Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1894-11-30

Now certainly grandpa and grandma
would not return, and perhaps Hasnah,
waiting for the storm to pass would not
be there for hours However, my fear
of the negro was quite gone and | felt
a certain pride in conducting myself
bravely under these trying circumstau-
ces
Accordingly | went up stairs, found
in the attic sundry pillows ami holsters
and carried them kitchenward.
Here" said, make yourself bed
on the sottee yonder and be easy for the
night. No one will follow you in this
storm, and no doubt grandpa will assist
you when he returns. Good night! !"
Good night, and God bless you.
miss, said the negro, speaking still in
that same husky whisper. AID 80 |
left him
But not to so upstairs to my bedroom
| intended for that night to remain
dressed and to sit up in grandpa's arm
chair with candles and book to keep
me company. Therefore locked my
self in, took the most comfortable po-
sition possible, and opening a volume
composed myself to read
Reading fell asleep. How long
slumbered cannot tell. was awak-
enod by low sound like the prying Of
"a chisel
AT first it was mixed with my dream
so thoroughly that took no heed of IL
but at last understood that some one
was at work upon the lock of door.
| sat perfectly motioncss- blood
curdling in my veins, and still chip,
chip, chip went the horrible little instru-
ment, until at laGt | knew whence the
sounds came.
Back of the sitting-room was grand
pas study. There, in great, oId-fash-
toned safe, we're stored the family silver,
grandpa's jewelry and sundry sums of
money and important papers. The safe
itself stood in closet in a deep recess.
and at the closet the thief was at WORK
The thief-ah ! without doubt the
negro had admitted and fed aud shell
tered.
crept across the room, out into the
hall, and to the door. There, softly as
| could unfastened bars and bolts but,
alas one was above my reach.
waited, listened
Then | moved hall chair close to the
spot and climbed upon it. In doing so
| struck my shoulder against the door
frame.
II was but slight noise, but at that
moment :he chip of the chisel stopped
| heard gliding foot, and horror of
horrors man came from the study,
sprang towards me with both hands,
holding my arms as in a vice, while be
Kissed IN my car
You'd tell, would ye? You'd call
for help You'd better have slept, you
had for, you SEQ, you've got to pay for
waking. I'd rather hev let chit like
you of, but ye know me now, and
can let you live
stared in his face with horror, min
gled with an awful surprise for now
that it was close to me saw, not the
negro, but our own hired man, Anthony
Anthony, whom supposed miles
away with Hannah
plead with him wildly
Anthony never did you any harm.
| am young--I am gir!-don't kill me.
Anthony. Take the money, but don't
kill me, for granlmas sake"
"You'd tell on NO., said Anthony,
doggedly "Likely I'd be caught No,
I've got to kill you"
As he spoke be took his hands from
my shoulder and clutchod my throat
fercely.
had time to utter suffocating shrek;
then was strangling, dying, with
sparks before my eyes, and sound of
roaring waves in my ears, and then
What had sprung on my assassin,
with the swift silence Of a leopard ?
What had clntchcd him from behind,
and stood over him with something
glittering above his head
The mists cleared away--thc blurred
msts which had spread over my eyes.
and as sight returned | saw the negro
with his foot upon Anthony's breast
Ten minutes after---ten minutes in
which but for that poor slaves presence
| would have been hurried out Of life
the rattle of wheels aud the tardy feet of
old Ajax we're heard without and my
grandparents we're with me
II came out during the trial that he
had long contemplated the robbery, that
the absence of his master appeared to
afford an opportunity. He had decoyed
Hannah away by lie, and hidden in
the study
Long years ago--so we heard--the
slave, slave no longer, met his wife
and children beyond reach of danger.
Mamma-"W did you do to enter
tain the little girl that came to play with
your"
Lottie-"We looked at pictures and
told stories ="
Mamma--"Why didn't you play at
keeping house and visiting p
Lottie-"Wo did try, but she didn't
know anything mean about the neigh
bors, and we didn't have anything to
talk about.
The lady had given the small boy an
apple and he had said nothing in recog-
milton.
What does little boy say when b 0
gets anything asked the lady insin-
uatingy.
He hesitated moment
"Somo little boys" he said, "says
thank you, some says much obliged,
and some just keeps thinkin' how much
better an orange is than an apple"
: Little Dick C-got into trouble
with a school-fellow the other day and
agreed to ''have it OUT before school
the next morning. That evening when
Dick knelt by his mothers side to say
L. 4 = 4 \