Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-02-10

know what we hev / dunno but there is
folkses that would steal um if they
knowed.n
You're right, Abby Jane said Mr.
linbcock. There's lots of um that would
murder both you and me as quick as wink
in for the wuth Of that silver, and its best
TO be precautions.
Accordingly the silver, closely tied in, as
well as covered with an old towel. was set
in the bottom Of the little vehicle in which
Mr.. and Mrs. Babcock were to ride over.
Mrs. Babcock got into the wagon and Mr..
Babcock went around TO shut the kitchen
door, which fastened with spring. In
this operation he caught his coat tail fast
and was obliged TO shout for Mrs Babcock,
who found it necessary TO unlock the front
door again and let him loose by opening the
kitchen door from within. They were gone
fully ten minutes. When they returned
70 their gig the basket was gone-gone
positively gone. They looked up the road
and saw no one. They looked down the
road and saw no one. They ran this way
and that, not a sign Of any one But some
one had been there-a tramp, a genuine
specimen, very, very, tipsy too tipsy to
keep an eye 10 the main chance merely re
membering that when he had a chance to
steal he must do his duty.
lie had staggered from behind the barn,
seized the basket by the handle, tucked it
under the cape Of a ragged old army over
coat he wore, and stumbled into the woods.
lie felt sure that the basket held feast Of
some sort. Its weight suggested bottle
Some Of these old farmers always took lu-
our with them TO picnics His fancy pic
tured ham sandwiches, apple pie and whis-
key, and he toddled on rejoicing. Shortly
lac met another worse than himself--a sort
of chum or comrade. lie sgnifed to this
individual that he had something good un-
der under his cape, and in return received
a piece Of information.
The brick church on the hill was open
There was a fire in the heater They would
go there and bask in the warmth Of the
church, which they did.
On they tramped. They reached the ed
itice, stole in, chose pew No II, as nearest
the register, and were about to open the
basket. little guessing what it contained,
expecting no treasure that they could not
devour in ten minutes, when up frem the
cellar below rushed big janitor and a big
dog-a fierce fellow, well acquainted with
the ways Of tramps, and knowing one at
sight
The poor creatures fled leaving the bas-
ket behind them in the far corner of the
pew. Not knowing what they left, the
IA4litbl Vet auN IL. lIuln 70 Ltll, ne was
not so particular about investigating cor
ner, with his feather duster as the ladies
would have liked him to be- Besides the
church was dark and it was very busy
day, and he had to brush his jacket aud put
on his clean collar before the company
came
soon the people Of the village began to
arrive Twelve pews were reserved for
the guests Of the bridal party. The basket
stood in the last Of these in the corner
The guests began to come. The carriages
drove up. The bride sailed up the aisle on
her fathers arm His mother, her mother.
were there; old lady relatives in caps,
young lady relatives in white muslin Final
ly, at the very last, Mr. and Mrs Ebene2er
Babcuck agtated and pale took their
places in pew No. II.
They had searched everywhere. They
had quarreled with each other made up
and lamented their loss But they had de
ternined to come TO the wedding. after all
There would be the satisfaction of telling
the tale, at least.
II dunno as | calculate they'll believe
Us, said Mrs. Babcock.
"Ef you hedn't hev me put the recypeted
bill into the box, they'd av bin proof" said
her welded Ebenezer to which she. in a
spirit Of justice replied
Il dunno but there would hev ben, Mr.
Babcock but mortals is at times misled
This admission made the old couple
friends again, and they hurried into church,
full of that sympathetic feeling that com
mon misfortune awakens in the souls of
human beings.
a pretty penny to throw into the dirt -
sighed the old man. mo thanks nor moth
m
Its awful to reflect on, said the old la
iy. 81 dunno as it isn'ta Judgment on me
fur wanting to show off fur once
NO had orter purvented of it, said
the old man
The wedding march was playing. Guests
We're coming in.
Can you scrouge up. Mrs. Babcock.
There's another lady wants to sot in there, -
whispered Mr.. b.
I'm tryin' TO- said the old lady But
! there suthin' here. 1t keeps me from do
in it,
She felt along the seat and touched the
basket She felt upward and found the
handle. She peered downward and saw
what it was. She lifted it to her knee,
obeyed her husbands suggestion to "scrouge
up and felt thrill of that terror the su-
pernatural brings with it, as she knew that
she held ON her knee the egg basket in
which the box of silver had been placed
that the present was safe and had appar-
emily come to church to find her of its own
account.
do you believe in spirits, Ebenezer,"
she whispered, such as move things, you
know =
Course not, said he.
IL do, said she. They've fetched the
silver. Look -
Ebenezer looked But he was older than
his wife and his eyes had failed more, He
saw nothing.
Hope you haint gone out'n your head
nor nothin', Abby Jane" he whispered
She laughed little hysterically. But
the service had begun. Nothing more
could be said.
Maria was married Shortly after she
reached home she was presented with
splendid present by her aunt and uncle of
whom nothing of the kind could be expect
ed. Afterward they told their story. No
body doubted it. In quiet country places
where there is not much going on people
like to believe such things.
The prevailing impression is that it was
spirits, and. indeed, since that day, spirit
ualism has greatly fourished in that place
There are two mediums there one mate
rallies Mr.. and Mrs. Ebenezer Babcock
20 to all the public seances. They are
great believers as Mrs. Babcock often
says-they have had proof.-Mdry Kyle