Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-07-25

Knollys turn in the kitchen, and she
ism Z as quick as Miss Lucetta."
"Humph," thought !, "supposing
had called in the police"
But by the time she had returned
with the water my doubts had awaken
ed again. She was not changed, though
I have no doubt she had told what I
had said below, but was for reniem-
bered the matches and thought / saw a
way of tripping her up i'll her self com.
placency.
Just as she was leaving me for the
second time called her back.
"What is the matter with your
matches?" l asked II couldn t make
them light last night
With wholly undisturbed counte-
nance she turned toward the bureau and
took up the china trinket that held the
Few remaining matches had not scraped
on the piece Of sandpaper myself haa
fastened up alongside the door. A sheep
ish cry of dismay at once escaped her.
"Why these are old matches" said
she, showing me the box in which a
half dozen or SO burned matches stood
with their burned tops all turned down.
Il thought these We're all right. I'm
afraid we are a little short of Matches
l did not like to tell her what l
thought, but it made me doubly anxious
to join the young ladies at breakfast and
see for myself from their conduct and
expression if had been deceived by my
own fears into taking for realities the
phantasies of a nightmare or whether
was correct in ascribing to fact that ep-
isode of the key with all the possibilities
that lay behind it.
/ did not let my anxiety, however,
duty. Mr.. Gryce had bid me carry the
whistle he had sent me constantly about
my person, and felt that he would have
the right to reproach me if l left my
room without making some endeavor to
recover this lost article. How to do this
without aid or appliances of any kind
was a problem. l knew where it was,
but l could not see it, much less reach
1t. Besides, they were waiting for me,
and the whistle must have 1t occurred
to me that 1 might lower into the hole
a lighted candle hung by string.
Nothing unnerves one SO much as the
of being waited for, but
the whistle must have, and that, too,
by the simplest device possible. Look
ing over my effects / close out hair
pin, a candle, two corset laces pardon
me. am as modest as most Of my sex,
but am not squeamish. Corset laces
are strings, and as such / present them
to your notice. That you will regard
them in any other light is not to be
feared after this explanatory and-a
buttonhook, you will say, but, alas-for
4 buttonhook would have been very use
Jul in this emergency-I have not yet
,estors and could only produce small
article from my toilet service which
;hall remain unmentioned, as | present
Y discarded it and turned my whole at
ention to the other objects I have
named, poor array, but out of them
hoped to find the means of fishing up
ny lost whistle
My intention was to lower first a
lighted candle into the hole by means OF
!, string tied about its middle, then to
lrop line on the whistle thus discov-
red and draw it up with the point of
oent hairpin. which I fondly hoped
,ould make do the service of hook. To
hink was to try. The candle was Soon
Town in the hole, and by its light the
whistle was easily seen. The string and
oent hairpin went down next. was
in hooking the prize and pro.
eeded to pull it up with great care.
Tor an instant realized what ridic-
llous figure l was cutting, STOPPING
ver hole in the floor on both knees,
string in each hand, leading apparent
V to nowhere and l at work cautiously
one and as carefully pulling
n the other Having hooked the wills.
lie hand string over the first finger OF
he hand holding the candle, | may
ave become too self conscious to notice
be slight release of weight on the whis-
lie hand. Whatever the reason, when
he end of the string came in sight
lere was no whistle on it. The charred
nd showed me that the candle had
urned the cord. letting the whistle fall
gam ouu VI Itucu. DoNu Nent tLe Ciu-
lie again. 1t touched bottom, but no
thistle was to be seen. After long and
'uitless search, such as it was, con.
uded to abandon my whistle fishing
and rising from my cramped
i'd undignified position I proceeded to
Ill up the candle. To my surprise and
eight, l found the whistle firmly stuck
the lower side of it. Some drops OF
indie grease had fallen upon the whis-
e where it lay The candle coming in
intact with it, they adhered to each
her, and l became indebted to acct
mt and not acumen for the restoration
the precious article.
ITO BE CONTINUED. !