt to
that God does everything for the best
Perhaps you don't know how this
house is built. It's an old place, al
though the front and Offices are new
and those great balustrades were only
/ put up last year. Down below you
can judge how very old it is. Such
a cellar, sir-such massive walls, and
all paved with stone; and below the
cellar q small stone vault which Cod
gers, who laughs at serious things
says the old firm built to be buried in.
My own opinion is, it was intended
to conceal valuables, for it has a
great and plated door and three
locks, each fastened with a different
key-tba, IS, if they were ever fast.
ened at all. The vault was Gisused
long before my time. Well, sir, ]
/ hadn't been here six months, when
one day, or rather one evening, for II
was nearly merchants kept later
hours in those days-I had occasion
/ to 90 down into the cellar before GO
( ing home. to give directions to the por-
( ter about some bales to be sent up in
the early morning next day.
Mike and | were up at the north
end OF the cellar, where the bales
were, and / was giving him my or
ders when at my elbow, as it seemed
/ heard an odd sound-a kind oI
Wheeling cough smothered in a mo-
ment.
l looked around, there was nobody
there-not a soul; and | thought
how our ears deceive US, to be sure
and went on talking. But | give you
my word hadn't spoken three words
when there was that sound again. II
quite startled me.
mike" said |, did you cough?"
No, sir" said Mike, q thought
your honor did"
"It must be imagination, or some
sound from the Office overhead" ]
said, but just then ough-ough. We
both heard it.
Its no good, yer honor" sale
Mike.
There's some one hiding in the
cellar" said I.
So with Mikes lantern we went
over the great stone-paved place
looking behind boxes and bales, anG
under the steps, and up the coal slide
But the vault, | heard it, this time
very faint and strange, and called out
to Mike.
"Who ever it is, is hidden in the
vault"
And with that we both turned
stairward, and bo!ted into Mr.. Grin
by's Office together. The old gentle
man Grinby senior. He don't come
to the Office once a year now, for he's
past ninety. Old Mr.. Grinby wa:
just locking his desk and buttoning
/ his overcoat. He stared at US thro
/ his glasses and calculated,
"BIess me, Humphries, is the house
on FIRE?
No, sir said I, "but there is some
one hidden in the stone vault"
"Bahr said Mr. Grinby, a though
you had more sense, Mr.. Humphries
! No one could exist ten minutes in tht
stone vault. It is next thing to air
tight
"It's my belief, sir, that whoever i
is, may be choking to death, sir"
said; "but there is some one there
Mike heard a cough as we'll as l."
"Very WE'LL" said Mr.. Grinby
"call the nearest constable. Mike, anC
Mr.. Morris, are you in your Office
sir? Perhaps you'll come down Will
US and assist in the capture Of a bur
glar Mr.. Humphries has discovered il
the air-tight stone vault below tn,
cellar"
He was very satirical; so was Mr.
Morris. But we all went down to
gether, the constable with US, am
stopped before the stone vault. Th
door was shut so tight that it took al
Mikes strength to force it OPEN
And Mr.. Grinby, looking straight be
fore him, shouted:
"Ha, ha, nobody, as | told you"
But the next minute he saw wha
the rest of US had already seen
bundle of rags in one corner of th
, vault, down on the floor. And amids
the rags was a white face and thi
hand, and a bare, bruised and bleed
ing foot. And we dragged out int
such air as there was in the cellar
, miserable wretch of a little boy VIII
seemed quite dead.
: Up in the Office. however. we bro
= him to life, and got the story fror
him. He lived, it seems, amongs
thieves, and they had planned to ro
US that night, and he, poor little midgt
had slipped-in somehow, and hidde
in the cellar, to open the door 70
/ them, never thinking any one woul
come there that night.
t Bot when Mike and / went dowr
5 he took to the vault, and there woul
have smothered but for my hearin
him. don't care to tell you how W
, kept him, and filed the place wit
constables who, when the burglar
= came, pounced out upon them, aD