Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-06-11

/ to a door partly oyerhung with a curtain
CHATS the safest room in the house. Good
| bye, my darling; l will telegraph in the
morning, in time for the postman to bring
the message. If I'm not back tomorrow,
get Allen and his wife to sleep in the
house. God bless you, good .byer'
Another moment and he was gone, and
Jane and her mistress looked two very
lonely and deserted females, indeed, as
they stood peeriug out into the darkness
listening to the wheels.
Come, Jane, this will never do" said
her mistress at last, wiping some rain drops
and drops Of another nature from her face.
"Let US sec that all the doors and win
dows are fast. Get your supper and come
and tell me when you are ready for bed"
Then she herself re-entered the study
and sat down to collect her thoughts some
what afler the hurry aud turmoil Of Ihe
last halfhour.
This illness Of her father -in-law would
he relen; at last, aud let her husband share
his proper with his other children? DIFF
ferences arising out Of John Fergusson's
marriage with dowerloss woman, fomeut-
ed by petty family iealousies, strengthened
by The Independent attitude the young
man had assumcd-such differences lad
been, aller all, the heaviest GRIEF Of Mrs.
Fergusson's married life. And now she
wondered aud poudered on them, till the
clock on the chimney piece struck the
hour of ten, and staItled her out OF her
meditatious.
This is the night" she thought, "for
winding that time-pioce up and she
sought among the ornaments for the key.
In her search SIZE found something she had
not expected-ihis letter, no: in an enve-
lope, slipped behind the time piece, most
likely, as soon as read:
Dear Sir-The sum you name in your
letter of The 9th, that is ET0, will be remit
ted to you in the form you request on Mon
day, the 10Th inst. TIE receipt OF Mr.. Hul-
land will he quite sufficient We beg to
remain, yours obediently,
WILLIAM AND FREDK. MATuERs.
Managers Of the Fordham Savings bank
"Oh, John, you careless mani murmur-
cd his wife: land yet you say you never
! leave anything about! This is the 10Th, so
that's been lying here for three days,
suppose. I'm very glad Sarah has been
out most of the timer
"If you please, IN, I'm going upstairs
now as soon as I've cleared these things
away said Jane. entering with respect
fu lly aggrieved air, land glad l shall be to
get to bed for what with the night being
; o rough, and master his goin' off SO sud
dint, feel all queer-like, and as if l had
the cold shivers runnin' down the spine of
my back"
When The servant left the room Mrs. Fer
gussUn remembered her husbands iustruc-
ton, took the bags of money from the
desk, and carried them 10 the room he had
desired, there locking them securely in
small closet or safe.
This done, she went and stole her young
est born, Ruth, from her little cot and car
ried her off to her own bed. \ lingering
good night ovei her darling Rosie, the six
year-old daughter, whose sweet, tender
young face looked wonderfully like her
mothers and soon Kate Ferguson was
sleeping by her child, with her husbands
Likeness under her pillow, and a prayer for
his quick return filling even her sleeping
thoughts.
II seemed 10 The mistress or The house
that she had slept 80 long that morning
must be near, whcu she awoke with an in
exp!icsble feeling Of fright-a feeling OF
something, or some one uaar her.
"What is it?" she cried, starting up in
the bed, and in>tinctively catching the
sleeping ciild in her arms. No answer.
Only distinct sound Of bieathing, and
al. 4 H.
the wall-towards her.
She began TO tremble violently; nothiHg
but the presence Of the child on her pant
ing bosom saved her from faintlug.
"Wlio is il % she cried, her voice 50 shak-
ing and hollow, that it awakened Ruth,
who cluug 10 her, sleepy and scared.
This time she had answer.
"We will do you no HARM" voice spoke
out Of the darkness, "if you give up that
money you've got" and the n, before Mrs.
Ferguson could muster courage aud breath
to speak, another voice, ont Of the room
apparently, added in a rough undertone,
And tell her to look sharp about it, too ~
1.-TWO OF them o God, help mer' she
whispered to herself ana Ruth began to
break into screams and sobs.
Keep that brat quiet, I" angrily muttered
the voice on the landing, land don't keep
us here all night"
Now surely IL ever a woman was in a
miserable plight, Mrs. Ferguson was that
woman. Not a house nearer than the
Hollands full quarter of a mile of; no
oul near TO help her, for Jane, who work
ed hard by day, slept hard by night, and
slept moreover in a queer little room at the
very top Of the house all alone-worse
than alone, utterly helpless, aud a woman
who confessed to the usual feminine share
of cowardice.
Still, she drew her breath, and there
flashed from her heart n cry for help; and
then, for few brief moments, she thought
thought with all her mind aud soul-Was
there any way for her out of this?
Aud her reason told her there was none.
"Come,' said the voice in her own room,
''I'm a good tempered chap enough, but
my mates in a hurry; don't provoke him.
Look alive, and tell us where TO lind the
swag-money T.
She groaned and shook, and all her limbs
turned cold as the voice grew nearer and
nearer; and at the last words a heavy hand
was laid upon the bed. Then, further to
torment her came the thought that once
this money were gone there would be none
tomeet the people with-the people who had
saved it week by week, day by day, all the
past year Heavy drops ran down her shak-
ing form her hands turned numb aud her
lips olammy and cold, while the beating of
her heart was like the quick tolling of a
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