Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-16

De nice and quiet now, amt she! A
picter of good behaviour, 1'call her!"
Taking 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 his
pocket, in minute or two | was-poor
little feeble thing hand and foot
in my chair.
He grinned at me as he remarked:
"Now, you know, ducky. wouldn't
have served you 50 II you'd had the sense
to keep quiet. I never could abear to be
rough to the ladies-never! 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 hippant rascal
kept running his eyes around our neat
little rooms read disdtin 10 his glance;
and at that moment a suspicion darted
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 this
thought there came to me a firm resolve
to save my brother stch a loss, if /
possibly could; ay, even though | had to
endure tortures, I would not speak. |
set my teeth hard, and watched the man.
His wandering glance soon reverted to
me.
'Look here, dear; if loosen this cloth
bit, and You take b. cath, will you
speak to me, nicely2 Only don't scream
again, it makes me quite nervous to hear
you scream, and can't do you no good. "
How well I knew that, in a back room
in a quiet street! "There-ain' t it much
more comfortable2"--loosening the cloth.
"Tell me now, popsy-your brothers
got some vallybles here, amt he?N
shook MY head.
ooh, but he has; so you needn't jog
your noddle like that Better tell me
whore he's put them. 1t will save lots
of time, and be more pleasant for you"
But only shook my head the more.
"Did you ever see stch stubborness"
muttered the fellow, tying up my mouth
again. 'I am afreed I shall have to make
you speak directly. But | never like tc
be unkind to the ladies-unless they
drive me to it-oh, never"
Saying this, he began an examination
of the apartment, proceeding in what, as
| suppose, wsuld be described by a "pro-
fessionll' as the "best style;' anyway,
his movements were characterized
by extraordinary celerity. Within
few minutes he had gone to the
bottom of every drawer and box in
the room, and also turned out the sofa
bedstead where Ted slept at night. A
pretty litter he made of it all But he
had not yet discovered the secret of my
footstool. Can any one imagine what
endured as as | sat there, helpless as a
little Chinese "joss," the cold perspira-
tion of fear on my forehead, while
asked myself, "What will the fellow do
next"
He turned round while proceeding
with his search, and, looking at me, he
said
"Iallo, Poppet, how pale you are
Amt going to faint, are you! Oh, don't
faint, for I shall want you to talk to
me bit III open the window and give
you a mouthful of fresh air. This room
is precious close"
He went to the window-the window
which dear Ted cautioned me not to
touch that morning -unfastened the
catch, and would have let down the
upper part; but he was saved the trouble,
for, the cord, being broken, down, quick
as a shot, came the window, and, as luck
would have it, caught his eight finger,
between the upper and middle frames.
The pain and the shock must have beer
dreadful, the window frame being a wild
and very heavy one. He uttered howl
then kicked franticallv; but all was in
vain There he stood, with both hand,
he'd alo't caught in as nice trap a.
could have been devised for an evil-doer
Then he glanced at me, and the sight o
me, 'picter of good behavior that was
must have filled his soul with remorse
since through his own act was rendered
powerless to assist him. He whined how
ever
Cant you help me?"
AS it was impossible for me willingl,
to look on while fellow creature suf
fered such anguish as / knew lie must b.
enduring, used every effort to get free
but vainly. He had tied me too frml,
for that. He took to kicking again, ant
began to swear horribly. May | neve
again hear such language as was forced
to listen to that afternoon His hand
soon swelled; and | saw some drops o
blood trickl2 slowly down the pane, tn,
rings he wore on his dirty fingers having
having been forced into the flesh Th
piercin ar, which rushed in freel,
through the wide aperture, must hav
greatly aggravated his suffering. knew
was nearly frozen. Aud all this tim
the clock on the mantelpiece kept tick
ing off the moments TRANQUILITY. as though
t. assure me that time could not b
hurried into a quicker pace by any con
sideration of human distress.
Imagine what two hours in such stu
alton meant for both of us9 Two hours
| think the poor wretch at the windoN
tainted; but the horrible dragging of hi
body on his poor MANNED hands rouse,
him directly Trembling with cold an,
commiseration, sat watching him, til
tears rolling down my cheeks. Oh, VIII
had refused Ted's kind proposal to SEN
cousin Milly to me! Why had | been s,
captious abont her dear little baby? Bet
ter room full of babies, all doing thei
worst, than But here swooned, an
FILL chair and all, on the rug before tn
, cold CRATE, the fire having died out Ion
, since.
, Just on the hour of three became cor
scious of dull thud below, which
| knew to be knock at the door. / la
: listening, but rather wondering vaguel
, what would happen next than takin
5 any interest in things of this life, froi
t which seemed in manner to hav
foated away.
9 After an interval, heard steps plot
ding LID the stairs. and a loud cheer