Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-10-27

/
Smythe veniured TO invite any friends
to see it. They liked Hester Stanhope,
and knowing how seldom amusements
came in her way, they had very vividly
impressed upon their father the i'm
perative necessity of not forgetting to
| deliver the note of invitation. 1t was
a very friendly note, assuring Hester
no fresh toilettes were expected. Just
to come in her ''house dress" and not
TO be later than eight O'Clock So the
father and daughter hurried over their
simple meal, amt while Mr.. Stanhopc
went To hire or borrow a carriage to
take them 10 Mr.. Smythe's distant
residence, Hester hastened joyfullv TO
her room to make such change in her
l attire as her slender wardrobe permit
ted. She had been thus pleasantly
| occupied for about twenty minutes.
had put on neatly fitting plain brown
SILK, with clean collar. and was
| studying the effect of this or that col
ored ribbon 10 make n pretty finish at
ler throat, when she heard "A step on
The stair, Enthusiastically a mans step.
and hastily opened her 10 jr, r,exclaiminr
w hat. papa.-back already: when
! she saw II was strange man ap
preaching. If she felt frightened ,hc
did not show il, is it the carriage r
she said, not knowing why she said it.
or what 10 say.
Yes Miss" said the man. "Your
father has sent me for your purse 10
pay the driver"
Then Hester knew the man was 4
/ house breaker, because he hal only
guessed at her meaning He eyed hcr
ail over. she standin. firmly holding
the door handle. II she hal hal on
any articles of jeweiry. it is probable
7 the man would have seized hold OF h.r
1 bat Hester possessed neither rings uor
bracelets, and her brooch lav on her
( bureau.
Jane come here" she called with A
steady voice. and as she called. SON.
shawl or dress fell OF it, peg maxim,
sound As of some one moving behind
her. The man made one lrrrsolu,c
Nt - aiit on llr instant
Hester aHailed of the movement tu
cio,e her door again and bolt it. Her
trtpldation then became so great -l,
did not know what 10 do next. Hun
rieilN she dragged the heavy bureau
against the dor, for the man was
using hIs strength 10 try and force il
open. Then next she ran the bed,tcal
against the bureau. lest his great brute
strength might move the single piece
oi furniture. This done she sat down
cursing and swearing, had gone into
her fathers chamber. she could hear
hin ransacking and dashing about the
/ desk. the drawers, the very trunks that
( were piled IN one corner CONTAINING
things that had belonged to her dead
/ mother. She reflected her father
coming back presently would enter the
house quite unprcpared for an ass1llant
and that the first act Of the robber
+ would be to knock him down. Then
she wondered where Jane was. she
had left Jane in the little dining par
lor. going 10 take her own tea and then
TO wash up the things. All was silence
/ below. Perhaps Jane was lying
stunned in the kitchen--perhaps she
had fled 10 ras.. the alarm. They hal
no neig!lbor within quarter Of a mile
from the house, and it would take 4
| little time for help to come She open
ed her window to listen. No sound Of
footsteps or voices. or sound even Of
distant wheels. Nothing but The ram
paging of this awful wretch up stairs.
occasionally living at her door with
blows and imprecations.
What should she do! What could
| she do?
The night was dark and cloudy
neither moon nor stars TO cheer her
terrified soul with thoughts Of lofty
! spheres. and of Him who governs their
/ motions. vet condescends To care for
the meanest thing. Mean to us, their
fellow creatures. not mean to Him "ho
created them, and pronounced them
all alike Good"
As Hester stood trembling at her
I open window there was nothing for her
TO see but the lights in distant win.
dows twinkling cheerfully. Tantaliz-
ingly twinkling. for they who were
using those lights could not understand
any signal she could make with her
solitary lamp. At first the thought
arose in her mind, If can see those
cleaning lights people can see mine. "
and she tried passing her light to and
fro standing Lerself between the light
and the window, but naturally enough
her arm grew weary, and as she feared
some sudden gust Of the light wind
might extinguish it altogether, she set
1t down desparingly. Her respondent
eyes rested on little shelf in a recess,
on which lay file of illustrated papers
of the year then drawing to close.
An inspiration seized her; in an
instant all her energy returned. She
sprang on u chair, she tore down her
window curtain, she envelopea herself
carefully in her waterproof cloak,
buttoning it down the front. drawing
the hood over her hair, and putting
one hand only through an arm hole.
Preparing for all emergencies, she set
beside her on the floor the ever of
water. and the basin in which she had
washed her hands. Then closing the
window, she rashly took up the first Of
the papers. lighted it and held it close
to the window panes. till the flames
neared her hand Then she dropped it
in the basin, and lighted another. The
hot blaze fiared up, and over the win
dow frame, almost scorching her for
the moment ofits life, and even BY her
agitated breathing drawn in angry
licks towards herself. But impotent