Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-08-03


J lis l-iui. anil al thr same time-tor she
l.as "a ,s.-.l.e wn-uan blowing pierre .
ing strata ul c.ti.nlu whistle.
To- make. "a len. STORY ssiurt. her extra
or.hnarv pre- NEE uf uIiul WIS the saw
inc If a.. With her own ewes she SAW
two dar.. C-Gu.s o. M pur AREA steps
and disappear rluui the corner. and
when a policeman appeared Oh the scene
half an hn,.r lasrr hr confirmed the fact
that the house hal bCeu broken into by
showing u how an entrance had been
effected t,.roEgh the kitchen window.
Tlrrr wis # cuur~.. uo more sleep for
rs tuat night, anl the remainder Of 1t
was PISSED hy Jane in examining the
nous, from top 10 bottom every half
hour or Sd. owing to q rooted conviction
on her part that a burglar might still he
lurking on the premises. conceale1. IN
the cellarr;tc. or the jam cupboard, OF
behind the drawing room curtains.
Bv that mornings post heard. rs |
expected should do, from Sir George
D;tnvers. but the contents Of the letter
SURPRISED me- lie wrote most cordially,
thanking me for my kindness in under
taking such n heavy responsibility u am
sure never felt it To ba sol for an entire
stranger, and ended by sending me a
pressing invitation to come down to
Stoke Moreton that very day, that he and
his son. whose future wife WAS also stay
ing with them. might have the pleasure
of making the acquaintance of one to
whom they We're 50 much indebted. He
added that his eldest son Charles was also
going down from London by certain
train that day, and that he had told him
to be ON the lookout for me ut the sta
ton in case was able to come at such
short notice. made up my mind to go,
sent Sir George telegram to that effect
and proceeded to fish up the jewels out
of the tea caddy.
Jane. who had meyer ceased for one
instant to comment on the event of the
night. positively shrieked when she saw
me shaking the bag free from tea leaves.
Good gracious. the burglars!' she ex-
claimed. why, they might have taken
them if they had only known"
OF course they had not known, rs |
had been particularly secret about them;
| but wished all the same that had not
left them there all night rs Jane would
| insist. and continue insisting, that they
| had been exposed to great danger. |
argued the matter with her at first, but
women. find. are impervious, is "A rule
to masculine argument and 1t is Il mis-
take to reason with them. 1t Is, in fact,
putting the sexes for the moment on an
equality to which the weaker one is I'M
accustomed and consequently unsuited.
\ few hours later WAS rolling swiftly
| toward Stoke Moreton i'll Il comfortable
smoking carriage, only occu lied by my
self and Mr. Charles Dauv rs, a hand
some young fellow with pile face, and
that peculiar tired MAJ ner which
Though. rs soon found. natural to HIM
is SO often affected by the yJung men Of
the day.
And 50 Ralph has come in for a
legacy in diamonds, he said, lstlessly,
when we had exchanged the usual civil
ties and had become to certain degree
acquainted. Dear ne! how these good,
steady young men prosper il to world.
When last heard from him he had pre-
vailed upon the one perfect woman in
the universe to consent to marry him,
and his aunt (by the way, YOU will meet
her there, too-Laly Mary Cunning
ham) had mUrmured something vague
but gratifying about testamentary III
tentions. A week later Providence fills
his trimming cup with a legacy of
Jewels. estimated at Charles opened
his light, sleepy eyes wide and looked
inquiringly at me What are they esti'
mated at:' he asked, as | did not an
swer.
really had no idea, but / shrugged
my shoulders and looked wise.
ESTIMATED at a fabulous sum, he said
closing his eyes again. "Ah! had they
been mine with what joyful alacrty
should | have ascertained their exact
money value. And mine they ought tc
have been if the sacred law of primo
geniture (that special providence which
watches over the interests of eldest sons
had been duly observed. Sir John hat
not the pleasure of my acquaintance
but | fear he must have heard some re
ports-no doubt entirely without founda
tion-respecting my career which in
duCed him to pass me over i'll this man
ner What moral! My father and IN.
Aunt Mary are always delicately point
ing out the difference between Ralpl
and myself. wish We're Il good youn!
man, like Ralph. 1t seems to pay hes
in the long run; but | may as well in
form you, Col Middleton, of the painfu
fact that | am the black sheep of tn
family"
"Oh, come, Gomez | remarked I'm
easily.
Il should not have alluded to the sui
ject if you We're not likely to becom
fully aware of it on your arrival, so
will be beforehand with my relations.
was brought up in the way should go,
he continued with the utmost uncor
Germ, as if commenting on somethin
that did not affect him in the least, "bu
did not walk in it, partly owing to tn
uncongenial companionship that it il
volved, especially that of my aunt Mary
who took up so much room herself i
the narrow path that she effectuall
kept me out of it. From my earlies
youth, also. | took extreme interes
in the parable of the prodigal, an
as soon as it became possible
exemplified it myself. l may eve
say that | acted the part in a mannt
that did credit to a beginner; but ii
wind up was ruined by the lamentab
inability of others, who shall be mann
less, to throw themselves into the spir
of the piece At various intervals, |
continued, always as if speaking of son
ono nlSn III hn1rn 1nt,,1.nnl hama hut