Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-12-25

and, when he saw that the keepers fam
4 ssly had facilitated the execution Of the
robbery, Redfern was dismissed immedi-
ntely, at weeks notice, without
. character The same fate attended the
butler, Mr.. Thomson, and the house
keeper, Mrs. Podgings
Two hours later the same feeble, foot
sore figure retraced her steps, and came
against the gate leading TO the mill.
Strip it was; but, altered, broken in
spirit and in body; Trip now utterly
alone in the world
She could walk no further Her house
= shoes were worn off her feet; her stock
ing soles, the soles of her feet worn
through. She was in her crushed straw
berry gown, with q dark cloak over It,
the crisp, clean, bright dress of few
weeks ago was now crumpled soiled,
draggled, like tho spirit of her who wore
q 1t.
From the moment she had uttered that
= kry, "The Ringwood platel' conscious
hess had deserted her she could recall
n fierce face, white, with glistening eyes,
and pair Of false whiskers half fallen
Off, before her, and hand raised, grasp
ing silver candlestick, o vivid, horrible,
haunting sight, and she remembered
nothing more till she woke in her bed
= room with an aching head, that was ban
daged, and with smell of vinegar in her
"a nose.
She was Oh her bed she turned her
head and saw blood ON the pillow, and
~ turned again and saw the face of Nelly.
you're come round Vt last, are your
baid the woman. "Well, you'll have to
get round quick. / amt going to nurse
you forever. You never ought to have
II been brought here"
BY degrees poor Trip learned that she
had been knocked down and stunned;
that quarrel had been the result be-
tween her husband and his ''pals' who
had struck her, and that the three men
had made Off with the plate out of the
81 country, or, at all events, into safe quar-
. tiers. The house had been cleared of
what little furniture there was, only
Nelly remained to watch Trip. Mr..
r5eag fort, as he called himself, and who
apeany loved the poor girl, had ordered
Nelly, one of the gang, to be with Trip
till she recovered, not only for Trips sake,
but for the safety of the party. She was
to be kept under guard, not allowed to
leave the house for some days, till the
Z gang had escaped, and danger of pursuit
- from information furnished by Trip was
over.
Accordingly Nelly had nursed and at
tended to Trip till she was sufficiently
recovered to leave, and then had turned
her out of the house, which sh. also de-
serted The house had been taken under
o false name with false references, and
had been made the headquarters of the
gang, where they had defaced and melted
the silver and jewelry which they OBJ
M timed. After the great burglary at
Ringwood, it was advisable to shift quar-
81 ters
= This, then, was the end of poor Trips
ambitious flight. She was married to u
'rufiian who, if he came into the hands
of justice, as was inevitable before long,
would suffer penal servitude. That the
name of Beaufort was false she was well
assured; what his real name was she did
not know. The wife of professional
burglar now, the wife of convict here
after! SHE had flown high, and great
was the fall.
Trip stood at the gate of the mill.
She could go no further. She had nc
money. She had no shoes. She had nc
friends, no home, no food--no name
even; only little feeble pride in her still
held. her together. She had passed the
Rose; she had felt half inclined to 90 in
there and cast herself on the pity of the
landlady, but her pride withheld her
No; there was one and one only who
could help her efficiently, to whom she
rould appeal, who would not upbraid
her, who would screen her and deal pru
IDENTIFY with her.
She must go to her friend---to Joe
She might do that without loss to hel
self respect. She was u married woman
and could be nothing henceforth to Joe
A weak, broken friend appealing for holI
to return to her father and mother, that
was all she was and all she wanted. He
could tell her where her parents were
and he would restore her to them.
So she entered through the gate ant
YEARLY crept to the foot Of the stair
She recalled Joes words. Was she, al
be had said, coming there to revisit TIT
ilill in her splendid equipage with brass
amounted harness and liveried servant
fin pink silk and feathers and lace.
She came in the old, stained crushed
strawberry gown, with bandaged head
and az tear-stained face, and broker
spirit, her feet waysore and her pride
9n the mire.
The great black mill stood up agains
the far-away red glare of London bu
mot altogether dark, for above was light
Joe had a parafIine lamp in the tiou
chamber, and it was so placed as to shin,
through the door, and down the Ladder
stair.
She held to the rail, and tried to climl
the stair. She would reach the wei
known chamber. and throw herself in
porner beside the -four box, or between
Bthe sacks, and wait till Joe came. Bu
iIrrip's strength was not equal to tn
effort. She pulled herself up one step
Sthcn another. The steps were wild
3nrt, and she had not the strength t,
Zraw herself up many. She got, per
Ehaps, half way up, and then fell on tn
stairs, fell sitting on one step with he
bandaged head on another, and he
bleeding feet on still lower step. The
all her power left her She tried to lif
herself to her feet, but could not. Sh
could not reach and grasp the rail; sh
sank again.
Jas her head rested on the step, tn
sIhell of the flour came into her nose
Tom the white dust on it, and it brough
a dim, faint sense Of pleasure to her Sh
- g,ox fona fY,rp oh 20 tha Ky md en-,