News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-05-07
The Cavaliers Escape.
BY BESSIE MORGAN.

My Aunt Augusta Wilberforce lived
in little New England town on the
seacOast. Her house, standing well
back from the street and surrounded
by magnificent elms, was one of the
Oldest and most aristocratic in the
village
1t was delightful place to visit,
and, particularly for a child Of
dreamy aid imaginative tempera-
ment, its attractions were endless.
The garden, with its box-edged
walks and old-fashioned flower beds,
and the house, where everything da-
ted past one generation after anoth-
er, had equal charms for me.
Aunt Augusta lived entirely in the
past; the friends she had lost long
years before lived for her still. |
used to think she took more comfort
with them than many people do with
their living ones.
Her walls were hung with por-
traits and some really fine paint
ings. Among them was one of which
| was particularly fond, called "The
Cavaliers Escape"
A handsome young man in slashed
doublet and long purple hose was
creeping up the stone steps, from a
gloomy dungeon, past his sleeping
jailer. His boots with their long
shining spurs he carried under his
arm, and a beautiful maiden waited
for him at the top of the shadowy
stairs, with the great castle key in
one slender hand. while the other
was lifted warningly, her frightened
eyes fixed on the jailer's unconscious
face.
l speak of the cavalier as young and
handsome, though, truth to tell,
only the back of his head, with his
long. auburn lOve-lOcks, was visible
in the picture; but Notwithstanding
this fact, | have never been aDle TO
oet over the idea that once l saw his
face. But I'll tell you how it hap
pened.
Twas paying my usual summer
visit to my aunt, and spending my
time very satisfactorily to myself in
reading and dreaming. L was thlr-
teen years old, and considered by my
friends to possess more imagination
than was altogether good for me.
But On the particular day of which
| am telling you my meditations
were interrupted by one of the neigh
bors, who came in to beg my Aunt
Augusta to allow her to examine my
great-grandmother's wedding dress.
Her daughter was going to take part
in some tableauX and wanted an in
spiration for her costume.
The wonderful gowns that nv
aunt kept hidden away in the dark
recesses of the 'spare-room ward
robe | looked upon with delight and
awe, on the rare occasions when she
would allow me peep at these treas
ures. But | was never permitted to
touch any of them, though it was the
desire of my life to see myselfarrayed
in my great-grandmOther's wedding
dress. The very mention of such a,
thing would have caused Aunt Au-
gusta to faint with horror.
After Mrs. WOodfern had gazed
and admired to her satisfaction my
aunt folded the beautiful satin and
lace, locked them away again out of
sight, and gave me the keys to put
back in her desk, while she accom-
panied her guest downstairs.
| was obediently on my way to her
room, when something Mrs. Wood
fern was saying caught my ear.
"Three houses have been entered
already, Mrs. Wilberforce. Do you
think it is safe for you here, with no
man to call in for protection? You
have SO many valuable things to at
tract a burglar. "
81 am not nervous, Aunt Angus
ia answered as they passed out of
sight; but | felt | must hear the ac-
count Mrs. Woodfern was giving of
the burglars daring deeds, so Idrop-
ped the keys in my pocket and hur-
ried down, meaning to come up at
once and take care of them after Mrs.
WOodfern was gone.
There was a full moon that night
1t streamed into all the windows and
lighted up the rooms with it's splen-
dor. Aunt Augusta went to bed ear
ly with headache, and | wandered
about the house by myself, indulging
in fancies of the widest nature.
The portraits looked at me solemn
ly from the walls, and | thought of
Hans Andersen's stories, and wished
they would come down and talk to
me. How delightful it would be to
see all the stately ladies and gentle
men walking about in the moon
light ! But perhaps they were only
waiting for me to be out of the way.
| was standing before my great
grandmother portrait, when | re-
membered the keys in my pocket
could try that wedding-dress on then
and no one would be the wiser!
would not hurt it; there was no rea-
son why any one should mind.
Noiselessly | crept upstairs to the
big front room, that also was flood
ed with moonlight had forgotten
the blinds with the keys.
Closing the door softly behind me
| crossed the floor on tiptOe and un-
locked the great wardrObe's doors
holding my breath at my own dar.
ing, bat in a few minutes there
stood, in the shining satin, with the
beautiful old lace veil falling like a
mist around me.
1t really was wonderful how it all
fitted me, even the little satin shoes
with the great paste buckles, that
shone like diamonds of the purest
water
walked into the moonlight anC
looked down at myself. Oh, what &
pity no one could see. Even | cOulC
only get half a glimpse at the glo
ries of my costume.
If only | dared go downstairs, th'
long mirror between the windows il
the parlor would be what wanted.
No sooner said than done. A spir
it of adventure was alive in my hear
and with my trnin over NV arm