Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-20
NO. 3O4.
Gales ano Skettbes.
A LUCKY ESCAPE.
CONTINUED from yesterday

Continued from yesterday
Twilight was now closing in, obscuring
the remains of the very little daylight we
had had, and high and bitter wind wall
ed through the old trees. as if uttering
lament. I shuddered at the sound.
"Mr. Denham cannot have received my
note, or he would have come" l ex-
claimed, despairingly.
my child" said Aunt Helen, 1--WE are
not sure that we are in any danger; it is
mere suspicion. Wheeler may be faithful
after all. and may not permit her villain
Gus son to carry out his plots. Remember,
too, we are in the hands of heaven, to
whose care l devoutly commend you and
myself" she added. reverently.
At last it became necessary to ring for
lights, we had tea but still no Denham
appeared. Then project occurred to
me, which l hastened to suggest to my
aunt. proposed that, as l was so very
small person. should ensconce myself
behind the tapestry at the side OF her bed,
and watch there through the night. Ifthe
robbers appeared, or heard approaching
noises. could instantly ring the alarm,
and the sudden sound would probably
scare them away.
"My love-" she answered, ''they would
at the first stroke of the bell, murder me
and YOURSELF"
"No. auntie please hear all. You must
pretend you have headache fear you
need not feign one--and go to bed early,
asking Wheeler to prepare an opiate tor
you, one of those you often take-but you
must not drink it-and ordering her not
to let you be disturbed. Then, when she
is gone down to supper will take you to
my bed, and afterwards tuck in and ar
range your curtains as they were before,
Then will begin my watch, and at the
first alarm ring for aid. If they think it
is you who ring. and hasten to stop you,
they will find your bed empty, and, per-
ceivng that they have been discovered,
and that we are prepared for them, will
hasten to escape"
Aunt Helen declared my plan utter mad
ness at first, and refused to listen to it.;
but, after time, she was persuaded to
consider it, and finally consented when
represented to her that, desperate as the
idea seemed, it was the only one which
offered us a chance Of our escaping If the
robbers came, for there was no other rope
to the alarm which could be used. Think
her consent was yielded. however, rather
because she did not entirely believe that
idea that could really be OF use.
The plot was carried out as we intend
ed. My aunt went to bed with head
ache, and had her potion given to her.
which she managed 10 pour unperceived
into the bed. Wheeler was quite unsus-
picious. and fingered with her mistress,
arranging her curtains, etc. as if unwill-
ing to say goodnight, old affection and
,1,ah h1v
powerful evil influence. She went at last,
and. as soon as the house was still, hur-
ried aunt Helen into my room, and then
returned to arrange her own. ! tucked in
the curtains exactly as they had been
when Wheeler left her, and then prepared
for my watch. How was to see through
the thick tapestry if any one tried the
doorp
had, and have still in my possession
large green tan-formerly used by ladies'
| in the place of the then unknown parasol,
| to shield the face from the sun. l had
been greatly amused by finding that the
upper and central parts of it were perforat-
ed by large pinholes, not perceptible till
the fan was held up to the light, but en-
abling its possessor to see all around her
when her face was apparently covered by
her fan.
This suggested to me that could pierce
the tapestry in the same way with the sti-
letto used in embroidery. / hastened to
get mine from my workbox, and pierced
two eyelet-holes carefully just whereof
they showed at all-they would appear
like black embroidered black spots. Then
arranging the night-light to suit my pur-
pose, let the night-bolt fall, and esconsed
myself behind the arras, just as the great
| clock struck eleven, q little too soon. per-
haps, for the quarter, half.hour, and three
quarters struck, and all was profoundly
still.
was very weary of standing so long,
and had begun to think of sitting in the
room till | heard sounds outside, when,
Just as IL o'clock struck and was looking
dreamly through my eyelet-holes, | saw,
to my amazement. the night-bolt slowly
rise of itself and the door open. There
had not been a sound. If there had,
should have pulled the alarm. Happily
| was so astonished that, instead of doing
so at once, watched the door in silent
awe. There entered viii Wheeler, his
mother and the bell-hanger. The first
Will--made a step towards the bed, but
with warning gesture, his mother drew
him back. She believed that under the
influence of the opiate the old lady slept
And |, when perceived that only robbery
was intended, judged it prudent to remove
my hand from the alarm-rope.
They advanced close to my hiding-place
so close that feared they would see my
eye gleam through the eyelet-hole-but
they were uususpicious of witness, and
did not even glance towards my hiding
place by the side of the bed.
l was really startled, however. when the
bell-hanger, at a sign from Mrs. Wheeler.
taking hold of the tapestry close to me,
threw it back over chair and displayed
the door with richly carved bordering
round it. l held my breath and gazed
eagerly.
Mrs. Wheeler pressed knob in bunch
of roses, and suddenly the door fell back
and actually struck my left shoulder.
Will and the bell-hanger disappeared, and
Mrs. Wheeler followed them. They had
gone into the closet.
In an instant l remembered the spring,
aud xv;tl tho fhanrht ;<calc 49,,