The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-03-09
nov .Hs e.vour rHr uraoLaR-

mAuy houses 10 this part Of The iowr
lately, said cousin jennie, one morning
ss we sat a, the breAkfAsi-tAble. Its !
pliy be didn't come here, 90 that yot
could have added another laurel TO youi
crown, mother, b. esptnriag him.-v
Wouldn't i hAte been splendld II i bad
happened SO. The family would have
been famous should have been intro.
duced into society IS daughter Of Mrs
Van s,rstton, the celebrated burglar
catcher, and borne the honor with be-
coming meekness aud satisfaction. Did
mother ever tell you about catching that
awful thief and probable murderer, Toby
Darrell, years ago, before any Of us ap-
peAred on the stage Of sctioni
No, never heard anything about il, !
answered. Please tell me about 1t, aunt
Annie.
I've told il 90 many times, answered
amt Annie, that I've got rather tired
Of Il, bat ] suppose you won't let me
of
Aunt Annie smiled across the table at
me in q kind OF self-sAtished way that
assured me that she was quits rs willing
TO tell me the story as was to hear IL.
Like all the rest of US aunt Annie was
probably trihe proud OF having done a
heroic deed
IL happened a year alter your uncle
George and were married. We had
just begun housekeeping here, when the
neigbborhood began TO be troubled over
the frequent depredstions Of some person
or persons whom il was impossible to
obtain any cine Of. House after house
was broken into, aud money, jewelry and
plate were taken. The police was called
upon, and detectives were put upon the
alert, bat to no purpose. The officers
decided that the thefts were the work Of
an old desperado, called Toby Darrell;
one OF the woHtscmesin the whole list
Of Williams with whom they hsd TO deal,
aud one of the most careful and expert.
Hc had been suspected OF murder, and
dozens Of other crimes had been traced
TO Aim, but so successful was be 10 elud.
ing the officers of justice that they had
succeeded but twice in arresting him,
aud on both Of these occasions be had
managed to escape. so frequent had bis
thefls become, and so daring, that at
last heavy reward was offered for his
arrest.
One day George had to go out of town
and was left alone with grandfather
Van Stratton, who had come to spend q
few days with us. / didn't know where
the two servants that we kept bad gone
to. | drew down the curtains, as the
dusk settled in the streets, and pat some
fresh GOALS on the fire, and sat down iD
our little sitting-room with q new book,
while grandfather busted himself over bis
newspaper. In this way, with occasional
remarks, the evening passed off, when
the clock struck nine grandfather declar-
ed that he was so sleepy that he was GO
ing to bed, after which declaration of
intentions he took out bis big silver
snuff.box aud took pinch Of that fiery
Scotch snutf be used TO be so fond OF,
and, on closing it, instead Of putting It
back into his pocket, he sat 1t down on
the little table at my elbow, and proceed
ed to warm his feet before going of to
bed. | noticed his putting the boz on
the table, and supposed he would think
of il before going to bed. But, after he
had said goodnight and left me, l saw
that he had left his snu1-box behind him.
took II up and opened ii out of idle
curiosity, and the faintest scent of its
contents set me into paroxysm of
sneezing, aud brought the tears to my
eyes.
The room was warm and cozy, and my
book was very interesting, and | con-
cluded that would read on for ap hour
longer before going to bed. ] don't
know how long did read, but it could
not have been long, for the clock striking
eleven woke me! woke as people oc-
casionslIy do, quietly and completely,
without stirring or seeming TO wake
The fret thing that became conscions
OF was that there were steps in the room,
aud they were steSlthy, sinister ones.
MY face was turned from the fire as !
lay back in my chair, and was IN partial
shadow. remember Of thinking, In a
quick Kind OF logical reasoning, that
didn't trouble Itself aboat sylloaisms,t that
could open my eyes tTfas without be-
tFsying the tact that | wasn't asleep, and
discover who and what my visitor was.
| was frightened, but felt that 1t was the
safest way for ma 20 appear fest Hsleep.
opened my syee aoftiy, and sawa man
stapding shout SIX feet from me, With
the flckering fire shining full into bis
face, and ii was the worst and most bru-
tai face ever looked into in all my life.
II vas with difficulty that kept from
screaming oat, and l oflsh dream Of see-
I ing that man now, and siWays N fsaw
him then, standing In the red frelight,
whose ftfai play u, mp biz face with the
look Of a demon. watching me with biz
cruel, iigerish eyes. lie had sack slung
over bis shoulder, and | understood At.
once that be bad been through tie bouse
aud pIundered II Of everything worth bis
while 10 take.
4 You know that your uncle George and
/ / began housekeeping 10 a modest way
We bad TO, for be was working on sal
airy Ia those days, and after paying for