The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-10-16

pace of about yard. The old house
as quite deserted and disused, save as "
mily's play.rOOm, and what had once Is
cen the hall was now al accumulation G.
/ rubbish, gardening tools, and out. is
DOR implements, or castaway pieces OF o
,rniture, in fact q catch-all for all sorts, c
nd heterogeneous collection 1t was. n
he little girl turned the key in the lock t
+ her front door. 1t moved so silently q
nd easily, that she could not help slip c
ing back the bolts and cautiously OPEN
nc the door. The thought OF being
.fraid never entered her head. She was
! yery courageous child, and knew !
,othing to be afraid Of. She was think
ng only of rescuing her beloved knife /,
rom possible rust; and there it lay, its
blade looking very blue in the moon
light, when she reached the attic. She
picked it up from beside the fishing.rod,
rubbing and polishing it on her sleeve
and shutting it, vowing never to be so
careless again. Then she looked around
the room. How strange every thing
very black, or very bright, the
GREAT mullicns making huge stripes of
shadow over the floor. After feastlng
her eyes at the big windows, she turned
to the little ones. Opposite her rose
the steep tiled roof. and at the top was
the observatory, its windows glistening
and shining just as though there were
a Candle in the room. Emily turned to
90 down to her bed again, for she was
beginning to be conscious that 1t was
cold. when she saw the window OF the
observatory that was nearest 70 her
slowly open. She was spell-bound more
with astonishment than fear, and stood
motionless to watch. The sash was
raised. and man cautiously got out. lie
moved blunderingly and awkwardly, as
though he had bis hands tied. Then
he began to descend the slantlng roof
yery Slowly and warily. Leaning back
against the tiles, he lodged his feet and
elbows in their projections, advancing
inch by inch on his journey. with MS
hands still before him. Suddenly the
moon. which had been partially hidden
nv A fieecy cloud, shone out bright and
strong, and the little girl had only time
to recognize the mans features. BEFORE
A bank Of dark clouds hid it again. But
she had seen enough. The man was
Silas Cole, a laborer on the farm, who
had come to the house only q few weeks
back, and although looking like tramp
no one in the country knowing any
thing about him, had been kindly re-
ceiyed by Mr.. vane, and given work
and lodging. His fellow-laborers had
once or twice complained Of his being q
dunkard, but he had promised amend
ment. and had been kept on. Emily
saw Il All now. What the man wa
doing was clear enough. He had beer
in The kitchen when her father had in
discreetly answered her indiscreet qoes
ton. and had resolved on possessing
,, himself Of the money. He had con
cealed himself in the garret, passlnl
! through Mr.. Vane's room before n |.
! went TO bed, and when all was still Il
|, the house had mounted into the ooserV
atory to rob his benefactor. He KNEE
r the premises well enough to be awar
that II he could descend the ROOF, an
:, gain the little window, he could at ono
= reach the farmyard, and SO make h
y "a vay of without going near the sleepin
y community, or fear OF rousing tnen
:, All this flashed through Emily's m'n'
;, ;. as she stood watching the dim figure
:. he crept hesdf,lly downward, hold'n
u his spooils In bis hands before him, OF
). Allowing. 40 he drew nearer to the MT
=. GIRL. q set stupid. look, as though
!. we're even then half drunk.
I'd Lower, lower, lower, he came ".
as her fathers property clasped IN D
lie hands. The bottom sash alone "
AZ standing in the window, only va
Az from the floor in height, and there "
n. nothing now between her and the re
Of Der but the abyss between the +
ne buildings. She was completely hidd
.r. in the dark corner Of the window, watt
nd ing with q fascinated gaze every mo
10. ment that brought him nearer 9
yas nearer to her, her heart beating wild :!
his and her feet chained to the spot. !
nd man reached the cornice in safety, q
ow stood up for second before he step!
hat across. Then he stepped from roof
The roof, and in !, moment was leaning o
1ey the sash, supporting himself upon it
md his arms, and resting his feet on
, 3 gutter that ran around the wall {
rod side.
Tan In r. this time Emily had sim
I'm. watched. She had not thought wha
ere do. She was too frightened to run -
mi for help, and yet she knew that II
nv Would save her fathers property It q
~ ha done now. As he paused be-
hsr clambering over the sash, holding
.hs hia hands, with their spoil within tn
sys she struck them with all her stren'
n M audiences Of the shock e6e'
~ vhst her weak blow never could !
~ done. The startled mans b,
~ uorted. and the silver rolled
= - ~ door. With . mutt
',sn eurae no clutched q tho Oh
'Hsr ssm - she darted from The wind
shs "a held her like . wise. Had not
IN. pove. been crippled By biz dange
y: POSITION the little girl would have 9
CON. but : sorry chance against him. B
To OBLIGED % steady himself With one I
80 Ia could only use tho other 70 hold
and With. With that one arm he held
, the md raised his knee g S m.u :,
= DO room. But 10 could MT hold hen, d
at sling violently y shs NJ, AID ente
leep. room, too, 70 he c0nt1Se0 ~ lmP
D old hsr slender wrist IN ~ mug naau.
mid. grasp The sash With n q ne So
- - u aaotAsr instant would hsSs