Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-12-31

sauctifed rather than Catholic Christmas. |
On the hill the young ladies appeared in |
pretty dresses of blue and pink, and there |
were cake and wine on the sideboard should |
the young men call. The shops were open.
At ten o'clock a man passed along the main
street, paused before Mrs. Bamber's shop
window, shaded his eyes a moment, and
walked on. Mrs. Bamber observed him
with the habitual curiosity of the resident
of a small place. He was an insignificant
person with gray coat, with red whiskers
and a round face. That was all. Pale and
anxious after a sleepless night, she stood
with her eyes fixed apprehensively on the
clock. 1t could not be long before Hiram
briggs would do his worst. The shop bell
rang sharply.
"what do you ask for your pictures,
ma'am2"
give thousand dollars" muttered Mrs.
Bamber abstractedly, still staring at the
clock.
What was that2 The Insignificant straug-
er in the gray coat had reached for the pic
lures, and was unceremoniously striking
off the splendidly gilt frames with his stout
cane.
"Mercyl Stop! What are you doing?"
Mrs. Bamber ran nimbly TO his side and ar
rested his hand.
81 don't want these fralnes," said the
stranger contemptuously. "You set your
own price, and 1 will give you five thous-
and dollars"
Mrs. Bamber sat down on a stool In
speechless astonishment. How unreal ev-
erything had become-the snowy street, the
shop, the man in gray coat! Surely Nam
ny would soon tap on her bedroom door
and tell her it was time TO get up. Then,
by sudden and not unnatural transition
of awakening, she became suspicious and
vigilant. Her visitor wasted no superflu-
Gus words his bread ruddy face betrayed
not trace of emotion as he produced
crisp bit of paper, dipped pen into Mrs.
Bamber's ink, and began to.writo.
"If you are not cheating me, let me see
the money" Interposed Mrs. Bamber,
sharply.
He wiped the pen, returned it 10 silver
sheath in his pocket, and TOOK up the draft.
"Very good" was his sole comment, and
he went out.
Mrs. Bamber laughed hysterically.
Would he ever return? Perhaps he was a
mamie. 1t seemed an hour before he re-
turned and counted out a pile of broad
shining pieces that made pleasant clink-
ing music as they fell in glittering heap.
Five thousand dollars!
Still phlegmalic, and apparently unmov-
ed, the purchaser folded the pictures beneath
his ample coat, and returned 10 the Stone
port hotel, where he was the solitary guest.
| Once in his chamber his reserve melted he
| beamed in broad smiles, and rubbed his
| hands with a subdued chuckle of triumph.
"Dirt cheap!' he said 10 himself, and fell
10 studying the dim canvas with the aspect
of connoisseur. He then wrote the fol-
| lowing letter:
"I6 the Right Honorable the Earl of II:
| "MY LoRD,--I have the satisfaction of in
forming youHhat 1 have found the three
| pictures alter two years search in the
| States. They were in The possession of an
| ignorant woman, keeping shop in an OBJ
scure town of the New England coast, who
sold them 10 me for el000. The pictures
are undoubtedly the missing originals of
| Rafielle SanZio, and will complete your
| lordship's collection. tracked the Italian,
| Luigi Carnole, TO the haunls of his race in
| the city of New York, and was obliged TO
| proceed with greater caution from the fact
| that he appears TO have been actuated by
| revenge in the then of the pictures. Your
| lordship will be better able 10 determine
| than am whether this revenge was a loyal
attachment to the palace of his master, the
| duke, and consequent rage at the disper
| sion of its works of art to foreign lands, or
a more strictly personal motive. He made
| no effort here To sell the pictures as orgi
nails to dealers or private individuals, and
! affa rra1t 4, nf Il ,trTr
men ne disappeared, in company with an
other Italian. Pursuit led me across the
| plains 10 the Pacific, where 1 found the
second Italian, wandering musician, only
to learn that he had parted with Luigi Car
mole six months before, in the city OF New
Haven. In the latter place he had lived in
poverty and bad health, and 1 was able to
follow his steps TO my present locality,
| where he died. return TO England by the
next mail. l have the honor TO subscribe
myself,
dieut servant, "ALGERNoN SMITH,"
Mrs. Plat sat in her best parlor, her eyes
swollen with weeping, and the curtains
drawn to exclude the curious glances OF
Stoneport. She held fast the hands OF her
son and Charlotte Eaton, and trembled at
the stroke of the clock. The young people
gazed at each other across the black figure
of be mother, who was attired as if for a
funeral. Would Hiram briggs relent and
give them more timer Was it not proba-
BILE that he would appear and claim all
The young man could only chafe at his own
helplesness in The emergency and inability
to protect his own.
The sound OF flying feet made them all
listen. Mrs. Bamber, breathless and with
out bonnet, rushed into the parlor and
cast leather purse down in Mrs. PlatPs
lap.
"Oh, you needn't count it! I've done so
a dozen times already. Here's five thous-
and dollars, and the house is saved"
Between laughter and tears she explain
ed her unexpected wealth, and restored il
tn the wife of her benefactor of years ago.
Then a shadow crossed her face, just dim
ming its brightness for a moment. Much
could have been done to advance the inter-
ests Of Bamber's Drops, and place the rem
edy properly before an enlightened public,
with the aid of this money. She plucked
Charley's sleeve in the midst of the thanks
which overpowered all coherent speech
and said tremulously,
"You will not forget the Drops when you
receive your diploma, will you Charley ~
Neither the Drops nor my debt, return
ed Charley, in an unsteady voice.
Then Mrs. Bamber, through a mist ol
tears, saw Charlotte Eaton rise, tall and
proud, and take the purse from Mrs. Palt
for Hiram briggs stood on the threshold.
Thus a very humble little woman placed
her gin on the altar of the New Year.
Seth Green, the noted fish culturist and
sportsmen, says the most effective hook In