Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-09-21

height and breadth. He had black
beard, and a quantity of thick black
hair. / noticed his features, which
were toIerably regular.
I also noticed another popularity:
amongst his raven locks was one
perfectly white. One rather thick
white lock was flung off his forehead
so white was it that the light
instantly revealed it to me.
The man did not glance towards
the bed, he went straight, with no
particularly quiet step, to the dress
ing table. closed my eyes now,
but heard him taking up my trink-
cts and dropping them again. Then
he approached the bedside. [ felt
his breath as he bent over me. |
was lying on my side. my eyes were
shut, was breathing gently.
He went away again he returned
to- the dressing-table. [ heard him
rather noisily strike a match, then
with lighted candle in his hand he
once more approached the bed. This
time he bent very low indeed, and l
felt the heat of the fame as he pass
softly before my closed eyes. | lay
still, however; not movement, not
a hurried breath, betrayed me.
I heard him give short, satisfied
sigh. Again, candle in hand, he re-
turned to the dressing table. Once
more l heard the clinklng sound of
my trinkets as they fell through his
fingers.
There was pause, and then-for
no, reason that I could ever explain
he left the trinkets untouched on the
table, and went to the door.
He opened the door and went out.
did not know what he went for
perhaps to fetch companion, GER
tainly to return-but did knew that
my opportunity had come.
In an instant, quicker than a
thought, I had started from my feign-
ed slumbers / was at the door, /
had bolted and locked it. There were
several bolts to this old-fashioned
door, there were even chains.
I drew every rusty bolt, | made
every rusty chain secure. | was not
an instant too soon. had scarcely
fastened the last chain with fingers
that trembled, before the thief re-
turned.
He saw that he had been oatwitted,
and his savage anger knew no bounds.
He kicked at the door, he called
on me wildly to open it; he assured
me that he had accomplices outside,
that he would soon burst the old
door from its hinges, and my life
would be the forfeit.
To my terror, | perceived that his
words were no idle boast. The old
door, secured by its many fastenings
on the one side, was weak On the
other; its hinges were nearly eaten
through with rust; they needed but
some vigorous kicks to burst them
from their resting places in the wood.
l knew that I was only protected
for few minutes, that even if the
thief was alone, he had but to con-
tinue to assail the door as vigorously
as he was now doing for little long
er, to gain fresh entrance into my
chamber.
| rushed to the window, threw up
the sash, and bent half out. In the
clear, calm air of the night | sent my
strong young voice.
''Help. help thieves fire =
danger help, helpp'
l shouted these words over and
over, but there was no response ex-
cept an echo. My room looked into
a distant shrubbery; the hour was
late, the whole household in bed.
The thief outside was evidently
making way with the rusty hinges
and | was preparing, at the risk of
any consequences, the moment he
entered she room to leap from the
window when, / heard a dog bark.
| redoubled my cries. The bark
of the dog was followed by footsteps !;
they come nearer, treading down the
fallen branches, which cracked un-
der the welcome steps. The next in
slant a man came and stood under
the window, and looked up at me. I
perceived by his dress that he was
villager, probably taking short cut
| to his house. He stood under the
window; he seemed terrified; per-
haps he took me for the ghost. He
was not, however, all coward, for
he spoke:
"What is wrong?" he said.
"This is wrong" / answered 81
am in extreme danger-extreme dan
ger. There is not moment to lose.
Go instantly-instantly, and wake up
the house, and say that /, Mrs. Craw-
| ford, am in extreme danger in the
Tapestry wing. Go at onee-at
once.h
| spoke distinctly and the man
seemed to understand. He flew away,
the dog following him.
instantly threw myself on my
knees, and in the terrible moments
that followed ! prayed as | had nev-
er prayed before. Would the man
be in time? Must my young life be
sacrificed,
All no. God was good. | heard