St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-01-06
The Stone Tuuif.

| have been with Morris Il Glinby
tive-and-thirty years, come the first OF
next month. | was forty when | came
here, and so | have Il habit of being ex-
act about dates, and am now within "A few
weeks of >eventy-tivc. iiut is for being
o!G, bless yeu, I'm younger than the
youngest clerk, Tom Codgers. wio, with
lie suppyrs and hard blinking, la, q
hand that shakes like those old ledger
leaves blowing in the wind by the open
winiow yondcr.
Gold water, early hours, and temper
ancc IN all thi"2s keep man hale his
life through II you don't believe that,
look at me : Hm IN example, sir. Yes,
I've seen changes here. The firm WAS
Morris, Grinby Y Bloom. when | came
herc,-though young Bloom died three
months after he young Grinby was taken
into partnership. We have had Il fire
here, too, md the Offices have teen re-
bull: on a different plan. All, yes
changcs cnuu2h, sad and pleasant bu,
the s;rangcst and saGdc:-t Of all was what
happened 10 poor Ben Wade.
Nh, dear mo. Ii did seem hard, look
ing at it with human ewes, and forgetting.
rs we are apt to do. that God does every
thing lOr the best.
Perhaps you don't know how this
house Is built. Its an oil place, although
the front ami offices are new, and those
Great balustrades were put up only last
wear. Down below you can Judge how
very cd il i. SUCH a cellar, sir-such
massive wail-pavod with stone. nd be-
low the cellar Is IL small stole vault which
CodgrrS, who laughs ut serious things,
says the old firm built to be buried in
Nv own opinion Is that it Was intended
70 conceal valuaUleS, ior it has .rate
and painted dorr, and the locks are each
fastened with different key-that is. il
iney " ere ever fastened ut all. The .Iult
was disuscd long before my time. Well,
III, ! hadn't been here six months, when
one day, or rather one evening, iJr 1t was
nearly siX-lnerchants kept late hours in
those days-l had occasion to 20 down
INTO the cellar before going home, to give
directions to the porter about some bales
10 be sent up i'll the early morning next
day.
Mike and | were up ut the north end
of the cellar, where the bales were, and |
was giving him my orders, when at my
elbow, as 1t seemed, heard an odd sound
IL kind of Wheeling cough, smothered
III Il moment.
locked around; there was nobody
thcrc-not a soul and thought, ''IIow
our ears deceive us,to be sure" and went
ON talking. But, | give you my word, l
hadn't spoken three words when there
was that sound again. 1t quite startled
me.
''NIike," said l, ''did you cough ~
'.No, sir" said Mike. 81 thought
your honor did"
sit must be imagination, or some sound
from the office overhead"
But just tEen-ough-ough. We both
heard it.
'.Its no good, your honor" said Nike.
"Thcrc's some one hiding in the eel
lar" said |.
SO, with Mixes lantern we went over
the great stone paved place, looking be-
hind boxes and bales, and under the steps,
and up the coal slide. But not a soul
did we find until passing the door of the
vault, heard il this time very faint and
strange, and called out to Mike
"Whoever it is, is hidden in the vault. y
And with that we both started stair,
ward, and boiled into MIR. Grinby's office
together-the cid gentleman, Grinby SEN
ior. He don't come to the office cnce Il
y,;'r now, tor he's past ninety. Old Mr.
Grlfby was just locking his desl and
"ut'onine MS overcoat. IL Stared d; u
through his glasses, and calculated:
Bless me, Humphries, is the house
on fire ~
"No, SIR" said /, ''5ut there's som(
one hidden in the ssOEe vault."
bah :" said Mr.. Grinby. II tho'i
YOU had better sense, Mr.. Humphries
Ne one could exist ten minutes in the
stone vault. 1t is the ncxs thing to air
:igh:."
at is my belief, sir, that whoever it i:
may be choking to death, sir" said l j