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

"What shall we say 2" she asked.
"I do not know. Heaven will di-
rect Us for the BEST" he replied.
The step did not pause for cere-
mony, but came in, and up the stairs
as if on some pressing errand. Then
the door opened, and Harry Hough
ton ran in, his curls wet with the fog
of the morning, his cheeks rosy as
from rapid ride, his eyes dancing
with excitement.
His father and mother stood speech
less and bewildered, filed with
new alarm. But the boy was too
busy with his own thoughts to observe
his reception. Thick and fast came
his words, questions waiting for no
answers, and narrative never pausing
for comment
"What is this Bixby shouted to me
when | met him about robbers ? And
what is there such a crowd at the
bank about ? Did | come sooner than
you expected me? We had glori-
Gus time, atsTinborough, you know,
and when we were through dancing
| decided to drive home at once. And
a few miles out | met Silas 10 his gig
driving like mad, and he shouted at
me till he was out of hearing, but
could not catch one word in dozen.
But before anything else, | want to
beg your pardon for my roughness
last night. | am old enough to know
better, but I was angry when l spoke
and have been thoroughly ashamed
of myself ever since. You will for
give and forget, father, won't you?
Halo, didn't suppose you felt SO
about it, mother darling"
Mary Houghton was clasping her
sons neck, crying as she had not cried
that night. But the cashier, slower
in seeing his way as usual, stood pas
sing his hand across his Drows for
moment. Then he spoke:
Henry, where is your graudfath-
er's watch ?"
There, did you miss it so quickly?
| meant to get it back before you dis
covered it was gone. l will have it
after breakfast. The fact is, | was
not myself when I left the house lasd
night, with temper and Harrison Fry
offered me two hundred dollars for it,
to be paid next week. and in my tenn
per | let him have it to bind the bar
gain. | was crazy for money, and |
sold him my pistol, too. | regretted
about the watch before | had fairly
quit the village; but he broke his en-
gagement and did not 90 with US to
Tnborough after all, so have had no
chance to get it back again till now."
Harrison Fry!' exclaimed Foster
Hcughton; and his hands clasped aud
his lips moved in thankful prayer.
"But if you don't tell me what is
all this excitement in the village, |
snail run out aud find out for myself" "
cried the boy, impatlently. "You
never would stand here asking me
questions about trifes, if the bank had
been broken open in the night"
Foster Houghton put his hands on
his boys shoulders and kissed him,
as be had not done since his sons
childhood. Then he took from its
hiding place the watch and hung it on
Harry's neck, his manifest emotion
checking the expression of the lads
astonishment.
There is much to tell you. Harry"
he said, "and perhaps you will think
l have asked your forgiveness rather
than you mine. But my heart is too
full for word TIL after prayers
Let US go down."
Then the three went down the
stairs, the mother clinging to the boys
hand, which she had never relinquisk-
ed since her first embrace. Foster
Houghton took the massive bible, as
was his daily custom, and read the
chapter upon which rested the mark
left the morning before; but his voice
choked and his eyes filed again when
he came to the lines:
"For this my son was dead and is
alive again he was lost and is found. F"
:
Silas Bixby galloped into Tinboro'
two minutes lale for the owl train ;
and the fugitive was too sharp to be
caught by the detectives who were
put on the watch for him by telegraph
ic messages. In few hours all Elm
field had discovered that Harrison
Fry was missing, and had made up
its mind that he was the escaped con-
. federate in the burglary. The Blue
River National Bank offered reward
for him, but he has never yet been
found. The Jealous constable found
compensation for the loss of one pris
oner in the discovery that the other
two were a couple of the most skill
full and slippery of the metropolitan
cracksmen, known among other alias
es as Gentleman Graves and Toffey
, Ben. SilaS Bixby's courage and dis
cretlon received due tribute from
, counsel, press, and public during the
7 trial that ensued the next month in
the Tinborough court house; aud by
some influence it was so managed that
Mrs. Houghton was not called to the
stand,nor was Foster Houghton close
) ly questioned in regard to the man
: ner in which the third robber had es
5 capped from his custody on the step;
D of the bank.
r Harry Houghton went to Lake
r George that summer, starting da,
after the departure of Grace Cham
3 berlain; but this year they go togeth
er, and the programme of the tour in
cludeS Niagara and Quebec.
e Some time ago the claim to the au
= thorship of Rock me to sleep
plaintive poem by Florence Percy
b was made by plagiarist named Ball
e who lives somewhere in New Jerse.
Q and writes very bad verses. To thi
d person Mark Twain addresses th,