The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-03-21
THE CAPTAIN FROM BATH.
Extract from the Memoirs of Ga
brIsl Foote, Highwayman.
BY a. T. ~0UILLER-COUCH.

took a just pride in his ~siIveryvare
Some of it dated from Elizabeth; fol-
Sir Harry's neutrality-suspicious.
os the unhappy alternative of melting
it down for King Charles, had taken
arms against his majesty and come out
of the troubles of those times with
wealth and credit.
The house, too, was E~lizabethan,
shaped like the letter L, and, like that
letter, facing eastward. The longer
0rm, which looked down the steep slope
of the park, contained the entrance
hall, chapel, dining-hall, principal liy-
ing rooms and kitchens.
The ground floor of the other land to
us more importantly arm was taken up
by the housekeeper's rooms, audit
loom and various offices, the buffers
bedroom and the strong-room, where
the plate lay. On the upper floor Il
long gallery full of pictures ran from
end to end, with a line of doors on the
southern side, all opening into bed
rooms, except one which led to the
back stairs.
Now, properly speaking, the strong
room was no strong-room at all. 1t had
an ordinary deal door and an ordinary
country-made lock. But i'll some way
1t was very strong, indeed. The only
approach to it on the ground floor lay
through the buffers bedroom. of which
you might call it but a cupboard. 1t
had no window, and could not therefore
be attacked from outside. The VerT
small amount of light that entered it
filtered through a pane of glass in the
wall of the back staircase, which ran
VI close behind.
L have said enough, l hope, for any
reflective man to draw the conclusion
that, since we desired no unpleasant
ness with the butler Ia man between
50 and 60, and VIGOROUSLY i~ncorrupti-
5le), our only plan was to make an en-
trance upstairs by the long window Il:
the end of the picture gallery, or corri-
dor-whichever you choose to call it
descend the back stairs, remove the
pane of glass from the wall and gain
the strong-room through the opening.
The house was dark from end to end.
and the stable clock had just chimed
the quarter after midnight, when ]
went up the ladder. never looked for
much carefulness in this honest couu-
try household, but l did expect to spend
90 minutes on the heavy lead-wOrk o.
the lower panes, and il seemed as good
as a miracle to find the lattice Unattached
and opening to the first gentle pull.
i pressed it back, hitched it under Il
stem of ivy that the wind might not
slam it after me, and, signalling down
TO Jimmy at the foot of the ladder to
wait for my report, pulled myself over
the sill and dropped softly into tie gal
iery.
And then somebody stepped quickly
from behind the heavy window curtain,
out and shut the lattice smart
~ behind me, and said:
SHOW a light, Jenkins, and let Us
have a look at the gentleman"
Though it concerned my neck, l was
taken too quickly aback to stir, but
stood like a stuck pig, while the butler
with his Undertook.
Light all the candles"
If it please you, Sir Harry" Jenkins
answered, putting at the finder.
The first thing | saw by the blue
light of the birthstone match was the :
of old Sir Harry's pistol glim- |
about six inches from my most. !
ln my left stood Il loug-legged foot !
nan, also with a pistol. But all this. 5
discomposing, was no more
han | had begun to expect. Nha. $
'eally startled me-, as old Jenkins lit I
he candles, was the sight of two wom- c
standing a few paces off, beneath Il
tall picture of Il gentleman with Il L
zig lace collar. One of them, a short
woman with a bunchy shape, | recog- t
lized for the housekeeper. The other $
guessed as quickly TO be Sir Harry y
.aughter, Mistress kate-a tall and 4
lender young lady, uark-haired, and h
andsome as any man could wish. She il
as wrapped in a long travelling cloak, n
he hood of which fell 4 little off her
houlders, allowing a glimpse of white II
attn. \ train of white satin reached it
Glow the cloak and coiled about her O.
feet. {
Now, the change from darkness to
cry bright light-for Jenkins went c:
own the gallery, lighting candle after T
indie, as if for a big reception-made i
S all wink a bit. And excitement would Sc
ccount for the white of the young
,dy's cheeks-I dare say l had turned Of
pale myself. But it did not seem CT
me to account for her look of sheer al
.ank astonishment-no, it vas more
an this; d wild kind of wonder would ca
: nearer the mark-that came to her
'es and stayed there. And l didn't ia
see why she should put 4 hand sud- III
My against the ~wainscot, and from fir
white 90 red as fire, and then 81
lex to white again. If they were sit III
ng up for housebreakers, l was de- u,
ledly a better-looking one than they pc
ID any right to expect. The eyes of ",
e others were fastened on me. Twas or
e only one to take note of the girls Su
.havior, ard L declare 1 spared a sec vii
ii from the consideration OF NY own ON
Sc to wonder what the deuce was the rs
after with her. t;c
Well, upon my SOUL" cried Sir Har- vo
a.. with something between a laugh m;
d IL sniff of disgust; and the footman vo
the other side OF me echoed it with Pi
silly cackie. lie certainly doesn't els
l. nc ;f ba n NINA fro,, po+bFD l..