Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-03-19

! on his manner Of feeding, which was some
! what peculiar. He was now eating shrimps
with raspberry jam, and the sisters observed
with surprise that il did not appear to be
| customary in India to remove their heads or
! tails.
| At this moment a knock was heard at the
front door, and presently the trim parlor-
maid entered with note upon tray and a
| countenanCe brmful of some exciting intelli-
gence
"What is it Susan ?" said Miss Penelope
with dignity "And how many times must
tell you never to come into a room without
knocking"
80, please, mum, I'm very sorry but
was 80 Austered | quite forgot it. It's the
| page-boy from the 'sylum, mum and one OF
them lunatics has escaped and we shall all
be murdered in our beds; and he's a taking
of 'em round to all the houses in the village"
Taking the lunatics round to all the house
village What on earth does the girl mean 2"
said Miss Pamela Explain, girl for good.
ness sake or | really think | shall shake
| you!'
"Lor no, mum, not tho lunatics. Only
| letters a.telling everybody all about it, and
tho best way to ketch em, and such like"
Peace, girl" said Miss Penelope. GIVE
me the letter" And with the aid OF her
double eye. glass she read aloud as follows:
The Priory, Dec 23d 1873
"Dr. Dollimore regrets to have to announce
that one Of the inmates Of his establishment
has escaped and is supposed to be lurking
in the immediate neighborhooi He is quite
harmless and it is requested that any one to
whom he may address himself will have the
| kindness to detain him (Which may be easily
done by the offer of some slight refreshment)
| and at once communicate with DR.. Dolli-
more"
Good gracious, Penelope :" exclaimed Pa
niela as her sister finished reading "What
friehtful state of things A maniac wan
dering in our very midst ~
mo, Pamela" nterposed her sister. I'm
the neighborhood, but not in our very midst.
"A maniac-a raving maniac Good gra-
cious, he may even now be on our doorstep
Aud we are requested to offer him some
slight refreshment Tdrefresh him, and DR..
Doimore too, if had him here
Hold, Pamela, said her sister solemnly.
"This is not a matter to be dealt with by
two weak women. This is n matter for
man. Peter. We look to you. II this unhap-
py person should present himself within
these peaceful walls, how would you advise
MS to act -
Peter reflected.
Give him some bread and jam and some
shrimps, and while he's eating Of EN- throw
blanket over his head and sit upon him.
That's what should do with him"
what a thing it is to be r man :" said Miss
Pamela, How prompt how vigorous, how
much to the point! I'm afraid, though, we
should have a difficulty about the sitting up
on him. He might struggle, you know"
II think we might manage observed Miss
Penelope. Suppose We had Prodder, the
gardener. ready behind the hall door TO throw
the blanket over his head, and then we could
push him into the china closet at the end of
the passage, and lock him up until assistance
arrived"
Excellent, Penelope: nothing could be
better. But what frightful experience for
two defenceless females My, not so Pc
ter. beg your pardon. No longer defence
less, since you are with us. My gallant
brother :"
20, yes, I'm here and I'm a-going to
stop, said Peter.
II must say admire bravery in a man"
said Miss Penelope. Happily, women don't
often need it, But there is no time to be
lost. We had better have up the gardener at
once"
No sooner said than done The gardener
was summoned, and was instructed as to the
duty expected Of him. Mr.. Peter Pimpernel
and himself each armed with a large and
heavy blanket. were to stand one on each side
Of the door, and in the event (Which the sis
ters appeared TO regard as a foregone conclu-
SION Of IA visit from the lunatic they were
simultaneously to make a swoop upon him
with the blankets, throw them over his head,
and hustle him into the china closet. Here.
however, an unexpected difficulty arose.
Prodder seemed to hesitate Rs to undertaking
the required duty. Miss Pamela's small hg-
ure appeared to grow almost gigantic as she
inquired with whitening scorn,
ssNEhat afrai1
dfrdtd !"
well, no, mum, it amt exactly that but
Im always a advocate for mans sticking to
his spear. Always stick to your proper spear
says |. Now it do strike me- axng your par
din, ladies both, that happening of lunatics
is not exactly the proper spear of Il gardener
Fruit or vegetables or flowers, or even a
handy job about the house, | don't say moth
in of whatsomdever; but when it comes to
lunatics, why, it ain't line of dooty that
lays myself out for, aud don't know that |
feel equal to undertaken of il"
Here Prodder paused in shamefaced man
ner, and rubbed his face pensively with the
back of his hand. This last gesture was ray
of light. The sisters knew that it always in
dcated extreme thirst.
II understand You, Prodder,' said Miss
Penelope with cutting sarcasm perhaps
you would feel more equal to the occasion if
you were permitted to crafty your morbid
thirst for beer. Be it So Susan, draw a
jug of beer-a large Jug
Two jugs said Peter
Prodder frightened visiLly And remark
ing sOttO cOce that it was a rum start" but
he wasn't nowise particular if there was a
drop o somethn' hanging to it," he betook
himself to the kitchen till his services should
be required though with private conviction
that they were not likely to be wanted In
this however, he was doomed to be mistaken
for scarcely had the two blankets been
brought down stairs and placed in the hall
than rat-tat-tat of a tmorous and uncertain
character was heard at the front door. Miss
Pamela remarked that she should know that
was lunatic's knock any where. Peter and
the gardener took up their positions in their
respective corners and spread their blankets
before them. The gardeners face wore its
usual expression of heavy apathy. as though
capturing lunatics was as every day an occu-
patton rs potting geraniums. Peters on the
contrary wore an expression of mischiegous
amusement
Susan opened the door. A smart rt-looking
elderly gentleman in a white hat and waist
coat and with a flower in his buttonhole said,
"This is the Misses Pimpernels, l think 2"
and stepped jauntily within the hall.
No sooner had he done so, however, than a
heavy blanket descended Oh him from either
side, crushing his white hat down over his
eyebrows. Susan opened the china-closet
door, and before the unhappy lunatic could
even struggle to free himself he was hustled
violently therein aud the door locked, leaving
him in total darkness with two blankets still
over his head and crockery and household
stores on every side of him
Admirably done :" said Miss Pamela who
with her sister had been lying in ambush be-
hind the drawing-room door. Susan, give
.Prodder as much beer as ever he likes. Peter,
you have done splendidy. Embrace your
sister, my noble boy!'
The noble boy embraced his sister accord
ingly, though without any appearance of en-
thusiasm.
"And me also," said Penelope, taking off
her double eye-glass to receive Peters en-