The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-10-22

vant al creation starin' 81 thcm." she
said aloud. She sat down by the table,
turned up the kerosene lamp, adjusted
her spectAciss. and gave herself mp TO the
victory TO the outside Of Tidy Sloccmb's
letter.
The postnsrk vas 40 blurred that scarce
ly letter Was distinguishabIe. She held
tho letter mp before the lamp. Her con
science gave tuinges. but one could never
discover any secrets in that way only .
stray word here and there. One could
not discover anything. alssl in this letter
the envelope vas too thick. or the outside
Of lbe paper Vas not written upon.
Was il Sauls vritings The capital let
ters did not look like his II she could
only see one word Of tho inside! She
turned the letter over. The envelope had
not stuck together oil the way across; she
Slid her finger in, not to open it--only
enough n -. perhaps, word.
The paper tore there was . rent an
inch longl
She uttered "a exclamation Of dismay,
and looked around her ~ II there we're
soushody 70 see. There was; the blind
had bsss opened, and pressed against lhs
pane was face.
With . cry Of terror she sprang 70 her
feet, dropping the letter on the floor. At
the same instant there came loud knock
at the door, on the other side. II was the
deacon's double knock; and with feeling
OF relief Mrs. Kittredge hurried as fast
As her trembling limbs would carry her,
into the little back entry.
She called feebly. and the deacon's
voice answered, but still she had TO lean
against the wall for moment before she
couldl ind strength 10 unbolt the door,
the face was so startling. and it was so ter
rible to think that somebody had seen her
tampering with the letter.
Her fingers tremtled so. that the bolt
resisted her efforts.
Good land. Laviny, what's the matterY'
cried her husband. impatiently.
When at length the door was opend she
fell into the deacons arms, gasping, "Oh,
Nehemiah, there's man looking in at the
window. II was Providence that sent you
home"
Deacon Stebbins was to lead, and I
heard something that wanted so much
TO tell you that l couldn't stay. Never
mind about the man--let him look!' The
deacon was in astonishingly good spirits
"At that window, was it? Why, the blinds
are shut You've been dreaming, Lavina. :
THE blind was open. and there was a
mans face pressed against the window
and oh, Nehemiah, the letter is gone"
"Whst letter."
II brought Tidy Slooomb's letter out
here. inst To see il / could make out where
II came from. and ! tore it little mite.
and he saw me, aud he's been IN and car
ried it off, No, l haven't put it in my
pocket, nor mislaid ii any here; it's gone. y
The deacon hastened to the woodshed
door; it was open.
"And l turned that button the very
first thing after Huldy went out. How
could he have 60. in."
The deacon bowed his head upon his
hands and grosned.
1T couldn't be ofany great consequence
Nehemiah, letter OF Tidy Slocomb's, ="
faltered his wife, "You don't know it's
goin' to make great trouble?"
"The letter was in our keeping; we
must account for it. If nothing was ever
said about it, it would be our duty to tell
just how it was lost"
II s'pose you're right" said bis wife
(as she had said thousand times since
their wedding day. "but it's hard; it will
look SO much as I meant to open it. Ne
hemiah, you don't suppose they'll turn
us out?"
The deacon walked the floor with great
strides.
"We shall have lost peoples trust; II
am not turned out, ! shall give up the
office" He kept back the reproaches that
rose to his lips, but he walked into the
sitting room aud closed the door behind
him. He opened it soon, however,, and
said in gentle tone. 'LaviDy, was go
ing to tell you something that / heard
about Saul"
The little woman hurried to him. her
anxious blue eyes overlooking at the men
tion OF her sons name
The minister says tins musical company
that Saul belongs to is nothing like
troupe; be says it's respectable. He seem
cd to think we neednt feel so bad about
e."
Il cant think Of anything but how
Saul will feel about it, II we sre turned
out"
..Thst's it. Laviua; we've brought dis
grace on him more'n he's ever brought on
10. I've said good deal about the Lords
dgements. bat ! have never realized what
hey we're till now. I've been thinking
before tonight don't how il first came
INTO my mind--tbat maybe we'd been too
hard on Saul. because. you see. Lsviny"
--how should lie say it 40 that it mi bit
not wound her feelings? The must have
had somewhere 10 get il from"
'I've thought Of that. Nehemiah time
md again. I've thought OF il. said bis
wife. eagerly. though didn't like 10
'ay anything. There was your sister Mi
andy. What trouble your father and
mother bad with her likin' low company!
md at last she ran away with miserable
In peddler. And she was musicsl. too.
md she and the tin peddler kept sngin'