Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-09

when you laugh, she SAID IN conclusion, so
! suppose its all right 70 let you nave the
Key but she wasn't looking Tor you until
saturday
Probably she didn't receive my postal,
which l mailed yesterday"
"Wel, I'll give you the key, oil course
but are you not afraid to stay alone in the
house ~
"Oh, I'm not at all timid," said Amy,
But there's gang oil burglars about the
city," urged Mrs. Gates. "But you are
welcome to come and sleep on our parlor
sofa, IL you are afraid.
NO thank you" said Amy" l Will r1sB
1t for one night"
She let herself into the deserted house,
not without some throbs of fear, IL must be
confessed. How quiet everything was Oh,
II Mollie were only there She took a sur
vey OF the rooms, the kitchen last OF all,
where she concluded to look for something
to eat Hark, what was that Z Only the
sllver-toned CLOCK, striking the midnight
hour.
That woman's talk about burglars has
made me nervous" she thought, continuing
her search for eatables.
Hark, again Surely that was key turn
ing in the lock; then door opened and
shut quietly, and there were footsteps in the
hall. Amy's small stock of courage went
down to zero. lnstinctively she grasped the
poker lying on the range near her. The
next instant the door opened, and great
broad-shouldered man with blackened lace
and hands, stepped into the room. Amy
felt herself growing white with lear, but
she raised her poker threateningly Tor
moment they stared at each other IN silence;
then the man spoke.
Who the - are you r
Amy tried to shrek Tor help, put the
sound died away in her throat she was too
frightened 10 speak or move
Presently he came towards her;
Wili you please lower the poker, or else
move away from the SINK l would lke 10
come there and WASH my hands, ne said'
looking very much inclined 10 laugh
was ever such efirontery known before
pun speechiess' amy moved arouno 10 "ha'
looked 10 De an outside door' .,
Don glare at me IN that irlghtiul way,
ne went on, WIN glance in1o her terror-
strlcKen eyes,
Inen came nearly iaugn' whlch reas-
sured Amy. very little. Certainly, this
was most extraordihary burglar, or eise
there was some rldiculous mistake one
would nee 10 MIS- yates protecton at all
events, sne thought, cropping her weapon
ana tugging away at the huge Doll with
tremonng nngers'
ny tnis tme 'Ie young man mao Inlshed
MS aoluuons ana presented qulte ulnereht
appearance;
am MI Ackermans orother, ne said
pohtely; ne asked me to remain In his
house tonight, as means OF protection
during his absence"
4" Mr. Ackerman has no BROTHER" con-
tradicted Amy, stoutly.
" Are you sure OF thatf"
"Certainly | am. Mrs. Ackerman has
just made me visit, and she would have
mentioned him II such person existed
"Can it be that you are Aunt Hetty :"
Aunt Hetty, indeed"
Amy was finding courage and voice fast
enough now.
beg your pardon" said Tom; "but
Mollie told me she was going TO visit her
Aunt Hetty, and you said she had been
visiting you hence my mistake"
Il am Mrs. Ackerman's sister,"
Strange | never heard her speak Of
you. However, | am sorry frightened you
Miss-Miss Arden, and if you will allow me
| will explain matters. ! am bookkeepeI
at Bottoms hardware establishment"
"You looked more like bootblack," in
terrupted Amy.
cor burglar" added Tom. "Well, as
was saying, | am bookkeeper but there
was press of work in the foundry tonight
and, as they happened to be short Of hands
| offered to stay and assist this accounts
for my late arrival, also for my blackenec
face and hands"
lie looked very much ike lndulglng In
ano.her nearly laugh, put restrained himself
at the sight OF Amy's white distressed face.
am AFRAID was rude, she SAID, but
IL was such shock TO me; am very tired
and
Iom sprang to her side or she would have
fallen from sheer exhaustion. lie helped
her into the parlor, brought refreshments
and wine from Mollie's generous store-room
and they were soon talking matters oveI
quite calmly ltwas after two o'clock when
Iom proposed to go and ask Mrs Gates to
come over for the rest OF the night, but Amy
protested against this, saying she was not
afraid if he would remain in the house.
Mollie was almost beside herself when she
came home and found how affairs had gone
in her absences crying one minute over
Amys fright, laughing the next over Toms
graphic description OF the same, 1T was some
time before they settled down into anything
like quiet.
40 'hS .'"Jo ""u "oSho "ohs ", iioihe
could not determine whether certain plans
OF hers were to prosper or not. Tom spent
all his evenings with them, but he and Amy
were always on the contrary side of every
question and they tantalized each other SC
numerically that poor Mollie sometimes de
SPARED OF their being friends, not to men Dtior
a nearer relation
They were all together as usual one even
ing, and Tom for the hundredth time was de
scribing Amy's appearance on that memora
BILE evening, when she so nearly Drained hin
for burglar.
"And little did she suspect them" he
privilege OF brandishing a poker over me