The Republican journal., 1880-09-16


out, she perceived Walter standing amid
the heavy shadows of the lilac thicket
below her window
Kitty knew that he had waited all this
| time in hope of the promised interview
Her heart was touched, and she was,
moreover, fearful that if he remained
where he was he might be discovered
SO, creeping softly down the back stairs,
and noiseessly opening the door of the
little entry, she in a moment stood by her
! lovers side
ooh, Walter, why did you come 50
late? 1t is past 9 o'clock, and every one
i'll the house is asleep
How could | leave in the morning
without seeing you again knew that
You would come to the stile if you could
and waited, expecting you, until | saw
the light in your window, and then came
here, if only to see your shadow on the
curtain"
They moved away from the house, and
| passing down the little garden gate
walked slowly down the embowered alley
| to the beach in the shadow of the hedge,
where they talked long and earnestly,
torgetful how rapidly the time passed.
The faint sound Of the old kitchen
| clock reached them where they sat- and
| Kitty started.
''Ten o'clock | must go, Walter | am
afraid father would be angry if he knew
of my Icing out 50 late"
Yet still they fingered, as lovers will
! llnger for few more parting words, and
then, with a tender and fearful adieu, the
girl tore herself away, and silently and
cautiously returned to the house.
As she passed around an angle of the
wall toward the back entry she was sur
| prlSed to see something dark lying before
her ut her feet, close to the wall. 1t
might be Oscar, the house dog and
pausing, she stopped to pat him; but
the touch revealed that the object was
some sort of a garment, which had doubt
less been accidentally left out of doors.
She picked it up. and had moved away
few steps, when a slight sound caused
her to turn. 1t was very dark just here,
in the shadow of the thick elm that shad-
ed this side of the house, yet Kitty could
distinguish another dark object let down
slowly and cautiously from the window
abovc-the window of the best room.
1t was the peddlers pack
\ vague alarm seized her yet in the
midst of it she felt brave and self-possess-
ed. II he were leaving the house in this
manner something was wrong, and her
father ought to know Of it,
Perhaps-yes suddenly there flashed
! upon her the recollection of the pcddlers
keen observation of her fathers move
mentS while he WAS getting the money
out of the secretary drawer
The man was robbing her father.
Quick almost us the thought itself,
Kitty had sprung to the entry, and thence
to her parents bed room, which opened
upon it.
At her first touch and words the farmer
Was wide awake and, snatching u loaded
gun which hung above the mantle piece,
was in the yard and beneath the window
as quickly as Kitty herself could have
been.
There, indeed, was the peddlcr bis
pack already on his shoulder, something
cleaning family like a tin box in his
hand, while he grouped about the ground,
as in search of some missing article.
With one bound Farmer Lane was up
on him, and for some moments there was
heard only the sound of 4 desperate
struggle, mingled with smothercd oaths
from the pedder, who at length, on hear
ing the rapidly approaching footsteps
and voices of some OF the farm hands,
who had been aroused 10y kitty's cries,
suddenly wrenched himself from the
grip OF his antagonist, gave him stun
nng blow in the face, and with long,
swift strides made for the nearest fence
and was out of sight before the men
could reach the spot.
Farmer Lane WAS bruised and stunned:
yet for this he was, on coming to con
sciousneSs, consoled by the sight of his
precious tin box unopened and safe
The thief had been compelled to drop it
in the struggle, after which to pause and
look for it in the dark would have occu-
pied too much time, and exposed him to
capture.
Six months after the event Just related
Kitty Lane was seated alone 10y the bright
fire of the tarm-kitchen when there hob
bled in an old woman of the neighbor
| hood, sort OF poor pensloner on the
bounty OF the farmers family.
She had come for liniment for her
"rheumatics," and Kitty, as She gave the
phial into her hand, noticed that She wore
but a thin wrapping for such cold weather.
"Stay :" said she, kindly; ''and While
you drink a cup Of tea will search in
the attic for something thicker than this
| old shawl to keep You warm"
The attic was the depository Of broken
! or superannuated furniture and old clothes
and blankets. and among this latter store
Kitty now proceeded to search.
As she pulled aside an old coat Of her
fathers, suddenly her eyes fell upon a
| large cloth cape, very much Worn and
faded, which hung on a nail beneath it.
Kitty looked at it with a sort Of loath-
ing 1t was the garment which she had
| picked up on that, to her, fearful night Of
the peddler's attempted robbery.
Unconsciously She had kept it in her
grasp when she ran to give her father
the alarm, and next day Betsey, the
kitchen maid, found it, and had slowed
it with the rubbish in the attic, wonder
ing whether it would ever be called for
1t was this for which the robber had been
so earnestly searching when Farmer Lane
seized him. Since then the old cape had
remained unseen and forgotten in the
| gloomy attic, until now brought again to
| light by kitty's search.
at looks shabby enough outside"
thought KITTY, as she stood gazing at it,
"But the green flannel lining is new and
thick. 1t will make comfortable wrap
| ping for poor old Mrs. Holmes if she will
wear it." Reluctantly. she grasped it,
and attempted to reach it down from its
| place. But it had hung SO long that the
nail had penetrated through the flannel
lining, a slip of which was torn off by the
| jerk she gave it,
at can be mended," thought Kitty
81 will ask Betsey to do it,"
She stopped short, and her eyes grew
wider. What was that protruding just
beyond the torn edge of the green flannel I?
| Something green also-a piece Of soiled
| paper it at first seemed. She looked
closer 1t was a bank note
Kitty took from her pocket tiny pearl
handled pocket knife, and carefully cut
ting away some stitches, produced a fifty
dollar bank-bill.
"She could hardly believe her eyes :;
but on further stripping away the cloth,
ho licnnynra1 on II, 81 ba