Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-04-19

q UP WI.
All ,ha, l1ny, bright day / WAS bus!
md M py IN the finwer garden, Oh
ewin., Trading; and when the girl
IN, iuca n; vers cheerful at their hal
olIday, = ishrd them a merry time. |
, al told ( ,,'m mot 10 fa~ten hoic. 10 |
1, hnlnas .h-Auld ruIue for them. eS
|. ted ny father an mother ONE
o ~ alter eight v'ciork, aud told ThunI-
y that he might go about that tiIue,"s
hey would soon lie home and il lo1h
d little like rain. Hravy cloud
we're gathering ia the wet, and th'
hunder ramhled sulleniy. He to"i
The cover G wa .nn ana oil gray, and
before h. sit PIP q in, said:
Miss Anr, think you had bettei4
.a.l- u the douTs, A. you niay be aloii.
or "A short time If go so SOON. Wunl'
,uu not rather that ] should wait III.
,uur faI her c.iIHe-%
Oh, no, Thoma>; don't mind being
.luur ia the least, aud you ought Ia -,
~ il shUuld rain tiard, iur II IL NOR
than two mile $ III ride, ard they uia.
not wish tO leave in minute. lex
.H-rt father nd mother here every nv
.si. Ouu's wait
So ThGila- lef and the wagon rat
tied nIerrily UP the lane. l bolted u"
ioor. bersuse he told lie, for other
si.e wuul.i not have thought uf it
II rev dark rapid, and the thuntie;
! ,egan To peal heavily, while the " iIn
,rs-. anu the fl ,,nrs of lightning grey
nl re and more vivid and II queiIt.
went to the east parlor, and luuked nu
10 the south, but the sudden lightning
up in the sky aud the falling darknt-
iid not interest the long. i could nD
,te out very well, either, al The money
suckles covered the Windows TIN
large mirror Re hected me as j turnt {
away TO cross the room. AMI siUpi'e'
moment with natural vanity, Tor
WAS young aud fair eLough 10 i'oI
up0L.
/ let my hair fall loose, and wount
il in long, shining, brown crtls owe
liny fingers. II certainly did lOUk hand
some, for it was very thick, and fel
below my waist, and curled almost q
lit-elf as Il fell. There came u grta
flash Of lightning, End saw distincil,
re frcted Ia the glass face looking il
! at the window. 1t was an instant q
terror, but ! never screamed nor mo
we'd. The face tUuld not see my far-
and kept my body sill and rolled tn
long shining rings tiff my cold. v hit
fingers. II was AN n.ly face, and j re-
nized il. had seen il that nOrnin;.
and l knew what lay beiore ME.
prayed inwardly brief prayer 10
belp.
Turning from the glass went stead
ily toward \ table that stood near tn,
window, and on which 1 had left m,
lcsndle. moved steadily rs usual an
fLuk up the water pitcher and look,
nit, then took my candle and wen
Kept FISHING, but the face did not con-
,enin. ] dropped my candle on tn
kitchen hearth, and put my foot on tn
lex. sat down the pitcher on tn
dressar. and with soft light fOotia
nasttned through the west room up tn
front Stairs, into my fathers chamber
and ,f;ly closed and bolt,'d the door n
the head of the stairs. ] unlocked hi
bux, took out both the bags OF gold, IT
locke,i l., and made my way into tn
great chamber.
{ heard voices; / heard the door
tried bel,w. l knew it was not IN
iather. l dare not trenble nor gro'
Ihiut. / went through the room an
two Others to thu garrett stairs. hard
, ~ brsathed. heard Il window pusf
ed up; more than one person came j
) a. il. | 'elt above me in the darl
There WIS Gliding panel in the insid
0t the stairway. entered into Ion
closet under the stairs, and slid th
> panel carefully into its place. tt
cautiously to ree if all was safe. pul
ed my dress clDse about me lest
nigh be caught, andLhe door ,st
close tightly. Then l waited. ] hear
d search through all The rnoins below
My heart beat till | thought that eac
Dound must be audible. / heard ro
res-une Voice the Ravens l kne,
that harsh crDsk. 1t told me nothing
, i'ne face had revesled all to me. TIL
IN ~ must have learned in some uhat
coantable way of the bag Of gold, an
ieHrned, too, when here in the inorr
ing, that ] Was To be alone. 1t was y
md brought accomplices. My per
vas terribly imminent. Very 500
tn steps and voices came my way.
..uid distinguish plainly the word
hat were spoken.
! 'Drat hei! She must have seen you
No matter; we'll split the box ope
ith thisax.'
4 knew tEe ak was in the little porch
hamas had set it in when he had don
n tpping the brush, rs it looked lik
an.
| l heard the steps and voices NOV
away, n dull. crashing sound, and the
titled, angry tones. knew they ha
opened the box and found nothing hu
ine papers. ! knew they would no,
search for me. l heard them Ms the
iooked into every room and closet, AN
cane up the stairs sepsratr. They al
net Ut the foot of The garret stairs. /
hick board was between US. 1 th ink
I'd q. ID that the panel was close shut
knew it, for no ray of light ealn
through.
She must be up here,' said the RI
van, and we'll soon have her. II
warrant she is here, and Phi wriu
her neck il she makes noise about il.
But the thorough searrh Was ended
and the voices grew very angry an'
ull of frighifni osths and threaten
ngs. TLey sat down on the garre
tairs to hold a parley. A spider ral
cross my face. 1t was with u grea
effort that Kept from screaming.
Come, crmked the Ravea, let u
20 and get the silver; that will b.
,nmethITg-that will be something
sturse the silver! It's tho gold Nv,
ONE ior. and I'll burn the house if
'"n't find the girl! So let her lool
Ut
a cold perspiration. Would they
| pertorm their threat:
Coed then the rats will squeak
Down drop the money bags. anu We'll
choke the girl to make ht r dumb
Hold your noise. The old man will
ne cog * hume. Well be caught
here. B.' quick
| Who cares for him? He's only one
A blud;se IN will give him a handy lit
tie heatia"he MS he comes in
And his wife?'
They spoke low. h.deous words that