Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-20


class and your carpet. assure you,
however. that nothing of the kind "ouio
have happened but for that orugseu
wine. which doubtless was intended iof
medicine and not beverage' Du'
wearv and chilled as we were when we
arrived. madam, we were glad 10 par
take of it, supposing it ordinary wine;
Icould not help showing little pride
at the success of my scheme.
| ssThe refreshment was intended LOT
| fellows of your class, and am very glad
you accepted it," =,
The tall man did not answer me, but
he again addressed my wife:
.sMadam," he said, ''if you ladies'
would remain and listen to me lew
moments, am sure would make you
| aware that there is much to extenuate
tho annarent offense which / have COM
mitted tonight"
NY wife did not answer him put turn-
ing to me said, smiling: IF he aliudes
to their drinking your wine" she SAID
che need not apologize.
The man looked at her with an express
sion as If her words had panied him.
"Madam," he said, 'if you consent to
listen to my explanations and the story
of.this affair, / am sure your feelings
toward me would not be so harsh"
Snow, then," said my Aunt Martha,
eff he has story to tell he ought to be
allowed to tell it, eveh in case like
this. Nobody should bs judged until he
has said what he thinks 30 ought to say.
Let us hear his story"
/ laughed. ''Any statement he may
make" said, twill prohsbly deserve
much stronger name than ssories."
81 think that what you say is true, !"
remarked my wife; "but stssl, If he has
a story to tell / should like ~ hear it. :"
think / heard David gt~a little
grunt, but he was too well bgsS to say
any thing.
every WE'LL" said /, ''if you choose
to sit up and hear him talk it IL -FOUR
affair. l shall be obliged to rekAain
here any way, and will not object TO sny
thing that will help to pass away s'he
time. But these men must not be the
only ones who are seated. David, you
and Alice can clear away that broken
table and the rest of the stuff, and tsen
we might as well sit down and make
ourselves comfortable"
Alice, with cloth and brush, APP
preached very timidly the scene OF the
disaster, but the younger burglss who
was nearest to her, gazed upon her xith
such gentle and quiet air that shs aid
not seem to be frightened. When che
and David had put the room in fair
order placed two easy chairs for my
wife and Aunt Mcrtha at a moderate
distance from the burglars, and took
another myself little nearer to them,
and then told David to seat himself
near the other end of the bench, and
Alice took chair at a little distance
from the ladies.
"Now, then, said Aunt Martha, to the
burglars, ~ would like very much TO
hear what any one of you can say in ex-
tenuation of having broken into Q
gentleman's house by night"
Without hesitation the tall man be-
gan his speech. He had long and
rather lean, close-shaven face, which at
present bore the expression of an
undertaken conducting funeraH Al
though it was my aunt who had shown
the greatest desire to hear his story, he
himself to my wife. l think
he imagined that she was the more in
auential person of the two.
Madam" said he, 81 am glad of the
of giving you and your fam
lily an idea of the difficulties and mis-
cries which beset large class of your
of whom you seldom have
any chance Of knowing any thing at all,
but of whom you hear all sorts of the
most misleading accounts. Now, l am
a poor man. l have suffered the greatest
that poverty can inflict. l am
here, suspected of having committed q
crime. 1t is possible that may be put
to considerable difficulty and expense in
proving my innocence"
81 shouldn't wonder" l interrupted.
To this remark he paid no attention.
Considering all this" he continued,
you may not suppose, madam, that as
a boy was brought up most respect
ably and properly. My mother was q
religious woman, and my father was .
oOdb Dulluer. was sent TO Scn0Ol, ana /
my mother has often told me that was
! good scholar. But she died when / |
vas about sixteen, and l am sure, had |
his not happened, should never have
been even suspected of breaking the
avs OF my country. Not long after
Ter death my father appeared to lose
interest in his business and took to
owing about the river instead of build
ng boats for other people to row. Very
'ften he went out at night, and l used
o wonder why he should care to be on
he water in the darkness, and some
lines in the rain. One evening at sun
yer he said to me: Thomas, you ought
o know how to row in the dark as we'll
S in the daytime. am going up the
liver tonight and you can come With
ne.'
ut was about my ordinary bedtime
fhen we took boat with two pair Of
srs, and we pulled up the river about
hree miles above the city"
what city?" / asked.