The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-12-03

i And they walked on.
Twas petrified with establishment for
few moments. As soon as / could
collect my scattered senses, / fed to
the house, and rushed up to Yestella-
| Ali the society members were with her.
l burst upon them with the terrible
news had heard.
Nellie de Isle fell at once into a
swoon. Anna Vesey screamed and
wrung her hands in terror, while Flor
| lila Carter and myself insisted upon re-
porting all to madame.
| mo, no, girls, do nothing of the
kind" said Vestella, as she calmly
sprinkled water upon Nellie's face, and
| tried other means to restore her. eve
will arrange it better than that. Come
up here, all Of you," she continued,
after a pause, as she saw Nellie begin
/ ming to revive. Come up here, after
Mdlle. Westron has been through, and
l will show you trick that will aston
ish you"
The hall-teacher went her rounds
every night at ten O'Clock, to see that
4 the lights were all out, and the girls in
order. And that night, after she had
retired, we noiselessly slipped up to the
appointed place.
Vestella had closed all the blinds,
and dropped the curtains, fastening the
two side windows, and leaving the sash
of the front window up. She waited
for about an hour, to be sure that all
in the house were asleep, then eau
tiously lighted lamp and proposed
her plan.
1t was adopted, with many sugges-
tions and improvements, and much sup
pressed laughter from the rest of us,
who had now lost all fear, and were
| ripe for fun.
We took the mattress from the bed
it was a new one, very thick and heavy
and set it up edgewise, just the dis
lance of its width from the window.
Then having taken out the bed-rOpe,
we made slip-noose in one end, and
| spread it open under the window, rails
ing it little from the floor by means
of circle of thick books. Yestella
took the other end in her hand, and,
having extinguished the light, stationed
herself in the darkest corner, beside the
mattress, ready TO push it over at a sig
nal from her.
II was now one o'clock, and we wait
| ed in breathless suspense. The clock
struck two, and we we're ready to drop
with fatigue and drowsiness; but soon
after, light rustling, away down be-
low, reused us to high pitch of expec-
tation. He was coming. How could
he get along with so little noise? He
must have been experienced in such I'M
dertakings.
In few seconds we heard his hands
creak, as he grasped the balustrade,
and Immediately his head and shout
ders were thrust through the window.
| The mattress seemed to startle him.
He looked around, listened, then
seemingly impressed with the necessity
of greater caution, he gently set one
foot upon the floor. then the other, then
| stood erect, and looked and listened
again.
Vestella pulled the cord with all hci
strength, and down he went.
Down went the mattress upon him,
smothering his ordinations, if he ut
tered any.
Each of us flew TO corner, and held
muster in our trepidation.
fC hCulN lIO SOtliiNl anu
felt no struggles.
He evidently felt himself in a scrape,
and had shrewdness enough toperceiye
that the more quietly he took it, the
more easily he would get through.
What little noise there was, occa-
stoned a hustle in the room below; the
hall-teacher raped at the door.
Now" ] thought, ''all is over with
u.s."
''Miss Raymond. .
''Well, mademoiselle," replied Yes
tella drowsily, as if just awakened
from sound sleep.
as all quiet in your rOom?"
Perfectly, mademoiselle.
81 heard noise as of some one fall
ing"
$50 did I, mademoiselle. IT must
have been in the street. l will open
the door Directly
''Oh no; / would not disturb you.
Goodnight. "
After all had become quiet, Vestella
knelt down beside the mattress, and
putting her lips to the edge, said in
voice scarcely above whisper:
Young man, you're prisoner"
81 surrender at discretion" he an
swered in singularly low and quiet
tone.
1t was the same voice l had heard in
the garden.
..Will you submit to our terms if l
let You out?" 4 #gt
II will
First, then, you are to move as
quietly as possible. You are to answer
all questions we propose; and when you
speak, speak in very low voice. Now
let him up, girls. "
We all took our seats in a row, YES
tella in the center, and lit the lamp.
The young man arose, and we had a
full view of his face. There were the
same laughing blue eyes j had seen in
the garden. They were not laughing
now, however-they were east down,
and the whole expression of his face |
was decidedly sheepish.
''Upon your knees, young man, said |
Vestella sternly, putting on an awful |
He knelt al the distance Of about
three pacesfrem Vestellaas feet. with
such unstudied grace, and Icould think
of nothing but Raleigh receiving knight
hood from Queen Elizabeth.
give us your name, sir, and your
history. Tell us for what purpose you
came here, and how you did it. There
are four stories here, you know.
He started as if bullet had struck
him. He glanced nervously at each of
us, turned red, then pale, then Redeemed
again. then hung his head; but at length
found his voice, told Us his name. his
history, his connections, and ended by /
assuring us that his object was merely
q frolic; that he meant no harm to any
one.
ssYou were to take faithful note of
every thing in the room, particularly
the features of the occupant" the
started sgain-'.yop have an opportun-
ity now.
He remained silent.
tsCan you remember how we all look,
or would You like photographs? He
was still silent, blushing deeper and
deeper.
1T is my duty to hand you over to
Madame c. that you may be dealt
with according to law. What have you
. say why sentence should not be pro-
upon you?''
ss0h, ladies, i do entreat you to spare
me exposure. | viii submit to any
.erms you impose. / should be expelled
rom thesinstftute; my mothers heart
would be broken by the disgrace; Z l
ihould lose all my friends
'Listens then, to the sentence of the
,ourt . vestella whispered to us, and
ZACH took her stand in 3 separate cor
Ter Of the room IN consideration of
Four extreme yauth. and the. distress
Fhieh know ledge of your foolish
reak would bring upon friends, this /
,ourt--the Court Of Independent and
honorable Misses has determined not
D make public your misdemeanor; but
do hereby adilldge you to kneel before {
sch of these young laliies separatelv. I
lour prouAiss thai ron win never AZ !