Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-04-09

IN ~ Z
this; for he gave her to understand also
that day that she was to make out house
her home us long as she remained, which
she always did.
Nathan will you be good enough to
assist me with this basket :"
1t was a large one and filled to the brln,
as we could see from the bullying lids.
Nat looked embarrassed, but pleased
with the preference shown him, took the
basket from her hand and led the way.
Well we mad a feast fit for queen that
noon from the solid substantials down to
the most toothsome French caramels.
And all the time she kept up II running
dow of anecdote and story, both humor-
GUS and pathetic.
"Isnt She Just splendid ~ was the YER
dict of all when she had withdrawn and
left us to ourselves. Even Nat Green was
so far drawn out of himself as to eNclaim
with some show of enthusiasm: at ism
in Il Teller to fight II wee thing like her no
how, an specially when she's so jolly,
too"
In the afternoon classes were organized
and the terms work outlined; the whole
was seasoned with more interesting talk,
and when the first school day closed we
were all agreed that we had never spent
happier day in our lives. The three out
laws skulked nome, but the next morning
they were punctually on time, and under
her wise management they became not
only the best behaved boys, but the best
scholars in school
But before the term was half out the
new teacher was known far and near as
little Miss Joyce, and there was not II boy
among us that wouldn't have fought for
her as Healously and died for her, il need
be, with as chivalrous II devotion as
knights of old in the lists. St Clair :
summing up of the day to mother con
tanned the root of the whole matter.
"She les looked and talked an we got
gooder AN gooder an didn't want to do
nOthin' bad. -
just before the close of the term an
event occurred which lifted Miss Joyce
at once to the front rank of herOlnes and
forever canUnizcd her at least in our fam
lily. Father had been absent several days
on business and came home after dark one
evening with several thousand dollars in
his possession. which he locked up in the
safe. lIeintended to go to town the next
morning and deposit it in the bank. Be
tween 9 and 10 o'clock the same evening
mother was summoned by telegram to
the bedside of dying sister in Il distant
state. 1t was necessary to leave home 10y
day break to reach the station in time for
the early morning train. Father decided
to 90 with mother, as he dislilled to have her
travel 50 far alone To do this he would
be Obliged to leave the money in the safe
at home until his return. He was not,
however Il man to borrow trouble. There
had been no robbery Of any consequence
committed IN the country for several years.
1t was not Likely such Il visitation would
occur now We had a good girl in the
kithen, and Miss Joyce had promised to
take mothers place as far as possible.
With the exception of IT. Clair, we we're
all to see them of. Mother would not
allow him to be disturbed; she kissed his
rosy face still wrapped III slumber and
quickly drew down her veil.
The day was clear and bright till almost
noon then the air grew turbulent and
the sky murky and threading. Later
heavy black misses of clouds piled them
selves into formidable bank, out of
which came angry rumblingS and iitful
lurid flashes, that augured brewing
storm close at hand. Miss Joyce closed
school early and we reached home just ~
the big drops began to rail-.
1t proved the heaviest rainfall Of the
season. The Hood gates Of Heaven seemed
to be opened and the rain fell in torrents
all the fore part of the night, while the
house Ga solid, substantial piece OF mason
ry) groaned and shook with the violence
Of the wind. About midnight the fierce
ness OF the gale spent itself, but the rain
still fell III gentle, measured cadences.
We children went to bed early. Mark
and were both tired and out of sorts
The morrow would be Saturday and we
had planned to have some rare sport
Such weather would spoil all our fun and
we did so hate to be cOOped up in the
house. After a time lost Consciousness
and slept profoundly. The particulars of
the awlnl tragedy enacted during that
rerriUle night we learned the next morn
ing from Miss Joyce's own lips, and were
eye-witnessess to the fearful evidences of
the crime. Miss Joyce had sat up late
writing letters. During fathers and
m at hal, nj : "a n hnit
apartment, which was front room on
the ground floor and opened into IA little
back room, where slept Mary Narthy and
st. Clair. All the windows of the house,
upstairs and down, had strong, massive
shutters, which securely fastened inside
with heavy iron clamps. AS | said before,
Miss Joyce was writing letters till a late
hour and did not retire till after midnight.
1t was sometime after this before she doZ-
ed off into SlumDer. She was ALWAYS Il
light sleeper The least noise seemed in
stantly to arouse her. not into that drowsy
semi-cOnsCiousness, which usually pre-
cedes full awakening, but at once into
alert cognizance. And on this particular
night, When her neYves were tensely
strung 10y the rlgOr of the storm, all her
bodily senses seemed preternaturally
acute.
How long she slept, whether minutes or
hours, she did not know, but she was sud
denly awakened by the sound of some
thing falling. And the impression receiv-
ed by her in that second of time, as the
mind leaped from slumber to conscious
ness, was SO distinct and real, that she
could have taken oath on the Bible that
the sound she heard was that of some
metallic substance dropping with "A sharp
ring upon hard floor The sound would
have been dulled had it fallen on the thick
carpets of the rooms Immediately ada,
cent. In the more remote parts of the
house distance would also have dcadened
the sound.
Her thought instantly flew to the wide
hall, covered with oll-cloth, into which
mothers room opened. The door of the
room had been left purposely aiar tnat
she might the more readily hear if anyone
called. What metallic substance would
be likely to fall but the hall-door KEY
And she remembered distinctly, when She
locked the door during the evening, to
have turned the key To prevent that. II
must, Therefore, have been returned and
pushed Inward from the outside. How
swiftly the mind leaps from link to link
IN the chain OF cause and effect. She
threw ON WOODEN wrapper and in hel
stockined feet, glided nOiselessly into the
hall and laid her hand softly ON the lock
the key was gone At the same instant ,