Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-14
BRATTLEBORO, VT, FRIDAY, A

table preparatory 10 placing dessert. L
wanted to look at him-indeed, a fascina-
tion could not resist drew my eyes TO his
face like magnet-yet, somehow, l dared
not keep them there the consciousness OF
meeting his glance, and feeling that I
should then be ashamed of my curiosity,
made them drop untnsily every time he
turned and once when found his gaze rest
on me an instant, felt myself color violent
ly under the quiet look of his steel-gray
eyes.
One thing was very observable in the lit
tie group: the child Nellie was intensely
fond of the man, and he himself seemed to
entertain and constantly endeavor to ex-
press an exalted admiration for Mr.. Den
ham. While the latter was speaking Les
ters animated looks followed every word
and gesture; he anticipated bis unexpress-
ed wishes, and watched TO save him the
trouble Of moving or asking for anything.
mo, no, Nellie, stay and finish your din
ner; Lester is not quite ready for you yet"
Her mother said this ~ reference TO the
child's eagerness to follow the trusty at
tendant from the room, aud her neglect OF
her meal in consequence. "Nellie is in the
habit of carrying up the sugar and the
cream for the coffee, and she thinks Lester
cannot possibly get on If she does not as
sist," said Ruth in smiling explanation as
Nellie FASTENED after him.
The next instant there was the mingled
sound of heavy fall or succession of falls
outside, and ono quick, stifled scream from
the child.
1.-THE dumb-waiter, quick 1t has brok-
en- from its weights and scalded Nellie with
the hot Coffee" cried Ruth, making spring
toward the door by which Loster had gone
out.
Her husband, forgetting his lameness,
was Instantly at her side; but some force
held the door against them both, and aban-
doning il after the first effort, the father
turned hurriedly 10 the one leading into
the hall. I sat nearest that, and In the ex-
element had moved quickly aside, so
that when it was flung violently open the
moment before my host, the governor OF
the prison, reached 1t, I was thrust back
against the wall, from which place, half
dead with fright, saw the hall crowded
with convicts, the foremost of whom held
a pistol directly toward Mr.. Denham's
head.
II snapped with sharp report, and when
the smoke cleared / found Mr.. Denham
had lodged the fire and was closed in a
scufIie with the villain for the weapon. A
dozen more seemed 10 spring OF him from
the threshold; heard his wife's cry of ag-
ony; and then tue door at the other side
burst in, and Lester, with his gray eyes
cleaning like flame, bounded over the
body of bloody convict that fell from his
grasp as he broke Into the room. Quick as
thought he caught up one OF the heavy
chairs in his hands, and bringing ii down
with desperate force on the heads of the
governors assailants, felled one, while the
other staggered back aud dropped his pis-
toll. Mr.. Denham caught it like a flash,
and fired it in the face of a wretch who was
aiming at Testers heart. The convicts
fell back, and over their bodies the govern
or aud his aid sprang into the crowded hall.
"The child the child! o God my lit
tie daughter! 1t was Ruth's voice in tones
of such anguish and terror as never be-
fore heard uttered 10y human voice.
She was looking from the window into
the yard below, and there 81, beheld Nell
lie lifted up as a shield against the guns Of
the guards by party of the escaping con-
vicls. The little creature was deadly while
and perfectly silent her great blue eyes
were wide open and frozen with fright, and
her little hands were clasped in eDtreating
agony and stretched toward her mother.
"Staud behind me and shoot them down,
governor" cried Lester, dealing steady
blows with the now broken chair, and try
ing TO make his own body a shield for Mr..
Denham. The governor continued to fire
on the convicis, who were pouring in a
steady stream down the stairs from out of
the room where l had seen the shower of
dust, and through the ceiling of which, as
II afterwards proved, they had cut hole,
and so escaped from the per corridor of
the prison.
tried 10 hold Ruth in my arms, for in
her frenzy 10 reach her child she had flung
up the window and endeavored TO drop
from it at the risk of her life. "They will
not dare TO hurt her; God will protect her
innocent life" was all l could say, when a
random ball from below struck the win
dow frame, and, glancing OIL, stunned with
out wounding the wretched mother. She
fell, Jared 10y the shock, and drew her as
well as l could behind the door, on the
other side of which lay the two bleeding
prisoners who had tried TO take her hus.
bands life.
Groans, shouts, curses, yels and pistol
shots sounded in the hall and on the stairs
only the back of the chair remained 10 Les
ter's grasp, but heaps Of men felled by its
weight and crushed by their struggling fell
lows had tumbled down and been kicked
over the broken balustrade to the hall be-
low.
The guards had rallied from their snr-
prise, and sparing the escaped for the sake
OF the precious shield they bore, turned
their fire upon the escaping, cutting them
off until the whole corridor below was
blocked with wounded, dead aud dying.
One more man appeared at the clerks door;
he was powerful fellow with horse-pistol
and stone hammer. Lester had staggered
back from flying iron bar aimed at his
head by a villain he struck at without
reaching, and who had bounded down the
stairs TO receive his death from the guards
musket at the door. The prisoner with the
horse-pisto saw his advantage, and, ours
ing the governor in blasphemous rage,
aimed at him as he fed. Recovering him
self Lester struck for his arm, but not soon
enough 10 stop the fire; the charge reached
lis object, but not his heart, rs it was meant
TO do. 1t glanced aside, and Mr.. Denham's
pistol dropped but the field was clear, and
Lester catching The fallen pistol, went down