St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-02-23

said mamma, just as we were turnin!
off the high road down narrow Ian,
to Greengage Manor. ~ have no
much further to go. Randolph, you cal
take care of him." | rebelled agains
the decree. 1t was very stupid of Er
nest to be so babyish.
"He can walk" said grumblingly
"and | want to go on with you. HI
ought not TO have come"
"My hands is so cold" sObbed Er
nest, land my feet hurt so but dom
want to go back"
Take my muff, poor little fellow,
exclaimed mamma. ~ quite wish W,
had not come. How dreary and lonely
everything looks. l had no idea peO
pie would be staying in their houses
like this or | think we shOuld have fol
lowed their examples"
We had reached pile of outbuild
ings, dreary enough in all conscience
without soul near; but the house wa.
beyond, just round the corner, anC
there would be light, warmth and q
hearty welcome there from good Farm
er LOngtOn or his stout CHEEKY wife.
81 believe they are out" exclaimed
suddenly, as we rounded the dreary
pile of buildings. "There is no one tC
be seen, and no smoke coming from the
chimney" What made me so Observ-
ant just then | cannot say, unless my
senses were all sharpened by our cold
and lonely walk. Mamma was just
about to answer, when Ernest caught
his foot against something and fell cry
ing bitterly. There was nothing to be
done but to lift him up and start home
ward again, and this none too willing
ly prepared to do.
"There's good Randolph" encOur-
aged mamma, "take him home and get
warm, both of you.n
| Directly mamma was out of sight
picked Ernest up and tugged along
with him. He was strong child, and
| delicate one; ; but | wanted to hur-
ry so that | could return to mamma.
felt unaccountably uneasy about her.
Luck befriended me that day. | had
scarcely gone il yard on the highway,
when heard gig close behind, and
turning saw papa.
What are you two youngsters look
ing so cold about, and why, Randolph,
are you carrying Ernest in that way 2"
"He was so cold and cross" | re-
piled, not caring to enter into any ex-
plantations for fear | should be taken
home too. "Will you lift him up near
yon, papa? ! have an errand at Green
gage Manor"
"IOur mamma should not have sent
You, Randie-especially with Ernest.
However, execute your commission
speedily, and you will not be much be-
hind us. 1t is lucky | was lust called
to JephcOtt's."
He drove away. | never stood to
watch them, but ran as hard down the
lane as | could. Painting and breath
less again rounded the dreary pile of
buildings, and walked slowly the
length of them to the farmhouse door.
Greengage Manor was built in the
shape of the two lines of a triangle,
the door just in the middle, where it
verged to point. ] looked about for
mamma. Had she gone round to the
frOntP There was a slight space for
path at the end of the farm-between
it and II coal place. | was Just about
to make for it, when | saw that the
back door was Just aiar. OF course she
had gone through there. A strange
feeling of fear and dullness was on me
"a feeling | had never experienced be-
fore. could not tell why or where
fore, but | was beginning to feel very
uneasy. The stiffness was so profound,
the want of life SO depressing-not
even the dog Dash bounding as usual
to meet me. There was something
very strange somewhere. Was it in
myself, or in my surroundings l
walked to the door and knocked mt it
not loudly, because it was not, sup
posed, required rOsy-cheeked Nancy
would hear the first tap and answer it.
Moreover, my fingers were numbed
with the cold so that | could scarcely
hold anything. No one came. Oh, that
suspense; | listened for voices surely
should catch mammals; but no, there
was nOthlng-not one sound. 1t was
most singular. Were they all in front
But where was Nancy2 She was not
milking the cows, for there was no one
in the sheds as passed by. Suddenly
mOan-faint and indistinct, yet plain
ly distinguishable to my listening ear
made me start. Oh, was it mamma
Frightened almost to death, yet brave
for her, | walked in. The first object
| stumbled over was poor Dash, quite
dead. My heart stood still. | could
not move. Who had killed him and
what for Oh, where was mammal /
must find her. | tried to call out, and
could not my tongue clave to the very
roof of my mouth. NV feet were like
wise spell-bOund-immOvable. How
long | stood thus | cannot say, but the
moan recalled me to my senses. Sup
pose that was our dear mother in need
of help! How could | stand there and
let her cry Outq | must go and see.
Leaving the kitchen, | stole into the
next room and then what an object
met my view No mamma was there
but Job, the man servant, the faithful,
working friend of the LOngtons, was
there, tied, bound, gagged, in a chair
not sitting up, but lying or the floor, a
quantity of blood streaming from a
wound in his head. | stopped over him
and spoke, but he gave me no answer.
he was unconscious, nearly dead per-
haps. | endeavOred to lift him up,
chair and all, but it was more than |
could manage. What was | to do
Run away and fetch help? Could |,
dare | cross that lonely yard again
Should | not he caught and murdered
too Still as it was, my life was evi-
IDENTITY in peril, and mamma, oh, where
was she! | was on the point of flying
when my ears caught the sound of a
heavy fOotstep on the stairs. Anoth-
er, and yet another after it. Terrified
and dismayed, sudden courage came to
me. | could not fly. had not strength,
but | crawled under the sofa and Law
there. 1t was a couch more than a
sofa, covered with washing ging-
ham, valance hanging down nearly to
the floor. The men, three in number.
entered the room. Strong, brutal fel-
lows, as | could see while living in
breathless peril there, though | do not