St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-04-19
THE MAYORS CHAIN.

LID VI = (ndIL VI Oh1NN' hio NOSSAt
bauble is valued at 100000, and
was the magnificent bequest of the
first mayor, an eccentric individual,
who, being childless, had adopted
the town-Ihen quite baby one
and left it the whole of his property,
to be expended on certain specified
objects, of which the chain was per-
haps the most useless, and certainly
the most expensive.
The mayor, during his term of
office, was, of course, the temporary
owner of the chain, and before re-
ceiving possession of it he was re-
quired to sign a bond for the full
amount of $50, 900, which bond was
returned to him when, at the close
of his term, he returned the chain.
Now, six years ago the chain and
chair were held by one Sir Thomas
Wobbell, very worthy bone crush
er, who had been knighted by his
sovereign for some reason best
known to her advisers.
Sir Thomas had got an idea that
bone crushing, trade to which Mr..
Wobbell had devoted himself epthu-
siastically for many years, was Vul-
gar, and announced his attention of
retiring from business at the end of
the year.
Sir Thomas began to babble of
trees and pedigrees-things which
Mr.. Wobbell had always described,
IN his homely way, as 'tommy-rot )"
and Sir Thomas would not hear of
his daughter marrying the young
man whom Mr.. Wobbell had consid-
cred Nv ;1nHaSIro hi la
in-law.
The young man in question was
called Fred Johnson, and was a ris-
ing solicitor TO whom Mr.. Wobbell
had intrusted a good deal Of his
legal business.
Mr. Wobbell did not object to their
engagement.
But Sir Thomas suddenly dis
covered that Laura might do bet
ter" The worthy knight thought
of leaving Colborough and settling
down somewhere in the country
some place where there was plenty
of tip-top society, to which his title
would of course be a passport" as
poor Sir Thomas said to himself
why, the girl might marry a bar
onet, or an earl, or-who knew
even a duke" he called it dook).
And so Sir Thomas, who was a
terrible domestic tyrant, put his foot
down and insisted on breaking off
the engagement.
But love laughs at locksmiths, and
sometimes even at bone crushers,
and though the lovers never wrote
to each other, they met at wicket
gate in a corner of the mayors
grounds early every evening through
out that summer.
Sir Thomas house-the mayors
Nest" as it was called by certain of
his friends, was handsome villa
residence, standing III his own
grounds, and distant some four
miles, by the highway, from Col
borough.
There was a shrubbery in corner
of the grounds. with a wicket gate
opening on to quiet side road which
was completely hidden from the
view of the house.
They met as usual one night early
in October. Sir Thomas had had an
"off day" and had been pottering
about the grounds till dusk; but at
$50 he had taken himself off to dine
with the Ancient Society of Anal
gamated Thingumbobs; and Laura
had been able to steal out to meet
her lover.
They had been talking for about
half an hour when they were sudden
" interrupted by the ominous sound
Of carriage wheels rolling up the
gravel walk.
"Graciousl 1t must be papa!"
cried Laura. Hes ever so much
earlier than we expected. Heavens
Suppose he misses me ?"
That's just what I've been saying
for the last ten minutes" said Fred,
triumphantly. This can't go on
forever Some day luck will fail us,
and he catch US, and then We'll catch
it."
We'll, well, come tomorrow at
three O'Clock. Papa has got to at
tend a public meeting, so We'll be
able to have private one! and in
another minute she was fastening
back to the house.
Laura gained her room in safety
and unobserved; but a dreadful
clamor that arose as she was taking
off her wraps and smoothing her
hair caused her to fear that her alb
sence had been discovered and it's
cause guessed.
Summoning up all her courage,
but with her heart in her mouth
nevertheless, she opened the door,
listened for a moment to the storm
raging below, and then hurried
down stairs.
After all, she need not have been
so frightened A terrible disaster
had overtaken the house of Wobbell.
The mayors chain of ofice-tbe
pride of the Colborough corporation
had been stolenl
The chain OF office, when not in