Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1897-04-23

Then he assured Int treasure
was safe with Nottic, ms no one would
think of injuriug her.
1--WE had been talking nearly an hour
when there was the sound of mufiled
cry and body falling against the door.
Rosser reat he'd it with spring and
threw il open, to find II woman stretched
across the step. Quickly he lifted her in
his strong arms and laid her gently on
the rough couch had pulled before the
blazing logs. 1t was Nettie, unconscious
and apparently more dead than alive.
Her long, waving hair was loose, di-
theveled by the wind and wet with snow
that melted to glittering drops i'll the
warm glow of the room. Her upturned
face, with its perfectly chiseled features,
had the unattainable beauty of the art
lists dream. Through all that terrible
storm she had made Ter way for half q
mile without wrap or even the slip
pers in which she sat while awaiting
her fathers return, for they had been
lost in the first few steps. As | grasped
her pretty hands to chafe them they
tightly clutched the canvas bag TO her
bosom, and only when the half crazed
Rosser forced some brandy down her
throat did she rclinquish her hold.
Trying to rise she said rapidly:
Hurry, father, hurry. 1t was Black
Joe. He's locked in the strong closet. |
brought the money. You said you knew
would protect it. There it is. How
Black Joe did curse and swear to kill
us both! But l captured him.. And her
unnatural laugh told how intense had
been the strain upon her nerves
I'VE found the villain vainly trying
to batter his way ont, and i'll due time
long sentence put him out of the way.
He had stolen i'll upon Ncttie shortly
after her father left. No threats could
induce her to betray the hiding place Of
the money till she suddenly devised a
scheme to keep both it and the robbcr.
Appearing to yield, she told Joe to look
behind the chest in the closet which
Rosser had built Of strong oak planks AS
a place of safety for his few valuables.
He made her hold candle while he
searched. As he leaned over the chest
Ncttie summoned all her strength and
courage, threw the door shut, clapped
the hasp over the staple and closed the
hook that was attached. This she
strengthened with an iron poker, and
then, Selling the bag from under the
hearthstone, hurried from her prisoner
and his blood curdling threats
II loved her and told her So But she
was rs courageous morally as physical.
ly. She was not fitted for my station il
life. Wait two years and see if l still
wanted her. Her father was going tc
send her away for time. protested
but she went. and only heard occasion
ally, through her father, that she wa,
we'll and happy. One night some IL
months later l was at n pretentious so
cial gathering in Memphis. was not {
society man, but had gone as an ole
friend of the family. Some one sang
and thought it the divinest music
had ever heard. AS the singer rose from
the piano got view of q regal beauty
who seemed familiar to me, but | onl,
knew her when that voice l had Learned
to know so well in the mountains re
sponded to an introduction. 1t was Net
tie, who had been getting her education
and never had woman accomplish,
more in the same length of time. Sh
was the belle of the aristocratic circl
in Memphis, but when had drawn he
apart she laughingly admitted that
had the refusal of her and that she wa
just the same honest girl she used to be
l protested so vigorously that we cut tn
probationary period short. And she wa
,, your beautiful grandma, little one. -
Detroit Free Press.