Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-06-11
BOOK FIVE.
LADY BE4UTYS SORROW:
CHAPTER ].
SOPHIA IN A NEW CHARACTER

TOuetu- II IOW 1lOtuSo Whisper WuASu cNOu
in the moment of Weakening she felt to be-
charged with terror, broke her short slumber.
Sophia! Sophia" she heard her mother
uttering in her ear.
Wide awake in an instant, and alarmed by
the way in which her mother spoke, she sat
up in bed. Mrs. Temple was standing beside
her in her night dress, and, by the dim light
of the lamp which burned in her room, she
saw that the old woman's face was almost
lifeless from its expression Of intense alarm.
mamma! mammal she cried out. "What
is the natter"
"Hushl hush!" the mother answered, mo-
tioning her not to speak so loud. If we are
heard we shall be killed"
"What is the matter!' Sophia asled again,
now almost as terrified as her mother.
"There are robbers in the house." Mrs.
Temple answered, gasping for utterance.
"Come here-softly."
She motioned Sophia to the door, and, step
ping out on the landing, bid her listen. All
was dark and still, and for a moment Sophia
either heard or thought she heard her
mothers heart humping against her side.
But the house was perfectly silent.
Its nothing, mamma" Sophia said at
last, beginning to speak in her natural voice.
"You made a mistake"
"Hush!" the mother cried, in the same ter
rified Whisper as before. II heard them in
the house. l tried to ring the bell in my
room and I find it won't work. 1t was quit
right yesterday. This is a planned robbery,
The servants are in it; we shall be killed.
Sophia, murdered. 0, what shall l dor
And now, indeed, Sophia, straining her
ears to listen. did hear a strange sound below
stairs, and, bending over the balustrade, she
plainly saw one CLEAN Of light hastily vanish
ing, as if a lantern had for al instant been
turned in the wrong direction. Nearly dead
with fear she listened again, and soon after
sounds in the entrance hall, as if a heavy box
were being cautiously moved, convinced her
that her mother was not wrong. She took
the old woman's shaking hand and led her
back to her own room.
"We must try my bell, mamma; we must
ring that. The noise will brighten them"
airy it, try itr the mother answered. She
could hardly articulate, and the words came
from between her motionless lips as if she had
not uttered them.
But when Sophia tried her own bell the re-
suit was simply that the wires pulled lightly
and no sound was made. These, too, had
been put out Of order.
II knew it!' the old woman gasped. "The
servants are in it. We shall both be MUIR
dered here, in this room"
And in truth the position was frightful
enough. Their windows overlooked the
garden, and to open these and cry for help
would have been not only vain, but would
have added danger to danger. Mrs. Temple
had sunk upon the bed, and in the paralysis
of terror seemed to be losing consciousness
and Sophia, although she tried to keep her
Senses, felt as if she herself would swoon
way.
"There is nothing to be DONE" the old
woman said. "We must wait till they come
and kill us. O, Sophia, Sophia! can't you
do anything to save me-"
1t was surprising to see how utterly pros
trated with fear the active energetic woman
had become in few moments. And Sophia,
the quiet and delicate girl, was even now
growing more collected. She remembered
that the former owner of the house had
erected in one wing a kind of belfry, with @
bell of sopUrous tongue hanging in it; for he
was a nervous householder, dwelling in feal
of thieves. The girls knew this belfry-sc
they called it-well, and had more than once
rung the bell in the daytime in sport; and
now Sophia thought that if she were only
there, she might easily raise such an alarm
as would e~ffectually brighten away the rob
hers. But how to reach the belfrys The only
way was across the very hall where the rob
bers were now at work. Sophia could moi
make up her mind to go even a step down the
stairs; and as to consulting her mother in he1
present paralyzed state, that was altogether
useless. She stood irresolute, herself almost
losing her senses with fear, but neither NOV
ing nor speaking until the old woman called
out again:
Sophia, Sophia! can't you do anything t.
save met"
This appeal had q wholesome effect Nerv
ing herself by an almost s%uperhuman effort
the brave girl replied;
II will try, mamma; but you must stay
here"
"Not alone, Sophia" she answered. II dare
not stay alone, You shall not leave me-"
a must, mamma" she replied. II mus
leave you. You can lock your door behinC
me. / don't think they will come upstairs
Quick; follow me and lock the door,"
She stole out and her mother rose up .anC
went after her. Just as she was going our
the old woman caught her hand again.
sophia, you must not leave me; I shall
die before you come back"
clock the door" Sophia whispered again
And her mother heard her; for, as she stoll
into the dark passage, the door was softly
shut upon her and the key was turned.
1t was a truly frightful position for tn,
girl. Nearly mad as she was with fear, sh'
yet gathered up courage-how she knew no
Ito steal a few steps down stairs. And nov
the noises in the hall were quite audible, anC
again she was just about to fly back anC
take her chance in her own room with he
mother. just at this %juncture a little bit O
courage seemed to kindle in her breast, AM
she waited a moment, and then stole thre,
steps down stairs. Here, at the turning, sh,
saw plainly that there was light in the hall
and somehow the sense that she was in tn
darkness and the robbers in the light CAV,
her a sensation of returning security. Sh
listened, trembled, and then with shaking
limbs ventured three steps down the secont
fight. She could distinctly hear the burglar
talking, and as one of them gave a low
brutal laugh she shuddered to think wha
wretches were near. Sophia always declares
that the next few steps she took unconsciously
and that she only knew herself when sh
found she was peering from the dark angl
Of the stairs into the hall
Three men were there. II was evident tina