Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-02-12
"Thon," cried I. "that's what Peter

how given 'em the Slip" said Mrs.
Gludge-''an English gentleman from
Montreal, as has only been there a few
days. Nobody knows just how it hap
pened, but happen it did. My mans
gone over with lantern TO help hunt
for him; so has Peter"
"Hc might have told me-" / cried in
dignantly.
anyway, don't think he ought to
have left you here alone" said Mrs.
Gludge, severely.
''But you've come to stay with me,
Mrs. Gludge2"
"Bless your heart, Miss Ruth, no!
I'm on my way to carry IL letter to MIR.
Romncy's, up the road-a very important
letter, with lin haste writ on it." (For
i'll addition to her duties as farmers
wife, and mother of large family of
little children, Mrs. Gludge helped her
husband in the care of the obscure little
country postoilice mile down the road.
"And-by the way I'd nearly forgot it
I've got letter for you, too. That's
what brought mo here"
''For me-" Mrs. Gludge2'
Instinctively put out my hand to
grasp the treasure, while the woman
fumblcd first in one and then in another
of her pockets.
"It's very strange" said she, s'I
made sure had it. did have it when
l started away from home; but now
remember. Just at the foot of Gibbs
Cliff took out my handkerchief to tic
around my neck, the wind came so keen
around the rocks, and must a-pulled it
out with that, and everything too pitch
dark around me to see. Oh, Miss Ruth,
Pm so sorry! Please don't report me,
there's n good young lady, or 1 shall
lose my place"
l swallowed down great lump of dis
comfture in my throat and tried to
laugh.
"Rcport you, Mrs. Gludgc9" said I.
"Of course not. 1t wasn't your fault.
If you hadn't kindly thought of me,
and started to bring it OH your way to
Romncy's, you never would have lost
it,"
"And quite true" said Mrs. Gludee,
rucfully, "but, all the same, wish /
hadn't been so thoughless. I'll send
the boys out to look for it just as
ooh, never mind the letter." l inter
rupted, 81 dare say it's only from Jack.
Tomorrow morning will do very we'll
for that. But Mrs. G.udge you'll come
back and stay with me till Peter gets
back? Jean is away you know, and"
- ayes, my dear, I'll do that" asscntcd
the woman, evidently relieved, to be let
of so easily on the score of the letter.
"And it won't be long first. It's only n
short half mile to Romney's if the wind
didn't blow so like all possessed"
With Il good-humored nod she disap-
pcarcd into the rain and darkness, aud
ran back to pile fresh logs on the
waning fire. Bank burglars, extradited
wanderers, II lunatic at largc-with all
these possibilities whirling in my brain
it not strange that I lighted second
lamp in order elfcctually to Danish all
lurking shadows from the angles of the
room, and started nervously when n
sudden blast of wind shook the window
shutters rs if with some imperious hand.
"I'll go up to the garnet and bring
down some butter nuts" thought 1. "It
vii. be fun to crack the buttcr-n nuts and
watch the shells blaze in the fire, and
Mrs. Gludgc will like drink of cider
when she comes back all wet and chill"
Chcercd by this happy thought,
caught up lamp and flew to the garnet
of the roomy old house where my father
had bestowed all the nutty treasures of
the autumn woods. Somehow Priscilla,
the cat, had got locked into the garnet,
and | had to release her from durance
vile, and replace a box or two which she
had Knocked oil from the window sill,
before | came down, driving her catship
before me, with the lamp In one hand
and IN apronful of butternuts in the
other. Through the open keeping room
door strcamcd II ray of Iuddy light into
the Cimmerian darkness Of the hall. l
stopped abruptly. Surely had closed
that door when came out, remembering
4 certain trick it had of slamming to and
fro in windy weather like this And at
the same time curious consciousness of
some human presence near by crept over
me like an unseen magnetic current.
Nor was it II false premonition. Ash
stretched my neck to peep cautiously
into the room saw seated before the
fire geutlcman-a youngish gentleman
pale, black haired, and, as thought,
rather unsettled of aspect. And de-
cidedly wet and mud-bcspattcrcd gen.
tlcman, whose raimcnt steamed in the
glorious blaze and cracklc of the pine
logs, as he sat there holding out his
hands to the genial warmth.
How had he gained an cntrancc2 Had
carelessly neglected to bolt the big
door after Mrs. Gludgc's dcparturc9 Yes,
must have done so-.and that was n
proof of how utterly unfit was to be
left by myself. For second I stood
there quailing and quaking, my heart
humping like Il trip-hammcr and n cold
sweat breaking out upon my forehead,
before decided what to do.
had never seen II bank burglar, to
bc sure, but was pretty certain this
gentleman could not belong to that race.
And 1 did not think he acted like any
other scoundrcl who was fleeing from
the rigors of the law. He must be the
English gentleman gone wrong in his