The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1894-01-06
SIR WILLIAMS CLEW.
How He Recovered His Stolen
Property by the Aid Of a Dog.


The 25th of March, 1872, wa
marked by thaw succeeding sever,
frost of three weeks duration. A
Lehman court. a mansion situated fif
teen miles or SO from London, on tn,
west side, great inconvenience anC
some damage had been caused by tn,
bursting of a water-pipe during the
day. In especial, one room was rem
dered so damp that its usual occupant
Spencer Lady Brown-Salter's lady's
maid-was compelled to change her
sleeping place. Instead of sharing one
| of the housemaid's beds she chose with
her ladyship's permission, 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 Lenham court on the
first story. 1t was room used to
store trunks and boxes in, and Spencer
placed some of these as foundation
for her couch. Many of these trunks
had made the voyage to India and
back, for Col Sir William Brown-Sal-
ter had distinguished himself not lit
tie in John Company's service There
1890 ONO@~
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 so com
Portable as it looked. 1t had to be re-
arranged, but on extinguishing her
candle a second time she found herself
as far from sleep as ever. While she
twisted and turned she heard the stable
clock strike two and immediately aft
erward she became conscious of a sub
dued sound outside her door, Remeln-
bering 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, and removing the kew
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 lighted |
candle in one hand, shading it with the
other SO as to cast the light now here, |
1ow there. His face was concealed by
/ mask of black Grape and he was list
,ning intently. A breathless minute
'r two passed. and, as if by magic.
here were two or three other men in
he corridor, all masked in Grape, be-
lind which their eyes shone in the can
lie CLEANS. They went and came and
onsulted, noiseless as so many spec
ers. IL and out Of the rooms, locking
oors behind them, now ascending to
he third story, now descending to the
asenent; now the one holding and
gain.
Spencer drew back from the kcyhole
moment, trying to think if there was
nything she could do. Sir Williams
pom gave on to the corridors; he must
e murdered, thought poor Spencer, or
1rely she would have heard some i
'und, for he often sat late reading and ! !
was round his door that the thieves
ere clustered. He was a passionate
an and powerful, beloved by his
rvants for his bounty, though feared
= =
ould have made fight for it, if he
I'd not been taken at some cruel dis =
vantage. What could she do? The I
arm bell, even if she could muster Il
urage to try and get to it, was quite
the other end of the house. Apply
6 her eye once more to the keyhole, v
c was terrified to find not only dark q i
IS, but in the darkness some one q
eathing close to the door, Then the d
ndle softly brushed her cheek as it u
is turned, and lock and hinges were ID
aimed by the silent pressure brought G.
bear upon them to such degree IL
at instinctively she drew back, ex- .,
citing the door to be forced in upon d
r. The door creaked as the pressure u
axed, and just then the stable clock W
uck three, W
rs the minutes passed and silence 81
s unbroken, Spencer gathered cour- u
. to look from her spying place The OF
lehman stood alone, candle in hand, !"
his former place. She became stiff ~
cold at her post; nothing moved II
It she could see or hear, except that Cd
man trimmed his candle now and ga
N with his fingers and turned his 70
I'd watchfully from side to side, his IL
s cleaning behind his mask and al
ming now and again to fix them WI
res on her lurking place. At low no
istle from the basement he and his WI
1t vanished together. Taking the Oii
caution to stop up the keyhole, we
ncer struck steel and flint till She y