Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-01-04

second week IN the mills, the clerk, who had
been absent for half the afternoon, failed to
return at six O'clock the usual hour for clos
ing the office. Tommy had no authority. to
close it, and as Mr. Forbes had gone to dis
tant town to secure new corps of men in
case there should be strike, Tommy had no
alternative but to wait until the clerk return.
ed
Night had closed in before six O'Clock, and
storm was threatening and Tommy thought
Of his long, cold walk, and longed for the
home 6reside and the cakes that Aunt Patra
loved to keep hot for him. Then he remem.
bered that some Of the next days work might
be done while he was waiting. But just as
he sat down at the desk and opened his &C.
count book the door was suddenly thrown
open.
Tommy arose with sigh of relief but
when he turned instead of the clerk whom
he expected TO see, two roughlooking men
stood before him. One of them turned the
key. Tommy was sure that they were mill.
hands, although he could not see their faces.
IAN we want Of you, youngster, is the key
Of the safe" said one of them.
How they knew that he was acquainted
with the whereabouts of the key Of the safe
Tommy wondered, the general suppostion
being that Mr. Forbes carried It about his
person, as indeed he habtually did but from
the fact that some valuable papers which we're
kept in the safe were being copied by the
clerk and Tommy, the key was deposited in
little secret drawer in Mr.. Forbess desk
What right have you to ask for the safe
key p demanded Tommy. He was conscious
OF little inward quaking, but his voice was
firm.
I'VE don't mean to waste words with you,
said one of the men. "We'll trouble you to
tell US where that key is, or" and he drew
pistol from his pocket, and laid it down
where Tommy could see il.
Tommy remembered that he WAS alone in
the building, everybody leaving at six o'clock,
therefore to call for help would be useless
but even while be thought Of it one of the
men thrust gag into his mouth, while the
other tightly pinioned his arms.
"We'll try our luck at finding it, and il we
cant do that we'll make him tell" said one
Of them, with fierce oath.
The gag choked him almost to suffocation,
and the ropes cut his arms 80 that the pain
was almost uncomfortable. Footsteps sounded
in the corridor and some one tried the door.
Oh, If he could only cry out
As the footsteps died away, it seemed to
Tommy as il all his hopes Of seeing mother,
brothers, sisters, and home went with the IN.
But sentence from one of Jills old stories
kept repeating itself in his mind. $50 Sir
Cuthbert did his duty as true knight, know
ing that God had created him for nothing
less"
Sir Cuthbert fought dragons, and serpents
with innumerable heads and ferocious
wolves. Tommy wondered, vaguely, in the
midst of his pain, whether Sir Cuthbert ever
got home to his mother he didn't remember
10 have heard the end of the story.
The men were growing fercely angry that
they could not find the key, and one WAS
blaming the othar that thau baA fonlo
with which to break open the safe Tommy
knew that they would waste no more time,
but would force him to tell now, if they
could. Something very like despair came
over him, when, suddenly pressed against
windo~-pane. he saw a face-s black face,
surmouuted by woolly top p-knot-Linkum's
face
l, seemed to Tommy that he must have
died and gone to heaven when he saw that
face but 1t was only the beginning of a mer-
ciful Inconsistencies.
There wssa crash as if the whole world had
tumbed to pieces, and when Tommy opened
his eyes it was upon Linkums face close be-
side his, some officers putting handouts upon
the men, and a crowd of people pouring into
the office
"You member what you done tole me be.
hind de shed door p Linkum was explain
ing. How if dis yere niger was dat home
sick he couldn't stand it nohow, to done fotch
hisself home, an you wouldn't eat a bit but
what he done had his share oh? Dis niger
was dat miserable homesck he fought for
sure he'd die, an he done come home. He
look all roun' de winders OBJ de house an
couldn't see muffin OBJ yer, su' he hear 'em
say mighty quar- yer done stay so late, an he
come to de Office, an he see light an hear
voices, but couldn't get in, an it seem mighty
quar-, so he done climb up de spout, an look
in de winder. Didn't take him long to fotch
a ossifer an break in dat do'!"
SO the safe, which contained a great deal
of money, as well as valuable papers, was
untouched, and Tommy was the hero Of the
hour Everybody was crowding around to
have the privilege of shaking hands with
him. And Linkum was not without his
share OF praise.
But the best is yet to tell. Mr.. Forbes
made Tommy present of the mortgage deed
cancelled. He said Tommy had saved him
great deal more than that, and it was only his
due. He also raised his salary, for he said
the company could afford to pay for such ser.
vices as his And he gave Linkum situa-
ton in the mills, 30 he didn't have to go away
again Alec said it ''reay was q brandnew
year "-Harper's Young People,