Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-06-11
.CAUGHT IN 4 TRAP.

! in the quiet OF MS own study.
1t was a wild October evening, the wind
twirling and rushing up the short drive
that lay between tue front door Of the house
and the gate in the shrubbery which diyid-
ed the grounds from the high road.
Mr.. FERGUSON was puzzled over his
work, bothered by it, in fact; finally he
sought assistance OF the inferior order of
creation, 10 wit, his wife, who sat opposite
to him, busily knitting chldren's socks.
"Kater be CALCULATED in an injured tone.
"Well, John?"
"These accounts are frightful nuisance.
| wish had never undertaken such piece
of business it's no end Of work for me,
and not half dozen of the people will
! thank me for it after all"
Mr.. FERGUSON perfectly reyeled in all
sorts Of parish work but he was man
who delighted in a good hearty grumble
now and then, aud his wife understanding
such moods well, always found it an ex-
celleut plan to treat them hom9pathically.
suppose you shut the books up, John,
aud let us chat for an hour. The people
won't be ming up for the money before
Thursday or Friday, and this is only Mon
| day."
"The people will be coming up for their
money, YOU most procrastinating woman"
| answered the husband. ''Suppose you
were to help me now instead Of going on
with that eternal knitting; we might man
! age this between us, and have the gossip
| you are longing for afterwards. Now,
| then, who is Simon Green-the one on the
| Common? And did he have his money
out in April to buy pig? Now we shall
! get on perhaps
The knitting vanished, and the pair were
soon:mmersed in accounts, Mrs. Fergus
sons capital memory supplementug ;he
rector's rather carelessly kept accounts ad-
miraJly. An hours work brought them
| to the end of their labors; and Mr. Fer
| gusson, on going to a large old-fashioned
| desk, and drawing thorefrom three canvass
bags full Of gold and silver, had the salts
faction of finding the sum they contained
| tailed exactly with what was required to
| pay all the depositors in the club their prop
er amounts.
al sh all be glad when We get rid OF it,"
he said as he replaced the bags. Il am so
unused 10 having such 4 sum as go in the
house that don't feel quite safe with it.
| It's to be hoped we shall never be rich,
Kate. I've been accustomed to GOO year
SO long now, that should feel out of my
element with a larger income"
"By the bye, was not Sarah TO come
home tonight" asked the husband.
"Not till tomorrow. She wanted one
more day to see a sailor brother who was
coming home. think, If you don't mind,
J obn, I shall not keep Sarah longer than
| Christmas. don't like some of her ways"
"Then, my dear lis your duty to try and
| imp rove them. You took the girl out Of
charity; don't give her up in a hurry"
"Tm not in hurry, indeed. 1t is quite
| two months since / found her reading
letter Of mine, which had len open on the
table, and that's not pleasant habit for a
servant to have, is itH l talked to her
kindly, but l believe she does the same
sort of hing still, when she has the
chance"
Then don't give her the chance, Kate.
You never find me leaving my letters
| about" cob, Johnr) "or if l do they
are such as are of the least consequence"
Il did not know so well when engaged
Sarah what bad character her family
bore, one brother has been in prison twice.
"Ail the more reason for keeping the
girl safe from evil influence. You should
not be too Easty, KATE; you are are dear
little soul, but, like all women, you judge
too impulsively, and-Who's that won
der?"
\ heavy step passed the window, follow
ed by ring at the hall bell. Mrs. Fergus
son opened the study door as Jane, their
steady older servant, passed down the
stairs, candle in hand.
al wonder if that's Sarah, come home
tonight instead of tomorrow said her
mistress.
"Lawk, no. ma'am, not likely" answer
cd Jane; but wen soon see who ii is;'
and pulling away the chain from the door,
she opened it, disclosing mans figure
without. He was dripping wet, and had
to hold his hat on with one hand, or the
wind would have carried it far away; the
other hand he extended with large damp
yellow envelope therein. "A telegram T.
cried Jane, taking the missive from him
and passing it on to her mistress, who in
turn carried il TO her husband, and watched
his face anxiously as he opened and read
it. \ grave, perplexed look came over his
features as he handed it back.
The message was from his brother at
For dham, a place forty miles distant, and
ran thus:
"Come immediately third bad it-my
father anxiously expects you"
"No help for it, Kate" said Mr.. Fergus
son, answering his wife's appealing look.
$50 much may depend upon my seeing
him once more that dare not choose but
to go. How am | to get to the station in
time for the ten o'clock mail, l wonder?
It's nearly nine now, and five miles on
such a night as this would take me more
than an hour to walk"
"Walk you cannot, john" answered his
wife. at know" she added quickly, "the
man who brought this message must go
back past Mr.. Hollands; 1 will write a
note asking him to send Arnold aud their
dog-cart up for you. Anything is better
| than walking. l know he will do it for
| you"
| Mrs. FERGUSON wrote her note hurried
ly, while her husband spoke TO the tele-
graph official, who promised to go to Mr.
Hollands at once.
When he was gone, Jane stood looking
blankly from master to mistress, and then
she said dolerully, "And please, sir, what's
to become OF u.s."
"Become of you! Why, you will stop
and take care Of the house. to be sure"
said her master, rather shortly. Then,
l clnsinr Iha sIndv door nnnn himsnlr and