News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-01-07
Ruth's Fright.

RutnS Frlgnt.
1t was on the fifth day ofNovember
-"Guy Fawkes Day" in the old al
manac that hung above the mantel
in my maternal grandmothe~'s long
dlsuSed room up stairs. In this
northern home to which we had re-
Gently removed, falling heirs to it
through that very ancestress' will,
the dwellers regarded November rath-
er as a winter than an autumn
month, and to-day the wind howled
and the rain pattered with a persis-
tence marvellous to behold.
And, as it happened, | was all alone
in the house. Father had gone to
take his russell apples to market-the
apples that | myself had helped to
harvest and pack into the barrels
and was not expected home until to-
morrow night at the earliest Jack,
my brother, was in Montreal, fitting
up the law office which was hencefor-
ward to be his abode. Jean, our hard
featured, cross-grained old servant,
had gone home with the ''rheumatics"
as she termed it, to be treated by
certain ancient Indian herb doctor;
and just at dust-fall Peter, our "use-
full man." had thrust his shock head
unceremoniously at the door.
81 say, Miss Ruth" he had said,
there's plenty of wood, and every
things all snug for the night, and Pm
goin' over to Stephenson's. They're
in trouble there
Trouble, Peter? What kind of
trouble? Is the old man sick?"
But in answer to my query Peter
only uttered an nindistinctr remark and
went out, slamming the door behind
him.
/ stood in front of the fire, looking
down at the glowing embers and pom
dering within myself The Stephen
sons, who lived in an old gray-stOne
house on the other side of the pre-
cipitous glen, had always been rid
die to me. The family was small, con-
sisting only of a grabbed old man,
his silent wife and two tall ungainly
sons; and what on earth they did
with all the big echOing rooms, or
how they contrived to live, perched
like eaglets on the side of the rock, |
could not form the least idea. 'City
boarGers," Peter had once grunted
out in answer to my persistent inter
rogations. But if they kept city
bOarders why did they not leave the
dreary mountain Businesses when the
leaves fell and the dismal autumn fOgs
gathered above the cliffs? AltogAth-
er, there was a certain atmosphere of
mystery about these "Stephensons"
that aroused all the Eve like instincts
of my nature.
While | stood thinking, a soft tap
sounded at the door. l opened it at
once, never once remembering that |
was alone in the house.
"Ye never oughter'd do that, Miss
Ruth" said the well-known accents of
Mrs. Gludge, farmer Gludge's buxOm
wife.
"Do what, Mrs. Gludge?"
"Open the door after dark, when
you're alone in the house, without
askin' who's there"
"What of Stephenson's?" l cried
| ed06ElN. w nO 10 hClC CpiChSOAi5 bhO
way? Do tell me, Mrs Gludge."
'Wen [ declare! said Mrs. Gludge.
"Is it possible now, that they hahn t
told your
"They have told me nothing" said
"Well, it's likely they didn't want
to scare you or make you nervous,
said Mrs. Gludge. "But, all the same
/ think you'd oughter know"
Chow did you know | was alone in
the house,"
81 just met Peter goin' to Stephen
sons"
"OhI" said l. "But we don't have
tramps here, Mrs. Gludge."
"I'm not so certain o. that" said
the farmers wife. "Your folks hain't
lived here as long as have. We're
Just nigh enough to Canada line to
have queer characters prowling about
when we least expect 'em. And then,
there's Stephenson's."
"Mrs. Gludge," cried |, seizing her
arm, "what is it? Do tell mel"
'It's II private hOme," said Mrs.
Gludge, lowering her voice to a whis-
per, as though the rain drops and the
rustling fir boughs could overhear.
"a what?" gasped.
For people of feeble mind" u" ex-
planned the woman, land lunies, "
tapping her forehead us she spoke.
| stared at her
"Then,'' cried |, "that's what Peter
meant when he said that-that-''
cone of the poor creatures has some
how given 'em the slip" said Mrs.
GIudg ge-" an English gentlemanfrom
Montreal as has only been there a
few days. Nobody knows just how it
happened, but happen it did. My
mans gone over with lantern to
help hunt for him; so has Peter"
"He might have told me !" | cried,
Indignantly.
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. Gludge?'
"Bless your heart, Miss Ruth, no
4 I'm on my way to carry a letter to
Mr.. Romney's, up the road-a very
important letter, with, in haste writ
on it," (For in addition to her du-
ties as a farmers wife, and mother OF
a large family of little children, Mrs.
Gludge helped her husband in the care
of the obscure little country post-of.
flee a mile down the road) "And by
the way, I'd nearly forgot It'll have a
letter for you, too. That's what
brought me here"
For me, Mrs. Gludge?"
Instinctively put out my hand tC
grasp the treasure, while the woman
tumbled first in one and then in an.
other of her pockets
Otis very StranUnn y said she 81