Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-10-03
FIFTY POUNDS REWARD.

When a young married clerk suddenly loses
his situation in a provincial bank where EN-.
| ployers are reducing their hands, il does not
follow that work can be had for tho asking
| in London and SO Mr.. Tom Craven found
himself still seeking employment many
months after his savings had dwindled down
to few pounds. The last resource of the
| young couple was the sale of every available
article Of value they possessed, and when my
story opens young Mrs. Craven was on the
point of starting to sell the last remaining
valuable-namely, her husbands boots.
1.-The children must live" said the young
man, looking at two tiny figures in the bed ;
''and all my other clothes are done for, so
| the boots are no use to me. The only troub-
le is that you should have to take them,
Clara"
but, Tom, you can't go without boots I"
'I've got slippers" replied Tom. Make
| haste dear, no one will see you in the dark. "
Resolved to keep up, Clara stopped for the
boots. Something must turn up soon-per-
haps you'll hear from Brown & Co, to.mow-
row" she said.
VERY likely" responded Tom, in de.
spending tone. Brown & Co. were his late
employers, and he had written to them asking
if they could possibly take him back with
faint hopes of success.
Quickly the boots were put into an old
leather bag, and Mrs. Craven dressed herself
| in a shabby waterproof and bonnet, and cov-
cred her face with thick veil. Then she
crept down the creaking old stairs and out in
| the narrow street with heavy heart and eyes
| into which the tears would come. 1t was one
of those cid Westminster streets which are
so close to the dwellings of the great and yet
dirty and disreputable themselves. The re-
| spectacle persons dwelling there had all been
| raduaaH n he Har,tba of NJ
er inhabitants were chiefly remarkable for
their varied vices
Gusts of wind made the street lamps flick
er and cast strange shadows as Clara Craven
! sped on toward the shop where "left of
clothing was purchased. She paused a few
doors oil to let some persons go on their way,
for she was sorely ashamed of her errand
and as she stood thus her eyes fell on pla
card that was fixed under the light of a lamp
on the wall of police station.
"E5O Reward"
Fifty pounds How nice to get it,
thought Mrs Craven, and then she took an
other look to see if the coast was clear fol
the business she had in hand Two mort
people were coming Back went her eyes t
the placard, and she read that this rewarC
was offered to any person who would Civ,
| such information as would lead to the convic
ton of the perpetrator of a daring jewel rob
berry.
wish could catch the thief" said Ciart
to herself, half laughing, half sadly, ant
when she looked again toward the WARDROBE
shop she saw she might venture in. Afte
bearing her husbands boots deprecated il
every possible manuer, she timidly accepted
the pitiful price offered, and then stole bach
into the street where she purchased few o
the absolute necessaries of life, and ordere'
some COAL which green grocer's boy wheel
ed in barrel behind her until they reached
the door of the lodging house.
"Would you mind carrying them up 10 mi
room in two basketfuls, if give you two
pence ?" asked Clara, gently.
The boy nodded by way of answer, and tn
young wife opened the door with her latcl
key and ran up for an old basket. While sh
was getting this out of her room a man hat
swiftly entered the house and passed up thu
stairs. The coal boy never noticed him, fol
he was eagerly watching the signs of an ap
preaching fight between two tom cats on al
opposite doorstep. The staircase was yer
dark, so when Clara came down with the bas
ket the man had squeezed himself into cor
ner unobserved and when she went on he
way, the stranger passed on to the top of tn
house, and entered the room behind that oC
cupied by the Cravens.
An hour later a snug glow of fire warme
|
latter having been satisfied with a meal, wen
sound asleep Tom watched his wife's bus
fingers mendiug shabby clothes for awhile
and then he, too, went to bed, sharing he
fervent hope that something would turn Il
tomorrow"
And so it came about that, when all wer
asleep, Clara sat on by the fire that still burn
ed cheerily and after IL strokes had falle
slowly from the big clock and the restles
roar of traffic was somewhat less in the eve
busy streets, her hands lay idle in her lap an
she blew out the candle to save its light fc
another time, and turned such a sad youn
face, such troubled blue eyes upon the ficl
ering fire that it seemed hard, hard SO youn
a life should be SO old in sorrow.
A sound of voices in the next room rouse
her. There was a door communication b,
tween the two rooms which was of course
locked, but which made sounds easily heart
Clara knew that their neighbor was an eide
ly woman; she had met her on the stall
sometimes, and she wondered who her visitC
could be at such an hour. Then the sound
} | frightened sobbing and expostulation mac
her listen attentively, for she feared h,
} neighbor was in trouble and determined
rouse her husband, if necessary.
'Not yet, Joe Oh, don't say you mu
! go yet p
Mother, I've stayed too long alread
They'll be after me sharp, now the reward
out? Think of ESQ, mother The men wi
tempted me, and got the jewels, would rour
q on me now and get the reward"
, This was it, then But one slight woodt
door stood between Clara and the thief ST
had wished she could find. Only to ste
D round the corner. There she knew was Il
r them she would get $50. She claspod h
D hands tight and sat perfectly still, all Il
while knowing that every second lessened h
l chance of securing the living piece of pro
8 erty valued at $50. In her present strai
q $50 seemed like a fortune to her. No OIL
. who has not gone through a similar expeI
1 ence can ever know what that temptatiC
;. was TO Mrs Craven. As she sat, her strain,
8 ears caught the mothers voice again.
u "Tn not keep you, though my heart
o breaking. My bonny boy come to this o.
God, most merciful, save him from felon
J. doom !"
Mother, pray for me. If l escape, vo
i to lead an honest life and make home for yo
1t has not been my fault. Pray God to fc
give and help me-"
r Cara's grasp of her hands relaxed Th
: with white face and sorrowful eyes she stot
" up and looked at her two tiny sleeping boy
!. Then on her knees she fell and stayed
earnest prayer until she heard the stealth
| IOOl6lepb creep uOWu lub blhltb anu lu6 ITO
door closed, and then she stole to the door
her darkened room, and looking out into Il
n lamplit street, watched a quick walking ii
ure in an old country woman's cloak with
n deep cape and large poke bonnet, such
A her neighbor always wore and she knt
n that the young man had escaped in his mot
# er's clothes
One of the most old-fashioned houses
an old country town was Miss Greybrook
A. A steep flight of Immediately clean steps
y from the pavement of the High street to
hall door with its shining brass knooker al
bell handle. On each side of this hall do
e. was large bay window, just bigh enough
Of make il inconvenient for any one to sha
hands with Miss Greybrook when they We
in the street and she was tending her howt
in the window. At the back of the bro
n hall that went straight across the house the
es were steps leading down into large well Ike
in gardens, and these we're inclosed by a 81