St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-05-19
The Long Pack.


"Auntle, tell me Il story" | said lis
SAT with my maiden relative in hug,
tapc>tri"d apartment in Il rambling
old-faSiIoncd house III the country.
NV hat kind of Il story do You wan.
Harry ," she asked, grave OF gay. tru,
or untrue, pleasant or sad For my lit,
has been long and my experience,
many She added. as she gazed dream
lily and thonghttully into the fire that
hlazcd Oh the hearth before us.
''Oh. something narrowing and thrill
lrg. fearful and shocking. and above all
true there's Il dear aunt =" ! exclaimed
aS drew near her side, and gazed shnd-
dcling around the large, gloomy room
y little pause en>ucd. while Aunt,
gazed mcditativcly into the fire. and
watched her face in cagcr hope of til,
exciting tale that was coming.
Il WAS about sixteen (Auut Bct>el
began at la>D when WAS invited to .,
and stay with some relatives in SUSSEX
whom had never seen. My life in thi,
old house where WAS born and HAY,
lived all my days WAS Somew hat mo.
n"tonnuS. WAS lively girl then
Wild with delight AT the prospect of !;
change of scene | looked anNiou>lN tol
my parents permission to accept th,
ImNItation. After some dclihcrttion th,
desired permission WAS given 50. early
one morning. accompanied hN my IA
thcr. set ont III high spirits for my
destination. arIiNin. there in the pleas
ant twilight of an autumn evening
Dul friends gave u> IL cordial reception
l Al 49,.
""d-tcmpcrcd, rather elderly people
and their two daughters girlS of cigh
teen or twenty -;l> merry and a> viii,
aS | could possibly desire. Their name,
were Mildred and Janet. The house
standing on its own grounds. and sur
rounded 10y lofty trees. was old an,
spacious with many long corridors an,
passages. and plenty of rooms of al
sizes and descriptions. can recall :,
well the entrance hall. Ii WAS of i'm
m,4I>c lie and gloomy. and from it a>
cendcd Il wide staircase which led I,
an open gallery above. Durim" my
STAY with my SUSSEX friends, Mr. an,
Mrs. Oldham went to spend few day:
at II gcntlcman> house Il few miles dis
tant from their own. and it was Will,
they were absent that the alarming oc
rurItncc | am about to relate to Nor
took place. The household con>i>tr,
of the butler and tour maid servants
! The coachmau. who lived in Il cuttag,
ON the grounds. about quarter of
mile distant. was NOW absent with hi
master and mistress. The butler WAS
pnmpuu>. stately. middlc-agcd man
| given Somcwh hat To patroniZing. though
a. 4 l.
Young people. He evidently consider
ed the safety of the house aS his peculiar
charge. and WAS very particular III the
cXtin"uiShing of fires. and III looking at
ter the fastening of doors and window :
! We had heard of one or two robbrrir,
being committed in the ncighholhool
but we did not feel nervous. and M,
cousin placed great dependence ON
huge black dog which always slept II
night in the hall. One evening he
licve it WAS the third after Mr.. and Mis-
Oldham departed my cousins and
were sitting chatting mclrilN aroun,
the fire in Il large room which oprnc,
from the hall. think it WAS about ScN
en- o'clock. when there came il pull Il
the front door bell, and. after Il >hur
delay. the butler answered it. Pres
emily. hearing IL somcwha prolomge,
parley outside, we opened our room
door and pccpcd ont. Two men. ap
parentlN much exhausted, stood at the
lower end of the hall. while on the tino
at their feet lay large, long package
Opposite to them stood the butler an'
one of the maid servants. and Il storm,
discussion. seemed going on bctwccI
them. Mildred, my elder cousin. afir
Il few moments pause, walked folwar'
and requested an explanation. One "
them. rather Il respectable looking IN
dividual. ! thought, advanced towar'
her, and. making Il low bow, began t.
speak:
..Madame," said he, 1--WE have lrough
this bale of goods to your house b,
mistake: We were to take it to Mrs
Needham's." mentioning il house ahou
five miles distant, "hut have carried |
here instead. We aIe much exhausted
for we have walked far; the night
tcmpestuous. and we feel that we ca
take it no farther. Will You kindl
allow lis to leave it here till morning
Mildred looked at the butler inquir
ingly before she answered. The ol
servant shook his head with doubt
ful and suspicious air, whereupon tn
man who had just spoken observe
hastily:
We do not ask for lodging for ON
selves. madame; we will make our wa
to the nearest public house. 1t is "nl
the pack we wish to leave. 1t is Yer
heavy. and we will call for it in goo
time Tomorrow. We throw ourSclve
upon your compassion
Let the poor men leave their lare
package. Mildred, said Janet. my young
er cousin, land have it put in the ante
room until to- morrow.
f Mildred consented, and III disregar
e of the frown and ominous look of til
! butler. and ordered the pack to he cal
ried in a little room near the entrance
4 This was done. and glad and thankfl
E was to see the door bolted and barre
, behind the formidable strangers.
. seemed to me IL dangerous risk, i'll ol
t thinly populated household. to adm
two strangers at that time of the eV,
l. ming. | had noticed, too, that the
: glanced around the hall in surrept