The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-08-04
loo0n0 Observation-Disclosures OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
CHAPTER III
COntfn ued.

I 10 inc tUFcL Lnal II WIZ very NfIJ
/ wrong to Kill people, because, as she
! illogicaly added, you would get hanged
for IT, The killing business was there
! fore set aside, the consequences being
| too awful TO contemplate, and we de-
| cided instead that we would run away
tomorrow when the clock struck y.
! Where We should run 70 was not de-
| cided why we should take our flight In
! broad daylight was not explained; how
we should exist was not considered.
| We were placidly satisfied that the
mere fact Of running away when the
| clock struck L. would be crushing
| blow 10 the hard hearted stepmother
and from that moment Elsie'9 l!fe and
mine would be life OF happiness.
On that night It was that my little
gweetheart's cries pierced nAy mind
while ] was sleeping, and / uncon-
gciOusly rose with the Intention OF go
| ing to her rescue. It happercd that
! those about me were less watchful
! than usual, and thus l succeeded In
! creeping unobservcd TO the top of our
| house, where short ladder reaching
| 20 a trap door in the roof enabled me
| 20 reach similar door in the adjOin-
| ing house, which | found unlocked.
| IL was Il dark night ana my enterprise
was full of dangers. but siceD-walkers
| are like eats and can walk safely ON
! the edge of u prccipicc. ! succeeded
I'm raising the door in the roof and In
| total darkness felt my way down the
! stairs, guided doubtless by the little
maids cries for help and mercy. Dash
! ing into the room in which the torture
was being inflicted, | sprang upon the
cruel woman aud tore nc Ter end beat
he so that she in turn, probably more
| frightened than hurt screamed loudly
for assistance. By this time my own
people were aroused, and, obtaining
entrance into the adjoining house, bore
me away to my room.
When / awoEc i'm the morning | had
no knowledge or recollection Of what
had occurred, and ! gathered the par
ticulars from those who were interest
cd in them My bedroom door WAS
found open ana | not in bed; the two
trap doors i'm the roof were open, pro
claiming the means by which / left
one house aud obtained entrance to the
other; Elsie drew vivid pictures Of my
actions when | rushed mo her bedroom
! and sprang upon her stcpmother; and
my own people supplied the rest. The
! adventure made great impression and
was long remembered and spoken of,
and from the day of its occurrence !
! was more carefully watched at home.
! When | asked the good woman ]
married to become my wife. related
! this incident Of my child-life to her.
! She made light of IL, and | think II was
| chiefly through her encouragement that
! the adventure was known in my house
hold Ny daughter, it appears, de-
scribcd IL 20 Mile. Rosalie as a divert
! ing incident, and the woman of multi
/ far.ous accomplishments treasured ii
/ in her mind. During manhood my SOM
! namhulistic propCnsitics occasionally
! broke out, but they were always of the
most harmless kind, and | grew TO re-
gard them rs Of small moment Short
! ~, however, after tic engagement Of
Euuice and Harry | was greatly dis
turbed by an incident TO which l could
attach no satisfactory explanation. My
wife told me that she woke in the night
and | was not 10y her side. She was
about to rise and seek me- when | en-
tered the room, undressed myself and
lay down in bed, beirg all the time in
sound sleep.
81 have no remembrance" said, "of
going anywhere or doing anything"
You never have" remarked my wife,
1T is very annoying | observed. 81
wish to Heaven they had thrown n
bucket of cold water over me when
was a child. II might have cured me, -
at might have killed YOU said my
wife. gravoly. 1T Is too late now 10
fret over it, Richard"
Il should not mind" | said III |
could remember where | 20 to, or what
! Go; but Il is IL blank"
We spoke OF other matters. and went
down to- Breakfast. After the meal
my wife and | strol'ed IN the garden
and spent m Idle hour there. My
daughter ard Nile. Rosalc were in the
grounds. ana samuel Fleetwood made
his appearance 20 give ne report of
some task | had set him 10 Go. When
he came toward me | was couverSinG
with Mile. EoSGlic, my wife and Eu
nice being az little distance. and
left my daughters goycrncsS to join
him. Certainly my mood was pc
cullar one on this morning. for the
short conversation Lad with Mile
ltosalle LETT an uncomfortable impres
sion upon me. And yet nothing was
spoken 10y her or me TO account for IL
we had convcrsed on Ordinary matters
bot there was in her manner confd
ING teuderness-I can think ~ no Other
words in which TO describe it-whicl
was new and strange 10 me.
After hearing Fleetwood's report
referred 20 something ! had observed
as he aprroac chcd me and Mile. Rosalic
She had nodded TO him. with a pleas
art smile on her lips. and he had re
turned neither the nod nor the smile
inquired the reason.
II DO not like ker. sir. hc said. after
pause.
For any particular renson?' asked
"No, sir" he replied. after another
short pause. My feelings toward Lei
nay spring from prejudice"
Speak more plainly, Fleetwood"
. rred
) "Wel'. sir" he said. "in the hrs