The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-10-21

saying something in a whisper that made
her face whiten.
CHANGING into the parlor as l passed,
after seeing Dunkirk out, l saw Miss
Bonange standing as he had left her,
hands clasped behind her, and her beau
tiful face expressive of hopelessness
and despair that smote me to the soul.
The look gave impetus to a half
formed, altogether wild scheme had in
my brain. In my chamber l fastened
to lock the door and change my light
clothes for dark ones. | adjusted o
plain mask to my face, selected from
several old hats the most battered, took
tolerably stout walking stick in my
hand, and, swinging myself down from
my window outside that the household
might not discover my absence, set forth.
By taking short cut, which was
sure could not be known to Richard
Dunkirk, Esq, reached a certain lonely
spot, as hoped, before him. He came
in sight presently, sauntering along in
the moonlight; waited and wondered
if Richard Dunkirk, Esq, was the cow
dru L UOOk MIN 10 DO.
Just as he came opposite me leveled
my walking stick, resting it as would
musket across a convenient stump,
while l called in as deep voice as l
could muster:
"Halt for your life!"
Mr.. Dunkirk muttered an oath, but he
stopped stock still in the path, with a
"What is it you want, fellow"
"Step there into that strip of moon
light. Be so good as to deposit the con-
tents Of your pockets upon the ground"
He hesitated, but shifted my walk
ing stick slightly, intimated that was
in no humor for tritling, and he pro-
ceeded to obey me.
There We're knife, watch case, a sill
yer toothpick, few loose coins, a
shrunken pocketbook and collapsed
purse, and there he stopped.
"That is not ALL" said sharply.
With groan he took out small par
eel.
"All, upon my honor, but this, which
cannot possibly be of any value to any
one but me; they are merely letters"
"Allow me to be the judge of that"
answered. "Put them down."
He laid them down upon the ground
with the rest.
"Pass on" was my next order, and he
marched off past my wooden gun in
safety.
| did not wait for him to get more
than beyond view before had the CON
tents of his pockets in my hat and was
steering for home by the short cut.
l waited week in some trepidition
to see what would chance. Much
CHANGED in that time, but no Richard
Dunkirk, Esq.
Possibly he felt unequal to meeting
Miss Bonange's clear, penetrating glance
under the circumstances, or he might
have suspected her of some connection
with the robbery, especially as every
thing excepting the letters (the cudgel
includedD had caused to be expressed
to him from distant city.
Miss Bonange evinced a little wonder
ing anxiety at his disappearance, and
looked incredulous when l announced
his departure from that vicinity.
She was sitting in the old place, hall
reclining among the cushions she liked
when came softly beside her and laid
the avails of my highway robbery in hel
silken lap.
She slipped the cover that bound them
her beautiful lips auivered, her face
whitened.
'Did he give them to you, the bastard
But better you than her she flashed.
For answer told her all.
"And do you know the contents"
'Nor wish to-"
She began to tremble; her eyes filled
with tears.
"Please to read them, Steve" giving
them back to me.
"Do you want to preserve them"
asked, taking out match. "Shall de
stroy them?"
"Not if have fallen in your good re
spect, Steve"
"My good respect is nothing to you,
said coldly. eff it were would prov,
to you that you had it by telling yor
over again the tale you laughed at no
so long ago." And touched the letter,
with flame.
II should not laugh now," she sale
humbly and looking down, while fain
color fiickered on her cheek.
what would you dor demanded.
She shrank little, then lifted tn,
beautiful eyes to mine and said:
81 should say if you were of the same
mind two years from now
"You would be my wife?"
"Yes."
She is my wife now, and l have nevel
regretted my one robbery.-C. G. in New
York News.