The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-27

{ ~ NAAAD'bH ny 1ItAgk AAtAAhE a %
to my amazement, the night bolt slow
ly rise of itself and the door open.
There had not been a sound. II there
had, l should have pulled the alarum.
Happily | was 80 astonlshed that, in
stead of doing so at once, l watched the
door in silent awe. There entered
Will Wheeler, his mother, and the bell
hanger. Til elrst-Will-made a step
towards the bed, but, with warning
gesture, his mother drew him back.
She believed that under the influence
Of the Opiate the old lady slept. And
/, when | perceived that robbery only
was intended, judged it prudent to re-
move my hand from the alarum-rope.
/ was really startled however, when
the b%ell-hanger, at a sign from Mrs.
Wheeler, taking hold of the tapestry
close to me, threw it back over a chair
and displayed the door with a richly
carved bordering round it.. l held my
breath and gazed eagerly.
"Mrs. Wheeler pressed a knob in a
bunch of roses, and suddenly the door
fell back and actually struck my left
shoulder. Will and the bell-hanger in
stantly disappeared, and Mrs, Wheeler
1OllONEu D1EAAs AhV1 ~ EOlAO INV
the closetl
In an instant l remembered the spring
and with the swiftness of the thought
itself | threw my whole strength ON the
door and pushed it to. 1t shut with a
clang, the spring closing at once; and |
heard a wild scream from Mrs. Wheeler
and the cry, "Great Heaven, we can
never get outln in the housekeeper's
voice.
The robbers were trapped Greatly
| excited, l seized the rope Of the alarum
and pulled it. 1t came down upon my
head, covering me with dust. 1t had
been partially cut through, and a touch
severed it. But one single stroke new
ertheless was given by my frenzied
strength on the great bell-one awful
boom sounded on the night air.
Then 1 rushed from my hiding-place
and from the room, locked the door
outside, and went to Aunt Helen, who
was sitting up in bed, pale and tremb'
ling. She had heard the one stroke on
the alarum and thought l had been
murdered ere / could sound 1t again.
She clasped me in her arms, weeping,
and murmured thanksgivings when she
heard what l had done.
"They cannot get out, my love" she
said; sit is impossible"
l left her after a while, and returned
to the drawing-room, in order to see
if any one would answ that n stoke
on the alarum. A foolish hope it SEEM
ed; yet, wrapped in a large shawl, | sat
at the open window and looked eagerly
down the avenue. AT length a sound
struck on my ear-the gallop Of horses;
and soon after | saw two riders, distinct
ly defined against the snow, approach
ing the hall door. | leaned out and
cried ''Who comes?" and uttered a glad
cry when Mr.. Denham's voice answer
ed.
1 ran down and, with eager tremb'
ling fingers, unfastened the hall door
and admitted him. He grasped both
| my extended hands and exclaimed
"Thauk Heaven that you are safel
Oh, Lottie, l have had a terrible shockl
Why did the alarum stop2"
"The rope was cut and fell upon my
head, L said, laughing Historically;
and then l led him upstairs and told
him all that had happened, his man
holding his horse at the door.
l felt quite abashed, he praised my
courage and presence of mind so much;
and | learned then and there for the
first time that Cecil Denham loved me.
He explained that the snow had delayed
his return, the road having to be clear
ed, but he had arrived in the course of
the evening; his h~ousekeeper however
forgot to give him my note till just as
he was going to bed. AS soon as he
had read it. he gave orders for his horse
to be saddled, and for his man to &C
company him. They had ridden off at
once. and had reused the villagers and
hidden some of the men and the police
men to follow them; then they hurried
on. MI. Denham had been greatly al
armed at hearing that n sullen boom
of the aIarum. He feared that further
ringing had been stopped 10y violence.
When we had thus mutually explain
ed matters, Mr.. Denham thought he
had better see if the robbers had any
accpmplices in the house, and babe me
go and announce his arrival to Aunt
Helen. Meantime he and his servant
searched the house.
BY the time the search was conclud-
ed, the rural police an some men from
the village arrived; but il was thought
best, as the conYicts were known to be
desperate characters, to keep them in
the safe custody of the spring till day
light.
Ben Hill the bell-hanger, was amongst
our friends who came to help, and was
very indignant at finding he had been
p~ersonated. The policemen Informed
us that VIII Wheeler was out on ticket
of leave, and that the bell-hanger was
out on ticket of leave, and that the bell
hanger was probably a "pal' Ofhis,and
had come down from London for the
job.
When day had fully dawned, the
police assisted by Mrs. Keith, opened
the closet door, and a terrible spectacle
presented itself. Mrs. Wheeler and the
two men lay on the floor in a heap, IN
| conscious. Then first we understood
why their shouts and cries had ceased.
There was no ventilation in the closet,
and they had consumed the air. They
were removed at once; but the old wo-
man was past mortal aid-she was dead.
The men were restored by the wise
means used under Mr.. Denham's direc
lions, and by the time medical aid came
had recovered consciousness. They
were taken away to gaol. VIII Whee-
Ter afterwards confessed that he had M
| duced his mother to consent to the rob
berry of Mrs. Keith's boards, on eondi-
ton that no harm should bedone to the
old lady-though, if any alarm had
been given, that promise would not
have been kept,
/ am now the Rector's wife, and my
aunt's declared heiress, on condition
that we shall live with her at BOarhunt.
Ny husband has consented, as his poor
people are within a walk. The old
house has been renovated and refur-
nished, and the bright happy faces of
my mother and her chlldren-nOw the
welcome guests Of Aunt Helen-make
it as genial and comfortable a home as
it was a dreary one
Aunt Helen has had the alarum-gope
mended, but she keeps up the fourth
wlre-rendered useless hOwever-as a
memorial of what she calls her dear
LOttie's herOism.