News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-05-06
MY FOOTSTOOL.

leu sInlleQ tnen, as ne Q,d not 1nten
TO take them back to the shop until tn
return of his employer, which would nc
be till the morrow, he deposited both tn
leweled bracelets in his customary mon
burglar-proof safe, " as he iokingly Gallo
q small, Strong square box which he ha
fitted with lock and key, padded insid
and out, and covered with chintz to mate
our sofa. He made me use this as a foot
stool, saying that evil-disposed person
would be less likely to examine it, ant
many q jest he had about his placin.
gems under my feet and about nv bein!
a small person with high mind, for I Sc
my foot upon gold, and the like non
sense. Dear old Ted He was so cIeve
at his trade and so Trustworthy
that he always had more work thar
he could get through. He was yer,
fond of me-his poor little crippled
sister-would never let me sit too long
at my needle, and shared with M
in every possible way the little
duties necessitated by our humble men
age; so he and | logged along very peace
ably. We lodged in two rooms in a
quiet street on the outskirts of Bridge
pool. Our landlady was a kindly old
body who had known our parents long
before either Ted or found ourselves on
this worlds stage.
Having put away the bracelets safely,
my brother next packed up three or four
watches he had been busy setting to
nights, and prepared to go to the shop in
Bridgeport which usually employed him.
l watched him putting on his overcoat,
for the day was very cold; but he seemed
slow In his movements, and l thought he
was reluctant to leave me alone; for,
though l was generally active enough,
considering my infrmity, one of my bad
spells was now on me, when, as he knew,
found moving about pain and diff
Guilty for some days. 1t happened, too,
that Mrs. Brown-our landlady-had
gone out for the day-a very rare &C.
currence.
''Can do anything else for you be-
fore go?" he asked.
''No, Ted dear, thank you."
MAKE sure; look round and see if
everything is put handy for you," said
my brother, placing my crutch little
nearer.
Everything" I replied cheerfully.
"And I've such a lot of work to get
through, I shall find the afternoon
short
Il don't half like your being left alone
so long; for l may not be back before
hve," said Ted, cycling me obviously.
'Cousin Milly would come round if 1
asked her."
YES aHa RE5iRg hsE dR2sv d6a e hi'
. babies when I'm busy. Go away, Ted,
you dear old felIowI Don't bother about
me; shall be all right"
''Well, bye-bye, little woman" he
said, stopping to kiss me; 'I'll be home
as soon as | can. And Bessie, he added,
p1using in the doorway, ''be sure you
d mt touch the window to-day. The
sl'h-line snapped this morning; l must
send carpenter to see to it. You will
remember"
promised that I would, and my
brother departed. / hoard him 90 down
stairs and shut the street door. At first
the unusual quiet of the house was
rather depressing; but l soon became
too much engrossed in sewing to pay at
tention to that, and stitched away busily
at some things | was completing for a
lady who was kind enough to praise nv
needlework, preferring it, as many others
did, to machine-stitched articles. Pres
emily l thought I heard a slight noise
downstairs, like the opening of win
dow; but, as all remained quiet after
ward, put it down to my imagination.
and went on TRANQUILITY with my work.
After some time was startled to hear a
STEP stealthy but distinctly audible, on
the landing outside, while under the
door appeared the shadow of some one
moving.
''Perhaps Mrs. Brown has returned, "
was the thought in my mind as l sat gaz-
ing at the door; but then 1 turned cold
with fear, for the handle was turned
softly, and strange man looked ina
young man with pallid, greasy, lcering
face, ornamented by a thievish-looking
twist of hair on each side, while a limp
cap of semi-military cut was stuck rak-
ishly on the side of his head. l noticed
these details mechanically as l sat petri-
fed with surprise and fright, and / also
noticed that his long dirty neck was
without tie or collar, a shabby frock coat
being buttoned up to his chin, and that
his dirtier hands sported more than one
ring.
This individual, after darling swift
glance round the room, slipped in and
locked the door, saving:
''Sick2 Popsy- wopsy, don't be fright
enedl I'm not going to hurt you-not a
bit of it, But, you see-Stop that ~
he growled; for as he approached me, !
recovered myself little and gave good
loud scream.
Quick as thought, he had his hand
over my mouth, holding my chin and
nose in such a manner that l was nearly
suffocated; then he gave me a shake
saying:
eff you do that again, I'll pay you out
you little fool! There-she is going t.
be nice and quiet now, amt shel A
picter of good behaviour, l call herI'
Talking thus, he gagged me dexter
ously with some of my work-which
however, was pleasanter than his hand
ugh, that grimy hand on my mouth
and then, producing some cord from hi
pocket, in a minute or two l was-poo
little feeble thing-bound hand and foo
in my chair.
He grinned at me as he remarked:
Snow, you know, ducky, / wouldn't
have served you so if you'd had the sense
to keep quiet. [ never could abeaT to be
rough to the ladies-neverl But time is
short. and you might have been hard to
please; so perhaps it's the best way. after
all"
While speaking thus the 1ippant rascal
kept running his eyes around our neat
little rooms. read disdain in his glance
and at that moment a suspicion dartcd
INTO my mind that he had come with the
object of stealing some of Ted's work
perhaps the jeweled bracelets which
then were under my feet. With thi,
thought there came to me a firm resolv,
to save my brother such a loss. if
possibly could; ay, even though had t,
endure fortunes, | would not speak.
set my teeth hard, and watched the man
His wandering glance soon reverted t,
me.
'Look here, dear; if 1 loosen this clotI
bit, and you take breath, will Vol
speak to me, nicely? Only don't scream
again, it makes me quite nervous to hea
you scream, and can't do you no good.
How we'll l knew that, in a back roor
in a quiet street, ''There-ain' it muc
more comfortableW- the cloth
''Tell me now, popsy-your brother
got some vallybles here, amt he2'
/ shook my head.
''Oh, but he has; so You needn't 10;
your noddle like thatl Better tell IN