Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-03-14

"aOo-Y oSNos 49, oeaAo i ClkAs
Then, why do you not ask DIrs.
Ciristall boldly to let you gol" ques.
toned.
Thoy looked blankly at ono another
and before they could answer. Mrs.
Hood, the housckeepor. came in, aud
a signal for silence was passed around.
Friday night wecSi" It came before
wo knew it. almost. Dir. and Mrs.
Christal went to the Charity Ball, tho
latter so snpcrbl5 dressed that tho ser
wants gathered in littlo group behind
the buffers pantry door to see her go
out in her diam ,nis aud pink silk. Old
John, the elder coacaman, was to wait
Mt S!ington station TO bring them back
at 3 o'cloc!l-tho other coachman,
Thompson, was in league with Vcron-
que and her friends, and was to harness
up tho wag 'nette rs soon "a the coast
was fairly clear for Vcioaique, Hatty,
Julia and Felix.
"And Lofty might go. too, if she
only would" said IIatty, rcproach-
fully.
81 don't think it, right" sad l.
Mrs. Hood had gone to SEQ her
daughter ut Slipgton, leaving the house
in Julia's charge, for Julia had been
there some time aad WAS regarded as
quite trustworthy; tho old butlcr always
went to bed at nine; so that whca the
wagonetto was OF l was the only per-
son left about tho placo. Anl 1 had
hardly seated myself by the fire with
ne.dlcworls before there clm, a tap at
tho door.
started. for l was nervous and
easily frightened. and the house seemed
unnaturally large and Lonesome in the
quiet evening silence. 1t was little
boy-a stultcl, big eyed creature
whom did not rem ,mbcr TO have seen
in the ncighborhood before.
''Arc you Lefty L2e" lie askcl.
Yes" ans wcrcd, in surprise.
'It's your mother, said he. She's
fell on the ice and broke her log. She
wants you right of. -
"IIow did it happen" criel burst
ing into tears. "Who told youl"
II can't say sail HI. "Thoy vc
sent me for doctor, aai amt to de-
lay II second
And oil he send lei, his small figure
seeming 20 lose itself in the black
masses of evergreen on the lawn.
VIA. was to do2 knew that
Johnson, the butler, slept like log of
wood, and there was no one else about
tho house.
II can just run down home and be
back in huff IN hour. thought I. So
| locked the door, saw that the fire wis
all right, and started off across the dark
copsei AMI frozen feds.
At the mill saw a light burning, and
stopped to inquire OF old NJ Dlwsoa,
whose wife was our nearest neighbor, M
to the extent of tho accident.
as mother much hurtF sill |. He
looked amaz,l. aad p.occc led to cx-
plain myacif IN ,re fully.
''Thcy sc foole you. my GIRL" said
he. ''lve just como from thcro-and
your mother AZ well anI sound as
ever She was il her i;fs."
A sudden light seemed to fash across
me. Something WAS wrong. There
was some u ler- curren. of m,ic Gus
purpose hidden under ali thi, tissue of
falschood. And saw in the cycs of
Harry Dawson, the NJ Hers tall son,
WHO stood beside me, tina. lie, too,
shared my ideas.
Father" sad he, call INIT right.
Call the Ford ials. Let Us go up to
Chri'talI Court with Lofty
"El'" said Mr. Dawson. ..You
don't suspect"
Il don't know what I do suspect,
father. said Hurry. hu7r ;cl!y button in g
his coat. "But know all isn't rs it
should be-"
We came up to the Court. a little
band of us, in the frozen silence of the
winter night, and founl tina. it was as
Harry Dawson had suspected. Christall
Court was in the possession of three
men whose tools, scattered around, pro
claimed them to be professional burg
lars, while til, poor old butler, fast
asleep at the top of the house, mover
dreamed that aught wa, nmiss But,
expert as were these thieves, the sturdy
strength and superior numbers of our
parry were too much for them. They
were ovcrpowcred aad bound-and
when the wagonctto came home with
its loal of cross and sleepy servants,
- al.