Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-06-04
:ouR MAGGIE AND THE BURGLARS:

"You are not afraid, Maggie?"
'Mc afraid" said Maggie. 'I'd no
fear born with me. AS for the house,
it is the strongest fastened ever was
in. You say yourself there is no lock
burglar could force, and I'm not one
to let tramps or the like in of my free
will. God knows the place will be safe
enough when you come back-as safe
as though when regiment Of soldiers
in it; and I'll have all bright for your
new wife, Mr. Archibald"
She called her master Mr.. Archibald
still, this old woman: but she was the
only one who used his christian name.
He was an elderly man and had few in
innate friends. He was rich and there
was much that was valuable in his house
more ready money, too, than most men
keep about them; but it was secure as
bank vault patent locks and burglar
alarms that first sent bullet into any
one who sought to enter by stealth, and
then rang bell to wake the household,
were attached to every door, and flu
rious watch dog, thai lived on raw meat,
was in the back garden. The Van Mott
mansion could have stood siege at a
moments notice.
Mr.. Van Mott was money dealer
He had ways and means of accumulat-
ing property which were mysteries to
his neighbors, and there were suspicious
that the little back parlor, sacred to bust
ness, had even seen such lesser dealings
as money loans on the gold watches,
cashmere shawls, and diamonds of gen
teel distress. Two or three mortgages
that he had bought up had been cruelty
foreclosed; and ne was hard landlord
and bad person to owe money to alto
gether. On the whole, he was disliked
in the place, and rich as he was, he
would have found it hard to get wife
to his liking among his neighbors at
Oakham. However, having resolved
to marry again-there had been a Mr..
Van Mott, who had died years before
he had sought out wealthy widow
of saving disposition, who lived on a
small farm some miles out Ct town, and
having already disinherited her daugh
ter for espousing an estimable man Of
small means, and turned her only son
out Of doors for equally prudent reasons
was not likely to bring any troublesome
generosity into household, and had
offered himself to her, and had been
accepted. And now, though both their
economical souls revolted against it,
custom demanded a wedding of some
sort, and honeymoon trip somewhere,
and they bad decided to do it as cheap
ly as possible. For this brief time Mr.
Van Mott must leave his business and
his house, and it was upon the eve Of
his departure that he held the above
conversation with his old servant,
standing with his portmanteau in his
hand, and regarding her grayely.
eyes, yes" he said, 81 presume it is
all safe enough. And III speak to the
night Waterman, and give him a dollar
to take particular look at this house.
Well, good-by, Maggie, make things
as neat as possible, for if they look
dirty my wife may think the furniture
old, and want something new for the
parlor." And Mr.. Van Mott departed.
eyes, yes" said old Maggie, emo
doubt she'll have fine, extravagant
ways. Poor master! What pity he
should marry, after all-but old fools
are the worst fools. A young thing of
eight and forty, too, when he has q
sensible servant, sixty last Jannary,tha'
knows what belongs to good house
keeping. If he wanted to marry why
didn't he ask me? I'd not have gone
gallivanting and spending. All, we'll,
he'll suffer, not I" And Maggie trotted
away to begin her sweeping and dust
ing.
She had said truly that there was nc
fear born with her, but as the night
drew on she began to feel something
strangely missed out Of the great house
and there was something ghostly in ths
lcok of his empty chair when she
peeped into the little back Office.
eff l was superstitious, she said to
herself, II should think something
dreadful was going to happen. I fee
chilly up and down my back, and
keep thinking of funerals. I'll make
myself cup of tea, and see i'll can,
get over it.
And accordingly old Maggie shut
herself into the snug kitchen, and
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