The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-08-12


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!n the mother cried, in the same ter
rified wisper as before. 81 heard them in
the house l tried to ring the bell in my
room and find ID wont work. 1t was quite
right yesterday This is planned robbery.
The servants are in it, we shall be killed,
Sophia, murdered. o, what shall dor
And now, indeed, Sophia, straining her
ears to listen did hear 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 an instant been
turned in the wrong direction. Nearly dead
with fear she listened again, and soon after
sounds in the entrance hail. as if heavy box
were being cautiously moved, convinced her
that her mother was not wrong. She took
the old women's shaking hand and led her
back to her own room.
"We must try my bell, mamma; we must
ring that The noise will frighten them"
"TTy it, try itn 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-
sulE was simply that the wires pulled lightly
and no sound was made. These, too, had
been put out of order.
"I knew i'll" 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
away.
"There is nothing to be done" the old
woman said. 1--WE must wait till they come
and kill us. o, Sophia, Sophia! can't you
do anything to save meP
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 kind of belfry, with a
bell of sonorous tongue hanging in it; for he
was nervous householder, dwelling in fear
of thieves The girls knew this belfry-so
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 effectually frighten away the rob-
bers. But how to reach the belfry2 The only
ba11
bers were now at work Sophia could not
make up her mind to go even a step down the
stairs: and as to consulting her mother in her
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 to
save me"
This appeal had a wholesome effect Nerv-
ing herself by an almost superhuman effort,
the brave girl replied;
II will try, mammal but you must stay
here"
Not alone Sophia" she answered. II dare
not stay alone You shall not leave me-"
~ must mamma" she replied. II must
leaYe you You can lock your door behind
me- don't think they will come upstairs
Quick; follow me and lock the door"
She stole out and her mother rose up and
went after her Just as she was going out
the old woman caught her hand again
Sophia, you must not leave me; l shall
die before you come back
"Lock the door" Sophia whispered again.
And her mother heard her; for, as she stole
into the dark passage, the door was softly
shut upon her and the key was turned
1t was truly frightful position for the
girl. Nearly mad as she was with fear she
yet gathered up courage-how she knew not
to steal few steps down stairs And now
the noises in the hall were quite audible, and
again she was just about to fly back and
take her chance in her own room with her
mother. Just at this juncture little bit Of
courage seemed to kindle in her breast and
she waited moment, and then stole three
steps down stairs. Here, at the turning, she
saw plainly that there was light in the hall;
and somehow the sense that she was in the
darkness and the robbers in the light gave
her a sensation of returning security. She
listened, trembled, and then with shaking
limbs ventured three steps down the second
fight She could distinctly hear the burglars
talking, and as one of them gave low,
brutal laugh she shuddered to think what
wretches were near. Sophia always declared
that the next few steps she took unconsciously
and that she only knew herself when she
found she was peering from the dark angle
of the stairs into the hall.
Three men were there. Itwas evident that
they had mlStaken an old oak chest which stood
against the wall for depository Of valuables,
and this they were now trying to force open.
They were quite occupied for the moment,
and from her dark angle Sophia could plainly
observe their movements. it was curious
that now, when fear might altogether have
overcome her, she began to feel renewal Of
courage. She looked across the dark hall to
the passage on the other side which she
wished to reach, and she resolved while the
robbers were still engaged upon the chest t
make dart across. Several seconds sh
waited, until she saw an opportunity, and
while the men were trying to force the oakeI
lid, she few across the hall, and was in the
passage on the other side, hidden from view.
But now, as she slowly groped her way
along the passage, new terror arose What
If the belfry door should be lockedl The
room was never used, and it might well be
that the key had been taken away. The bare
idea so terrified her that she scarce dared to
creep to the door, lest her fear should be veri-
fled. But there was no returning, and the
next moment she felt the door, and finding
the handle she turned it slowly, and to her un-
speakable joy the door opened at her touch.
o, what rush of relief she felt Her po-
sition might still be perilous; but the greatest
danger was Last. She crept round the wall,
feeling her way until her hands touched the
bell rope; and then, drawing breath for the
effort, she pulled hard and fast, tnd imnedi-
ately the iron tongue outside began to answer
her back in tones that seemed to tell that she
was once again in communication with the
honest world outside, and need fear no more
Stroke after stroke the bell sent its resonant
alarm out upon the midnight; and at each