Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-10-18

icct hau lhc uOOr VI tuS ciOsct iOChSu
upon him. He grew lamb-like in a mo-
ment.
You've done it now, havn't you, my
charming creature? swear I'm in love
with you from this hour to the end of
time. You've got me tight and fast.
What is the use OF money now? I'll take
the eighty cents, and you may have the
forty dollars if you will let me out"
"No, sir; l am going to call the
neighbors," / said resolutely.
Going with that night-cap on ?
You'll make your fortune. But don't
hurry, that's dear. Let's have little
friendly talk. Say, I'll give you hun
dred dollars if you'll let me out"
"Yes, and leave you free to scare
some other woman nearly to death-no,
sir p'
Well, then, I'll give you two hun
dred."
"No, sir"
"Name your price, then, dear girl.
l suppose every woman has her price
they say every woman has"
"No; it wouldn't be right" I said,
hesitatingly.
heard chuckle.
First step toward it; she begins to
talk of what is right"
l thought of my poor girl out to work
by the week, and so anxious to get an
education, and I'm sure it isn't to be
wondered at if l did begin to think Of
setting a price. But | said not word.
"Look here" I'll put five hundred
dollars in good sound gold under the
door, and you can count it as push it
through piece by piece, if you'll only let
me out Of this cursed hole. I'm smoth-
ering."
"Try some chloroform," l whispered
through the keyhole.
Course the chloroforml WI you let
me outf
I had light by this time, and had
slipped into calico wrapper and my
slippers.
IF / got the money how could | let
him out of the closet p wondered. Il
shouldn't dare to meet him he'd rob
me again and perhaps murder me"
But said, "Pll take the gold," resolv-
ing that l would try and get out of it
somehow, just for the sake of poor Re
becca, who SO much wanted to go to
school.
Your heart is in the right place., he
said, and the next moment big round
gold piece came through the wide crack
under the door.
| couldn't withhold an exclamation of
delight.
"It's all right enough now, isn't it ?"
he sneered. There's nothing like gild-
ing over our sins little. BAIL all the
worlds alikel Here goes another, and
another. Count fast, my pious damsel.
1 Dare say there's no confessional in your
church p
Is there in yours ?"
"Well, if there was, gold gets into
that sometimes, they say. Hold fast
there you've got the last clinker, now
set me free"
"Wait a m mute"
"But won't wait. I swear 1 won't p
"Can you help yourself ?"
Well, no, not much; but I'm smoth-
ering in here. Can't you take pity on a
poor fellowF
"Sit down fiat on the foor," l said.
heard him plump down as obedient
as school-boy.
What next ?"
/ turned to the kitchen door to see if
the lock was all right. Then l turned
the key with sharp click, which sound
ed to me like the report of pistol.
"There !" cried, and sprang into the
kitchen and locking the door behind me.
He came out of his prison swearing
like trooper.
"Sharp old Satan she's locked herself
up somewhere" trying the kitchen door
as he spoke. "Good night, Madam
De'il-good nightl You've got the best
of this. You have robbed me. Good
night Get down and say your pray
ers."
And did. What is more, cried like
baby over my money, thinking what
it would bring to US.
l never saw the strange burglar again,
and in few weeks Rebecca was comfort
ably settled at school, No one ever
knew where the money came from. An
uncle died about that time, and some of
my neighbors shrewdly suspected that
he had left us something; but / had
nothing to say on the subject.
About six months after my adventure,
brother Joe came to me, one day, and
said that he had been stopped in the
street by strange man that morning.
and that he begged him to say to Mad
anne Quimby that the frill of her night
cap was just little too wide So saying
he passed on. What did he mean 2"