St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-05-24

| was very anxious To get SCtllSu.
l was glad to be early on the scene,
for had feeling that the burglar
alarm would give me trouble of some
kind And so it proved.
Thoughtful friends had arranged
things in something like order at the
cottage, and l soon discovered the
centripetal point of Scarritt's present.
| 1t was an innOcent-looking button
in the hallway.
called Nanette to look al it.
This is Scarritt's gift" said l.
Where ?"
"There-that button, and those
wires running about il.
"Oh, and will it work How nice
! of Mr.. Scarritt to think of giving us
such a present! l shall feel just per-
| fectly safe when you are away, Fred,
and you will know | am secure from
| harm when l can lock myself in and
scare away all the tramps, won't
you, dear?"
"Um-um," said I, twisting the
button. 1t refused to move. Then
l remembered that Scarritt had told
me it would not lock up the house
unless all the doors and windows
were closed. As it was warm day,
we had opened two or three Win
dows. l closed these and tried the
button again. 1t turned.
On examination | found everything
as tight as a drum. l was much
pleased. Scarritt's gift was going
to be genuine comfort after all.
Having made careful survey, l
returned to the centripetal point in
the hallway for the purpose of I'M
locking the house. The button turn
ed, but the doors refused to open.
he windows proved equally OBJ
stinate. Again and again 1 turned
the button. 1t worked easily in
either direction, but the connection
was apparently off.
Wont it unlock ?" said Nanette.
ooh, guess there's something the
matter with it," l replied, evasively.
l hated to have my wife think l was
not master of any situation.
[ pulled the wires, pushed the
button, pried on the windows and
struggled with the doors-all to no
purpose. We were apparently very
much at home.
''Oh, Fred, it's so warm! Do open
a window, pleased" came in an ap-
pealing voice from the lady of the
house.
well, I'm trying nv level BEST"
replied, hopping the perspiration
from my red hot features.
"Oh, dear! Pm afraid we're i'm
prisoned. Won't anybody rescue
US?
Il can break through window, if
nothing else will do" said I, in a
tone that correspondent favorably
with the tempera ture
But that would set off the alarm,
wouldn't it ~ said she
Here was predicament-locke in
our own house in strange neigh
bOrhOod, and no prospect of escape
without creating a commotion of
some sort.
The closed house was becoming al
most unbearable by reason of the
heat; it was fast approaching night
fall; none of our relatives knew we
were at home; there was little or no
food in the house, no provision for
light, and no prospect of deliverance.
Scarritt's gift was outdoing my ut
most expectations.
l began to curse the day when he
had invented the thing and the hour
when he had presented it to me.
Nanette, tired with her journey,
was in no condition to endure such a
state of affairs. Her imagination
began at once to exercise itself.
What if nobody should find US
for days, Fred? Shouldn't we
starve? Oh, how dreadful to have
our bodies found here in this new
house! And just think of having
our names in the papers for days
and daysi"
ooh, somebody will be here before
long and find u.s." said l, sitting
down disconsolately on the stair
case.
And o, Fred, what if the house
should take fire? l have read of
children being locked up in houses
and burned to death while their
parents were away, and l have al
ways thought what a horrible |
death it would ben'
! co: .:.d not deny the horror of a
holocaust. so 1 held my peace.
Fred, dear, if either Of US should |
be sick in the night, what could we
do? How could + get a
doctor if you were sick? Oh, dear! |
I just know you will bel You look |
so tired and pale now, poor boy!"
AS l did not even know that the |
suburb possessed doctor, l main
tanned a discreet silence.
Just here distant roll of thunder |
stole in through the alright case
ment.
"Therel l am certain we are 60
ing to have tornado, and the |
whole village will be blown away,
and not a sign of US will ever be dis
covered!' exclaimed my own agon-
ICED wife. 1t was clear that l was |
about tO bove n coSe Of hvSteria IN |