The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-07-10

bedroom. / intended for that nigh
to. remain dressed, and sit up in grant
pas arm chair, with candles and
hook for company. Therefore / lock
ed the door, took the most comforts
bic position, and opening a volume
composed myself to read.
| Reading | fell asleep. How lon,
| slept | cannot tell l was aweak
ened by low sound like the pryin,
of a chisel.
At first it mixed with my dream
SO completely that / took no heed o
it, but at last / understood that som
one was at work upon the lock o
my door.
! | sat perfectly motionless, th'
blood curdling in my veins, and still
chip, chip, chip, went the terrible
little instrument, until at last | knew
whence the sound came.
Back of the sitting room wa
grandpa's study. There, in a grea
old fashioned closet, were stored tn,
family silver, grandma's jewelry, and
sundry sums of money and valuable
papers. The safe itself stood in S
closet recess, and at the closet the
thief was now at work.
The thief-ah, without doubt the
negro | had fed and sheltered.
Perhaps the next act would be to
murder me if / listened. The storm
was still raging: but though the road
was lonely, better 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, soft.
ly as | could, / unfastened the bars
and bolts, but, alas ! one was above
my reach. l waited and listened.
Then l 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
moment the chip of the chisel stop
ped, | heard gliding foot, and hor-
ror of horrors, man came from the
study, sprang towards me and
clutched me with both shands, hold
ing my arms as vice, while he
Kissed in my ear:
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
hev let chick like you off; but you
know me now, and l can't let you
live.'
1 stared in his face with horror,
mingled with an awful surprise; for
now that it was close to me / saw,
not the negro, bat our own hired
man, Anthony-Anthony, whom |
had supposed to be miles away with
Hannah. He was little more than a
youth, and l hadssgiven him many a
present and always treated him well.
| plead with him kindly.
Anthony, / never did you any
harm / am young; l am girl
Don't kill me Anthony. Take the
money, don't kill me for poor grand
mas sake
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 suffocat-
ing shrek; then l was strangling,
dying, with sparks in my eyes, and
a sound of roaring water in my ears,
and then-what had sprung upon my
assassin with the swift silence of a
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 l saw the
negro with his foot upon Anthony's
breast.
The fugitive whom / had housed
and fed had saved my life.
Then ten minutes after-ten min
utes in which but for the poor slaves
presence | would have been hurried
out of life-the rattle of wheels and
the tardy feet of old Ajax was heard
without, and my grandparents were
with me.
1t is needless to say that we were
not ungrateful to our preserver !;
needless, also to tell Anthony's pun.
ishment.
1t came out during his trial that he
had long contemplated the robbery !;
that the absence of my grand parents
appearing to afford an opportunity,
he had decoyed iannah away with
lie, and hid in the study. He knew
nothing of the negro's presence IN
the house, and being naturally sup
erstitious, had actually fancied my
protector creature from the other
world, and submitted without a
struggle.
Long ago-so we heard-the slave,
a slave no longer, met his wife and
children beyond danger; and now
that the bonds are broken for all in
this free land, doubtless his fears are
over, and he sits beside his humble
Canadian hearth when even tide
comes.