Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-01-12
A FAITHFUL TRAITOR.

The 25th of March, 1856, was marked
by a thaw succeeding a severe frost of three
weeks duration. At Lehman Court,
mansion situated fifteen miles or so from
London, or the west side, great inconven-
fence and some damage had been caused
by the bursting of a water-pipe during the
day. In especial, one room was rendered
so damp that its usual occupant, spencer
Lady Brown-Salters lady s-maid-was
compelled to change her sleeping place.
Instead of sharing one of the housemaids'
beds, she chose, with her Ladyship's per-
mission to make up bed for herself in
the small room, or large cupboard, situated
at the end of the corridor which runs
through the whole breadth of Lehman
Court on the first story. 1t was room
used to store trunks and boxes in, and
Spencer placed some of these as founda-
ton for her couch. Many of these trunks
had made the voyage to India and back,
for Col Sir William Brown-Salter had dis
tinguished himself not a little in John
Company's service. There had been much
extra work for all the servants at 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 S comfortable as
it looked. 1t had to be rejrranged; but
on extinguishing her candle second time,
she found herself as far from sleep as ever.
While she twisted and turned she heard
the stable clock strike two; and imme-
diately afterwards she became conscious of
a subdued sound outside her door, Re
membering the jokes at her expense at the
supper table about the size of her bed
chamber, it occurred to Spencer that her
fellow-servants might be going to play her
a trick, or indulge in some practical joke.
So she slid from her uneasy couch, andTe-
moving the key from the lock-she had
locked herself in on coming to bed-she
applied her eye to the keyhole. The door,
as we have said, faced directly the whole
length of the corridor; about two yards
from her stood a man, but not one of her
fellOw-servants; he held a 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 a mask of black
Grape, and he was listening intently. A
breathleSs minute or two passed, and, as if
by magic there were either two or three
other men in the corridor, all masked in
Grape, behind which their eyes shone in
the candle CLEANS. They went and came
and consulted, nOiseless as so many spec
tres. In and out of the rooms, lock ng
doors softly behind them, now ascending
to the third story, now descending to the
basement; now the one holding and sha-
downing the candle was left along again.
Spencer drew back from the keyhole a
moment, trying to think if there was any
thing she could do. Sir Williams room
gave on to the corridor-he must be muir
dered, thought poor Spencer, or surely she
would have heard some sound, for he often
sat late reading, and it was round his door
that the thieves were clustered. He was a
passionate man and powerful, beloved
by his servants for his bounty, though
feared on account of his temper. Surely
he would have made fight for it, if he
had not been taken at some cruel disad-
vantage. What could she do? The alarm
bell, even if she could muster courage to
try and get to it, was quite at the other end
of the house. Applying her eye once more
to the keyhole, she was terrified to find
not only darkness, but in the darkness
some one breathing close to the door.
Then the handle brushed her cheek as il
was softly turned, and lock and hinges
were strained by the silent pressure brought
to bear on them to such a degree that in
stinctively she drew back, expecting the
door to be forced in upon her The door
creaked as the pressure relaxed, and just
then the stable clock struck three.
AS the minutes passed and silence was
unbroken, Spencer gained courage to look
from her spying place The Waterman
stood alone, candle in hand, in his former
place. She became stiff and cold at her
post; nothing moved that she could hear
hat . L. 4 1.
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 them
selves on her lurking place. AT a low
whistle from the basement, he and his
light vanished together. Taking the pre-
caution to stop up the keyhole, Spencer
struck flint and steel till she obtained a
light, then huddled on few clothes, in
serted the key, turned it, stood one minute
outside, in silence and darkness, then
snatching up her candle, made rush for
the only open door in the corridor-it was
her masters.
Bound hand and foot to chair, and
gagged, was Sir William. The room was
in the widest confusion-boxes, caskets
chests, all turned upside down, and their
floor. Her Ladyship was in bed, bound
and gagged, too. With nimble fingers
Spencer set to work to free her master.
No sooner was this accomplished than,
speeches. and foaming at the mouth. Sir
William staggered out of the room, and, to
her dismay, she heard him descend the
stairs. Having released her mistress, the
lady's maid next hurried to the rooms of
her fellow-servants, on all of whom the
keys had been turned after they had been
threatened with instant death if they ut
tered a sound. They were soon released !;
and the men servants descended in body
to the ground floor in search of their mas
ter. Here everything was in disorder On
the dining-room table were the remains of
the thieves supper, but Sir William as
well as the depredators had vanished.
The groom returned from the stables with
the news that his masters fayorite hunter
was missing. There was no doubt now
that he had gone single-handed in pursuit
of the thieYes-as was indeed the case.