Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-04-17

and hnd consoled herself by reading
Baxter's Saints Rest" by her night
Hight, for the canary became restless and
liable TO sudden bursts of song II acandls
were lighted. While 80 engaged abe be-
came aware of n subdued grating sound,
which had continued for some time be-
lore she began to speculate upon IL.
While she was speculating 1t ceased, and
after n short interval che distinctly
heard Il stoalthy etep upon the stair, md
the handle OF the passage door before
mentioned was gently, very gently,
turned.
Jane has Some Of that quickness OF
perception which has beon Of such use
to myself through life. In moment
she had grasped the situation. Some
one was In the house. In another mo-
ment she was hanging out Of her bed
room window, spriuging the policeman's
rattle which she had had by her for
years with q view to an emergency Of
tl.is kind, and at the same time-for she
was capable wonan--blowing pierre
ing strain on n claimants whistle.
To mako Il long story short, her extra
ordinary presence Of mind was the saw
ing Of u.s. With her own eyes she saw
$50 dark figures fly up our area steps
and disappear round the corner, and
| when n policeman appeared on the scene
| half an hour Later lie confirmed the fact
| that the house had boen broken into 10y
| showing Us how an entrance had been
effected through the kitchen window
There was Of course no more sleep for
Us that night, and the remainder Of 1t
was passed by Jane in examining the
house from top to bottom every half
/ hour OF SO, owing to a rooted conviction
/ on her part that burglar nigh, still be
/ lurking on the premises, concealed in
/ tho cellarette, or the jam cupboard, or
behind the drawing room curtGin5.
BY that morning'5 post | heard, as l
expected ! should do, from Sir George
| Dauvers, but the contents Of the letter
SURPRISED me. lie wrote most cordially,
thanking me for my kindness in under
| taking such heavy responsibility Il am
sure never felt it to be so for an entire
stranger, and ended by sending me a
pre-. sing invitation to come down to
Stoke Moreton that very day, that he and
]
ing with them, might have the pleasure
Of making the acquaintance Of one 10
whom they were 80 much indebted Re
added that his eldest son Charles was also
going down from London By d certain
train that day, and that he had told him
TO be 90 the lookout for me at the sta
ton in case ! was able to come at such
short notice. Iinade up my mind to go,
sent 6ir George u telegram to that effect
and proceeded to fish up the jewels out
OF the tea cadly.
Jane, who had never ceased for one
instant TO comment on the event Of the
night, positively shrieked when she saw
Inc ha-inS the bag free from tea leaves,
Good gracious! the burglarsH' she ex-
claimed. why, they might have taken
them if they had only known"
OF course they had not known, as I
had been particularly secret about themi
but wished all the same that l had not
left them there all night, as Jane would
in8ist and continue insisting, that they
had been exposed to great danger
argued the matter with her at first, but
women. find, are imperyious, as q rule,
=
take TO reason with them. 1t is in fact,
putting the sexes for the moment on an
equality to which the weaker one is IN
accustomed and consequently unsuited.
y few hours later I was rolling swiftly
toward Stoke Moreton in comfortable
smoking carriage, only occu lied by my
self and Mr.. Charles Danv us, hand
some young fellow with Q pnle face and
that peculiar tired MAJ ner which
Though. as l soon found, natural to HIM
Is so often affected by the young men Of
tic day.
and SO Ralph has come in for a
legacy in diamonds" lie said, listlessly,
when we had exchanged the usual civil
ties and had become 10 certain degree
acquainted. Dear mel how these good,
steady young men prosper in tho world,
When last heard from him he he'd pre-
vailed upon tho one perfect woman in
the universe TO oopsent to marry him,
aud his aunt (by the way, you will meet
her there, too---Lady Mary Cunning
Aau) had InurTlured something vague
but gratifying about testamentary in
tentions A week later Providence fills
LII DlluLuliS cup Win u IcB1Ny "
jewels, estimated at"- Charles opened
his Light, sleepy eyes wide and looked
inqulrlngiy at mo. what ore they est
mated at" be asked, as l did not an
sver.
really had no jdoa, but 1 shrugged
my shoulders and looked wise.
"11stilnated at a fabulous gum, he said,
closing his eyes again. "Ahl had they
beon mins with what joyful alacrity
should hnvo asoertalnod their exact
money value, And mine they ought TO
have bea1 if tho sacred law Of primo
geuitrre chat special providence which
watches over the interests OF eldest sons
had been Only observed. Sir John had
not tho pleasure Of my acquaintance,
but fear he must have heard some re-
ports--no doubt entirely without founda-
tion---respocttng my career. which in
duced him to pass Inc over In this man
nor, What amorall Ny father and my
Aunt Mary arc always dehcately point
ing out the difference between Ralph