Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-01-25
The Cavaliers Escape.

Ny Aunt Augusta Wilberforce lived
IN a 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 a delightful place to visit,
and particularly for child Of dreamy
szEzd imaginative temperament, it's at
fractions were endless.
The garden, with it's box-edged
and the house, where everything dat
ed past one generation after another,
had equal charms for me.
Aunt Augusta lived entirely in the
past; the friends she had lost long
years before lived for her still. I used
20 think she took more comfort with
them than many people DO with their
living ones.
Her walls were hung with portraits
and some really fine paintings. Among
them was one of which I was particu-
Iarly fond, called ''The Cavaliers
Escape
A handsome young man in slashed
G1oublet and long purple hose was
creeping up the stone steps, from a
gloomy dungeon, past his sleeping
TRile-- His boots with their long shin
Ing spurs he carried under his arm,
and a beautiful maiden waited for him
at the top of the shadowy stairs, with
tie great castle key in one slender
hand, while the other was lifted warn
ingly, her frightened eyes fixed on
the jailer's unconscious face.
KSpeak 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, I have never been able to get
over the idea that once 1 saw his face.
Bat I'll tell you how it happened.
4 was paying my usual visit to my
aunt, and spending my time very
satisfactorily to myself i'll reading and
dreaming. | was thirteen years old,
and considered by my friends to poss
sss more imagination than was alto
gether good for me.
But on the particular day of which
L am telling you my meditations were
interrupted by one Of the neighbors,
who came in to beg my Aunt Augusta
80 allow her to examine my great
zrandmoth wedding dress. Her
daughter was going to take part in
some tableauX and wanted an inspi
ration for her costume.
The wonderful gowns that my aunt
kept hidden away in the dark recess
ss Of the "spare-room" wardrobe [
looked upon with delight and awe, on
the rare occasion when she would al
low NE peep at these treasures. But
I was never permitted to touch any
of them, though it was the desire of
my life to see myself arrayed in my
great-grandmothe wedding dress.
The very mention of such a thing
would have caused Aunt Augusta 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 give me the keys to put back in
her desk, while she accompanied her
guest down stairs.
Twas obediently on my way to her
room, when something Mrs. Wood
fern was saying caught my ear.
-eThree houses have been entered
already, Miss 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 Augusta
answered as they passed out of sight;
but / felt that must hear the account
Mrs Woodfern was giving of the
Burglars desperate deeds, SO I drop
ped the keys in my pocket and hur-
ned down, meaning to come up at
once and take care of them after Mrs.
Noodfern had gone.
There was full moon that night
1t Streamed into all the windows and
lighted up the rooms with its splen
dor Aunt Augusta went to bed early
with a headache, and ] wandered
shout the house by myself, INDUCING
IL fancies of the widest nature.
The voortraitS looked al, mo SOlamn1v