Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-04-20


schemes of capture and glory. As many
times he fell back in his easy chair, thinking
now that he was bound by his tacit agree
ment with the constable, and again that the
whole story was nothing but the fruit Of the
officers fertile Imagination, and that only the
inventor should make himself ridiculous by
his credulity. Now he wished his wife were
at home TO make the waiting moments pass
more quickly; then that Harry were there
to give the aid of his daring and the stimulus
of his boyish enthusiasm in the strange emel
gency. And sometimes the old man s
thoughts wandered, in spite of the excite
ment of the hour, to his boy, dancing away
the night at Tinborough. He recalled his
anxieties over his sons designations, bis as
sociates, his growing recklessness of mauRer,
his extravagant tastes, the look of hard deh-
ance in his face but an hour or two before.
His heart yearned over the lad in spite of bis
wild ways, like David over Absalom, and
be resolved to try the mothers method and
imagine excuses, and replace harshness with
indulgence, hereafter. The village bell
changed out from the steeple elosss;,alhi 20 o and
Foster Houghton dropped the the e
robbery aeair Clearly be wns -. 10 ~
nervous. He must dc something !,
off.
I'm Ehsrry's REVOLVER tssz=> -s-sss ssnt,
with little purpose what he should do with
it; and he took the lamp and went up stairs
to the boys empty room. The drawers were
thrown open in a confusion which offended
the cashiers neat prejudices acquired in she
profession. He knew where the pistol was
kept, but it's box was empty; and he ex-
claimed under his breath
- That is boy all over. He goes to Tin
borough 10 dance and eat strawberries, and
carries a pistol loaded dare say to the muz-
zle. 1t is ten to one he will shoot himself
or his sweetheart before the evening is
over"
As Mr. Houghton fumbled over the bureau
his hand encountered covered flask. Even
his unaccustomed nose was able to recognize
It's contents whisky and his regret at
such discovery in bis sons room was lost
in the JOY with which he hailed stimulant
so greatly needed to put his nerves in cOndi.
tiOn for the events to come. Perhaps he had
forgotten how long it was since be had called
in such reinfoI cement; perhaps his hand
shook; perhaps he thought the occasion re-
quired large dose. He took a Learty one
and when be was down stairs again the diff
culties in the way of bagging the burglars
vanished from his mind He was young
man once more, and entered into the ro-
nance OF Bixby s plot, he said to himself, as
as Harry would have done.
He paced the room with an elastic stride
very different from the nervous, wavcring
step with which he had heard the news.
BIxby and himself, he thought, would be
enough TO overpOwer any three burglars.
Then his head was heavy and he felt drowsy.
To be IN proper condition for the emergency,
he needed all the sleep he could get. The
resolve was one to be executed as promptly
as formed; and few minutes later the cash
haH cd ba III
and was snugly in bed
gentle tinkle of the door-bell aroused
his again, before, as it seemed to him, be had
airly closed ms eyes. - he robbers at last, ;"
le thought and then be rebuked himself
or the absurdlty OF suppOsIng that burglar
would announce his coming by the door bell.
= It is Bixby, of COURSE he said to himself,
come to own he was fool, and the story
Jl nonsense. But he paused before he
urDec the key, and said in the fefcests
q 1t is only me, Foster. = said the sweet,
amiliar voice of his wife without and when
le had admitted her, she told him, in her
Iuick way, that she had watched with the
hid an hour or two, when a professional
lurse, who had been sent for a week before,
lad arrived Unexpectedly, and that she had
'een glad to give up her vigil and come
lome.
Foster Houghton rarely did anything with
ut thinking twice about it, if not more so
{ came about that while he balanced in his
mind the pros and cons as to revealing t o
lis wife the secret which Bixby had confided
0 him, and thus giving her a fright in ad-
ance for what might prove to be false
arm after all, the tired lady went to sleep,
md thus the scale was turned in favor of
eticence. Perhaps the husbands continued
rowsiness contributed TO the resolve also
or his eyelids still dropped with strange
and an influence more powerful
han even the apprehension of danger trans
formed his terrors into dreams again.
One, two, rang out from the bellry on the
June night, already heavy with
he fOg from the river. Foster Houghton
Uund himself broad awake as he counted the
trokcs but even while he thought it was
ne clock that had distu rbed him, be felt a
Old, hard ring of steel against his temple,
nd saw through the darkness man by his
bedside.
- Not word or you will never utter an
,ther''
He noted the voice, even in the whirl of
he moment, and knew that it was strange
o him. lie turned toward his wife, and
aw that there was man by her side also,
With revolver aimed he felt, rather than
aw, that she had walked when he did, and
vas waiting, sel-posscssed, for what was to
Ome. As the darkness yielded to his eyes,
nc was aware of third figure standing at
he window.
a. Perfect quiet, remember, and we will
ell you what is to be done, said the same
'oice, cool, firm, with an utterance entirely
Iistinct, yet hardly louder than whisper
: You have nothing to fearif you obey or
ers. A knife is ready for the heart of each
a ha fahr has Al 70 lis.
till ; as she will be bound to the bed and
Ter mouth stopped, that will be easy and
he gag is very gentle, and will not hurt ii
he does not resist. Mr.. Houghton will rise,
"a. on his and e ysh bs1f 1f ta shd dths s
each of thus blade The keys are. already
a my pocket. Number Three will scratch a
latch that L may help the gentleman to his
lothes."
The figure at the window stepped noise
essly forward at the summons. As the blue
amc lighted the room Foster Houghton OBJ
eryed that his visitors were all masked with
lack silk, through which narrow slit per-
litted vision. lie noticed that their feet
Tere shod with listing, so thick that a step
lade no audible sound upon the straw car
et. lie noticed that long, thin black cloaks |
overed their forms 10 their ankles, SO that
Q detail OF clothing could be noted to iden- |
fy them. And while he observed these
hlngs, not venturing to stir until the threat
ming muZzle was withdrawn from his face, /
felt his hand tightly cIutched by the Gn-
ers OF his wife beueath the cover-lid.
Years OF familiar association had made /
I'm apt at interpreting his wife's thoughts
nd feelings, without the aid of the spoken
ord. Either by some peculiar expression
the grasp OF itself, or by that subtle mag
etlsm which we know exists among un-
noWn forces, he felt that there was some
ling more than the natural terror of the
oment, more than the courage of heart
Ter braver than his own supposed dismay,
his wiie's snatch at his hand More
armed at the instant, by the shock thus
ven him than BY the more palpable danger,
turned his head toward his wife again,
nd in her eyes and in the direction they
I've to his, saw all that she had seen.
The masked figure in the center of the !,
N rlrOdueipO n tah L. 4