Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-17
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The thief-ah, without doubt the ne
gro / had fed and sheltered
Perhaps the next act would b: tomur-
der me If | listened. The storm was
still raging, but though the road was
lonely, better that, than this house with
such horrible company, / could not save
my grandfather's property, but / could
save my own life.
/ crept across the room and into the
hall, and to the door. There, softly as
/ could, | unfastened the bars and bolts;
bnt. alas one was above my reach.
waited and listened. Then | moved a
hall chair TO the spot and climbed upon
it. In doing so l struck my shoulder
against the door frame.
1t was a slight noise, but at that mo-
ment the chip of the chisel stopped. ]
heard gliding foot, and, horror of hor-
rors a man came from the study,
sprang towards me, and clutched me
with both hands, holding my arms as in
a vice, while he missed in my ear
9 You'd tell, would you? You'd call
| help You might better have slept, you
had +; for you see you've got to pay for
waking. I'd rather hey let chick like
you off but you know me now, and
/ can't let you live"
! / stared in his face with horror, min
/ gled with an awful surprise; for now
/ that il was close TO me / saw, not the
! negro, but our own hired man, Anthony
/ Anthony, whom had supposed to be
/ miles away with Hannah. He was lit
! tie more than youth, and l had given
! him many a present, and had always
! treated him well.
! | pleaded with him kindly.
| g Anthony, | never did you any harm,
/ l am young, l am girl. Don't kill me,
Anthony. Take the money, don't kill
me, for poor grandma's sake"
4 . You'll tell on me" said Anthony,
dOggedly. Likely I'd be caught. No,
| | have got to kill you.
/ As he spoke he took his hands from
my shoulders and clutched my throat
fiercely.
[ had time to utter one piercing Shrek,
then l was strangling, dying, with sparks
in my eyes and sound as of roaring
waters in my ears, and then-what had
/ sprung on my assassin with the SWIFT 81
lence of leopard What had clutched
me from him /? and stood over him with
something glittering above his heart
The mist cleared away, the blurred mist
that had gathered over my eyes, as sight
returned | saw the negro with his knee
upon Anthony's breast.
The fugitive whom | had housed and
fed had saved my life.
Then ten minutes-ten minutes in
which, but for that poor slaves pres
ence, | would have been hurried out of
life-the rattle of wheels and the tardy
, feet of old Ajax were heard, and my
grandparents were with me.
. 1t is needless TO say that we were not
ungrateful TO our preserver; needless,
also to tell of Anthony's punishment.
1t came out during his trial that he
had long ngcontemplated the robbery: that
the absence of my grandparents appear
ing to afford an opportunity, he had de-
J coved Hannah away with lie, and hid
, in the study. He knew nothing of the
negro's presence in the house, and, being
: naturally superstitious, had actually fan
cied nv protector a creature from the
other world, and submitted without q
, struggle.
Long ago-so we heard-the negro, nc
longer slave, met his wife and child.
3 rem beyond danger: and now that the
bonds are broken for all in this fret
E land, doubtless they have returned L
the genial cline whence they fed TO fine
I refuge in Canada.