Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-07-04

he could be found.
There were several days of grave anx-
iety foF-the family and much excitement
and sympathy among the neighbors.
Then for a time all danger was over and
Mr.. Melville, pale, broken and aged,
was seen driving about again. But it
was known that the family doctor, sum-
mone1 by telegraph at the time of his
seizure, had said that his life depended
upon an equable quiet routine. Any
sudden event or shock might be fatal to
him.
For dozen years the great social event
of the summer in Snowden had been a
lawn party and evening dance at Melville
Court, given always on the Fourth of
July. Mr.. Ielviile enjoyed overwhelm-
ing his country neighbors with his mag
nifcence; so no expense was spared on
music, refreshments, decorations and
fireworks. And even now, while he was
only a pale shadow of himself, he in
sisted on preparing for the usual enter
tainment.
The only house of any pretension in
the whole pretty village, where cards
were not left, was Mrs. Eiy's. Grace
Melville had run in at dusk one night to
make hurried protestation of her own and
her mother S innocence of the omission,
and to tell her dear Lefty of Jacks grief
and rage which had to be restrained be-
cause of their fathers critical condition.
1t was clear, balmy Fourth of July.
Screened by the luxuriant vines which
yelled the parlor window, Lefty sadly
watched the guests go by, their faces
bright with the promise Of pleasure In
which she could have no share.
Night fell darkly, with no light but
the soft CLEAN of stars. The fireworks
would have superb setting of blackness.
Heavy foliaged, low growing trees, form
ing what the neighbors had always called
The Grove, covered that part of Melville
Court which touched the widows gar
den. Creeping after wight fall under the
dense shadow, Lefty stood with black
water proof thrown around her to OBJ
scure her white dress, and watched the
preparations for grand pyrotechnic dis
play The music of the band at first pre-
vented her hearing any other sounds, but
when it ceased, and the dancers poured
out of the hall door to join the guests
who were crowded on the terraces to
watch the fireworks, she was conscious of
voices whispering very near. Without
the aid of her eyes she knew that James,
the new butler, was one of the speakers.
Remember" he was saying hurried
ly. "you are not to let yourselves into the
little side door till you see that light go
out in that diamond shaped window on
the third floor. Keep your eyes on that,
mind"
can after we's got ourselves inter de
house, how's we goin' to be sure we
don't run into nobody?" said a brutal
voice.
''Because the moment the first fire
cracker pops there won't be a living sin
ner from cellar to garnet that won't run
out to see the fun, that is, except Mr..
Melville. He amt near as well as he
thought he'd be. Everybody thinks he's
in the crowd somewheres, but I've just
helped him into bed, an must run back
to stay within call. Here's the key Of the
Missus's closet in the dressing room an
the key of Gracie's bureau. But you re
not to go near the Squire, it'll be killing
if you do, for shock will be his death. "
Then James hurried off, and Lefty
listened petrifed to a conversation which
showed that the two men near by were
quite aware that the Squirrels room, from
which they were warned, contained much
the most promising booty, and were not
to be deferred from entering it by any
consideration for his life. On the con-
trary they planned to surprise and
threaten him with their pistols, if he did
not surrender to them certain bonds they
believed to be IN his private safe.
"Never, under any circumstances,
shall Lefty Ely enter here again." was
the sentence the Squire had pronounced
in reply to Grace's intercession for her
brothers sake, and now the words were
wildly present to Lefty as she stole
away from the grove and skirting the
fence to the right, fastened with the
speed of deer to the house. She en-
tered into the hall by the back way, few
up the stairs, ran along the halls and
into Grace's room. 1t was empty, so was
her mothers sitting room beyond.
A quick step sounded in the distance.
1t was James gong down the stairs. He
had been up to darken the diamond win
dow. From behind the portiere she
watched till he disappeared.
She fingered uncertainty, hardly know
ing what to do next. Should she run
down stairs again and out on the lawn
to summon help? Perhaps even in the
time she was gone the Squire's room
x,-D,,II no 1,~-oln3 of
make herself decide on some plan of &C