The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-19
TRACKED.

The 25th of March. 1872, was mark.
ed by Il thaw succeeding Il severe frost
of three weeks duration. At Lehman
Court, ~ mansion situated IL miles or
SO from London, on the west side great
Inconvenience and some damage had
been caused ly the bursting of Il water
pipe during the day. III special one
room was rendered 50 damp that its
usual occupant, Spencer Brown
Salter's ladys maid-was compelled
to change her sleeping place In
stead of sharing one of tho housemaids'
beds, she chose, with her ladyship's
permission. to make up Il bed for her
self i'll tho small room. or large cup
board, situated Mt the end of the CORR
dor which runs through tho whole
breadth of Lehman Court on the first
story. 1t was room used to store
trunks and boxes in, Spencer placed
some of these as foundation for her
couch. Many of these trunks had made
the voyage to India and back, for Colo
mel Sir William Brown-Salter had dis
tinguishcd himself not little in John
Company's service. There had been
much extra work for all the servants ut
Lehman Court that day. and it was late
before Spencer retired to her cupboard
On getting into her bed she found
her novel couch by no means so com
Portable as it looked. 1t had to be re-
arranged, but on CXtinguishing her can
die Il second time she found herself as
far from sleep as ever. While she twist
ed and turned she heard the stable
clock strike >, and Immediately after
ward she became conscious of Il suhductl
sound outside her door. Remembering
the jokes at her expense ut the supper
table about the size of her bed cham
Der. it occurred to Spencer that her
fellow servants might he going to play
her Il trick. to indulge in some practical
joke. SO she slid from her uneasy couch.
and removing the key from the lock
she had locked herself in on coming to
bed-sho applied her eye to the key
hole. The door, as we have said, faced
directly the whole length of the CORR
dor. About two yards from her stood
Il man, but not one of her fellow serv-
ants. He held Il lighted candle in one
hand. shading it with the other so as
TO cast the light now here. now there.
His face was concealed by IL l.lasll of
black Grape, and he was listening in
tentlv. y breathless minute or two
passed, and as if by magic there We're
either two or three other men in the cor
ridor. all masked III Grape. behind which
their eyes shone in the candle glcams.
They went and came and consulted.
noiseless as so many spcctcrs. In and
out of the rooms, locking doors softly
hnl, ind -.
third story, now descending to the
basement: now tho one holding and
shadowinS the candle was left alone
again.
Spencer drew back from the lleyhole
il moment, trying 10 think if there was
anything she could do. Sir Williams
room gavo on 10 the corridor. He must
be murdered, thought poor Spencer, or
surely she would have heard some
sound. for he often sat late reading, and
it was round his door that tho thieves
were clustered. He was Il passionate
man and powerful, beloved by his scrv-
ants for his bounty. though feared on
account Of his temper. Surely he would
have made IL fight for it, if he had not
been taken at some cruel disadvantage.
w nat COtilt sic 10. nc alarm Dell,
even if she could muster courage to try
to get to it. was quite ut the other
end of the house. Applying her eye
once moro to the lcyholc, she was terri
fled TO find not only darkness. but in
the darkness some one breathing close
to the door, Then the handle softly
brushed her check as il WAS turned. and
lock and hinges were strained bv the 81
lent pressure brought TO bear upon them
to such Il degree that instinctivcly she
drew back, expecting the door to be
forced in upon her. The door creaked
as the pressure relaxed, and INST then
the stable clock struck 3.
AS the minutes passed and silence was
unbroken, Spencer gathered courage to
look from kcr spying place. The watch
man stood alone, candle in hand, in his
former place. She became stiff and
cold at her post Nothing moved that
she could hear or see. except that the
man trimmed his candle now and then
with his fingers and turned his head
watchfully from side to side. his eyes
cleaning behind his mask. and seeming
now and again to fix themselves OH her
lurking place. AT low whistle from
the basement, he and his light vanished
together. Taking the precaution to stop
up the kcyhole, Spencer struck steel and
flint till she obtained light, then hud-
died On few clothes, inserted the KEY,
turned it, stood one minute outside, in
silence and darkness, then snatching ND
her candle made Il rush for tho only
open door IN the corridor-it was her
masters
Bound hind and foot 10 II chair aud