Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-07-30

were characterized by extraordinary celebrity.
! Within few minutes he went TO the bottom
Of every drawer and box in the room, and
slso turned out the sofa bedstead where Ted
slept at night pretty litter he made Of 1t
all But he had not yet discovered the secret
Of my footstool. Can anyone imagine what
| endured as | sat there, helpless as little
| Chinese "joss," the cold Precipitation OF fear
/ on my forehead, while asked myself, what
will the fellow do ne1t2"
He turned round while proceeding with his
search, and. looking at me, said
Halo, Poppet, how pale you are Amt
going to faint, are you o, don't faint, for
l shall want you to talk to me bit. I'll open
the window and give you mouthtul Of fresh
air this room is precious close"
He went 10 the window-the window
which dear Ted cautioned me not to touch
that morning -unfastened the catch and
would have lot down the upper part but he
was saved the trouble, for the cord being
broken, down, quick ~ shot, came the win
dow, and, AZ luck would have It., caught his
eight fingers between the upper and middle
frames.
The pain and the shock must have been
dreadful the window frame being q wide and
very heavy one. He uttered howl and then
kicked franticslly but all was in vain. There
be stood, with both hands held aloft caught
III 70 ulCb n trap us COulu Do ubNlhbu lOE hly
evil doer. Then he glanced at me, and the
sight OF me, 'picter Of good behavior" that
| was must have filled his soul with remorse,
since through his own act l was rendered
powerless to assist him. He whined, how
ever
Cant you help me p
As it was impossible for me willingly to
look on while fellow creature suffered such
anguish as / knew he must be enduring, l
used every effort TO get free, but vsinly. He
had tied me too firmly for that. He took to
kicking again and began to swear horribly.
May never hear such language again, as l
was forced TO listen to that afternoon. His
hands soon swelled and l saw some drops
Of blood trickle slowly down the pane, the
ring he wore on his dirty finger having been
forced into the flesh. The piercing air,
which rushed in freely through the wide
aperture, must have greatly aggravated his
suffering. know l was nearly frozen. And
all this time the clock on the mantepiece
kept ticking off the moments TRANQUILITY, as
though to assure me that time could not be
hurried into a quicker pace by any consider
alton of human distress.
Imagine what two more hours in such a
situation meant for both OF US Two hours
think the poor wretch at the window faint
ed but the horrd dragging Of his body on
his poor manned hands reused him directly
Trembling with cold aud COMMUNICATION sat
watching him, the tears rolling down my
cheeks. Oh, why had | refused Ted's kind
proposal to send Cousin Mily to me Why
had l been so captious about the dear little
baby Better a room full of babies, all doing
their worst thAn-But l swoonod, and fell
chair and all, on the rug before the cold
CRATE, the fire having died out long since.
just on the hour OF three, l became con.
scious Of q thud below which knew to be a
knock at the door. lay listening, but rather
wondering vaguely what would happen next
than taking any interest in things of this
life, from which l seemed in manner to
have hOated away.
After an interval, heard Isteps plodding
up the stairs, and loud CHEEKY voice which
| recognized as that Of our old friend, Mr.
Joy, the carpenter, called ont, -
Hello Anybody homeI p
Coming to our room door, he Knocked
then be turned the handle, but Of course
found it locked. Being unable to speak,
yet tried 10 groan, and made some inartcu-
late noises but could hardly hope the old
man heard them, as he was somewhat deaf.
As for my companion in misfortune, one
would have supposed he would have gladly
hailed prison as an escape from such a
plight as he WAS in and SO no doubt he
would, only he had no choice at that moment
having gone of again in heavy swoon.
heard the carpenter go down stairs and
hopes of relief died away in my breast. Oh,
Joy, Joy, why did you come. to nook me
thus5 Two hours more, probably, before
Ted will be home Shall be alive by then
My bound and aching limbs were on the rack
of pain; l lay and sobbed miserably. But
bark A shout from the back garden
"WhAt the dickens is all this Z" Again l
heard the voice Of Joy.
1t appears that the carpenter Oh trying our
room door, and finding it fastened, conclud-
ed we we're all out, but went around to the
back Of the house ito have look at the near
winder" which my brother had sent him to
mend-of course not expecting to find it con-
verted into man trap. He had noticed,
while knocking at the street door, that the
parlor window WAS unfastened; and thinking
1t unsafe, especially as Mrs. Brown was out,
he had used his privilege as our friend and
hers, to get through and fasten it before
coming up stairs. No doubt the thief had
entered the house that way.
1t was not long before help came, and the
door was broken open, when our misery was
ended. dare say, since prisons we're fret
built. there never was culprit who walked
into gaol more meekly than did tho one who
had intended to rob my brother.
They say the poor fellows hands may new
er be right again amputation may be neces-
sary, 81 erysipelas is setting in. Well, all l
can say is, freely forgive him for the suf-
fering, mentally and bodily, he caused me.
was in bed for fortnight, but eventually
got all right again. Dear Ted says | am a
brick but that may be his Partially. Any
how, my footstool proved to be a very effec-
tive safe. To this hour nobody knows about
it but you, Ted and myself.