Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-04

FOR denying me every childish pleasure,
and trying TO make my mother bring me
up by his own iron rules. And with this
hatred was The Knowledge that when he
died would have all his money. He had
n supcrstitious horror Of making his will,
believing that it would be followed Ivy his
death, and | was his only hcir-it- law.
lie made no secret Of this himself, but
delighted to taunt me with hi: robust
health and my sickly weakness, and tell
Inc woud never live ospcnd hi; money.
much us | might desire it.
lie had been particularly savage on that
poin; one Friday evening in December,
when he had returned from Stockton To
find me lying on Il sofa with nervous
headache. lie s;loo., the tin box in
which he had his money in my face.
and told me that ! would never spend
il. Is his life WAS worth Ten of mine
Lying there with your pas:y, white
face he crowded, ''ani eyes like goose
berries nice subSt;ut' you are for
my sea-, Youarc not worth your uncra!
expenses"
Something had made him more i'll
tempered than usual even. and he kent
mp II rmnih. lire all The evening of try
ing speeches. scol'iin" my mother for
waste and extravaganza, threatening to
cnt down the mcnerc housekeeping al
lowancc still lower: swearing ut me fora
wrctchcj, sickly mite, not worth my salt
1t WAS II miserable three hours. and at
ten o'clock, when he went TO bed,
mo,hcrnnd cuddlcd into each Others
arms and had good cry
II WIS bitter cold night. and was
c'irlcd up i'll ii nest Of shawls in II WARM
room, and gave II little shuddc~ u. the
prospect of the icy-cod chamber and
sheets abovc ,,S. Mother noticed it.
"SuppoSc you stay here" she said
II will come down in the morning be
!orc your grandfather is awake and call
you; and YOU are so comfortable you
will soon fall asleep"
Stay there! Stay alone, with that hor-
ribic clock in the room, all night /.
who had never slept alone in all nv life
And vet, ii was so cold un stairs, and my
nest SO dcliciou.ly comfortable The
p!iysi'"l sense conquered, and saw my
mother depart with the candle, for We
cared not have light left burning. |
tried to sleep in vain. The clock licked
as if every stroke was made wiia ham
mcr on my brain; ,hc durkncas was in
tense. and suddenly heard stcallhv steps
IN The ball. The climax was 100 much
Tor my strained nerves, and sprang 10
Inc donI oil The dining; room, forgetting
hat il WAS always locked IT night, and
hc key i'll my grandfathcrS room. No
ciiancc of Il stolen crust in that house.
y hand ON the hall door drove me
nearly irartic, and with The instinct of
conccalmcnt only, opcnc, The clock ease
and curlcd down The door. hoidn. the
pendulum fast in my shaking hands. The
door opened, and the steps came into the
room. Darkness all around us. and my
terror of burglars almost an insanity, my
'itnniion may he imagined.
Giles not asleep yet, Il voice said and
Ancw the speaker WAS our man servant,
Robert. lie always sits up u FRIDAY
night 10 count the money aud sort il
ont.
Sure hes got it," said a strange
voice.
sure OF course I'm sure. Don't
drive him over every Friday Of his
blessed life TO draw il OF, % bank"
we can get il now, then. Ii we knock
him on the head, there's only Il lot o.
women in the house"
No, said Robert. Gwen get the
money, but Im moi harkcrin' for a r.,rr
round my throat yet. Wen wait awhile. ="
LETS 50 outside and see if the light
is burning in his room yet"
Creeping softly, 4lowly they crossed The
hall +" the kitchen. and | lay almoS. I'M
4 conscious, too much terrified To move. 1t
q was some minute, Ia;cr when li..ht
came across the room. striking the gins,
of the clockfacc, and heard my grand
father say:
"l;'m! | WA mistakcn! | thought
onl., one of EN- went To he'd. That brat
is co,ldIcd 10 death. Sleeping down
here ncXt!'
He pokcd about awhile, stirred up the
shawl, on the sofa and went OIL having
passed the entire timc in mu,tcring abuse
oi my mother aud myself
Let them steal his money ~ thought.
i'll guilty delight. ''l.ct them knock
him on The head. Serves him rightv
Then in the darkness I seemed to see
him with Il great gaping wound in hi,
gray hair, and the blond streaming down
his face. Would | he hung, too, if the
men killed him! ] would have all his
money!
1t was terrible was il not.-for IL
child 10 hesitate, but did; and when |
crcpt on, of the clock ease and went
softly up the stairs, fingered, hall re-
solved to go TO my mother and let the
robbers do their worst.
My timid knock was answered by a
snarling permission to enter. Before the
torrent OF abuse saw preparing was
uttered, | said:
Grandfather, Robert and another
man arc down stairs, waiting for you ia
90 TO sleep to steal your money and Kill
YOU"
A grim look came into his face.
D "rhnt's nice ic!" he said.
1T is true! They came into the sit
Ting room, and | was getting warm
They did moi see me, and they said the,
would wait till you were asleep, bccaus,