The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-28
A SUDDEN
CHANGE
BY OLIVE EDNA MAY

tending to help the gentleman, when
the latter fell
!, While the assailant was ritiing the un
fortunate mans pockets Tom came up
and jumped on the robber. After a
hot fight the rascal freed himself and
ran, leaving Tom covered with blood
and dirt and too exhausted to follow
him.
Tom sat up and looked about him,
dazed The rohber had gone on in the
direction Tom had been going, while
from the other came the creaking OF
"a wagon. When 1t reached Mackins.
jumping down. those In 1t examined
the body and found stab In the left
side. He was dead.
You get into this wagon" said one
Of the men to Tom.
Tom protested and tried to tell the
true story. but the men wouldn't lis
ten to him. They put the body of the
|: murdered man In the wagon and took
Tom on the seat between them. Then
ssthey drove ON to the next village,
K where they put Tom for safe keeping
in room over the grocery store. lock-
ing him in till they could notify the au-
thorities.
The first thing that occurred to Tom
was how much may happen within a
few minutes. Half an hour before he
had left home with light heart. and
now he had the prospect Of swinging
40 fa Of
which he was not only innocent. but
had tried to prevent, He was not slow
In realizing the fact that he had no
defense to offer and made up his mind
that If possible he had better make an
escape before he was taken over by
the sheriff. The county seat where the
case would be reported was twenty
miles away. and 1t was quite prob
able that the sheriff might not arrive
to take him away before evening
Tom did very quick job of think
ing. the result of which was that he
attracted the attention of the grocer
below by stamping on the floor. The
man came up and found Tom appar
emily writing in agony. Tom told him
that he was suffering from a liver at
tack to which he was subject and beg
ged for lemon. which he said was his
only relief on such occasions. The
grocer brought him the lemon. Tom
swallowed some of the juice and sud
denly recovered. Then he asked for
writing materials that he might inform
his wife Of his misfortune. The grocer
brought the materials. and Tom wrote
the note. leaving it unsealed. 1t was
examined by several citizens In the
store below. and since 1t contained
nothing contraband Of the condition of
a prisoner it was forwarded to Mrs
Mackins.
Both the wife and daughter were
too shocked to read the letter careful
ly at first. but presently the latter took
It up and read it again.
what does this postscript mean.
motherw she asked. You forgot to
take the candle grease out of my coat
sleeve"
Mrs. Mackins could not understand
what it meant, and her daughter Ellen
began to suspect that her father meant
something, the meaning of which must
be diciphered.
II think 1t MEANS" said Ellen, that
we're to do with the letter what we
do In taking candle grease out of
cloth. have 1t. We put piece of
paper on the cloth. then run hot iron
over the paper"
An iron stood on the stove, and.
Selling it, Ellen ran 1t over the paper.
Dark brown letters came out as fol-
lows:
Bring me my circular saw at once"
Tom knew that letters made with
lemon Juice. though invisible when
dried on the paper. IL heated will come
out a brown color.
Ellen ran to her fathers tool chest.
got the saw and started for the vii |
lage. Reaching the place Of his cap
tivity. she asked to see him and was
admitted. He had been left in care
of the grocer and several citizens. who |
had agreed to keep him till the arrival |
OF the sheriff. Ellen was admitted to |
see her father. She was taken up to |
the room where he was confined and |
locked In with him. being first told |
that when she wished to leave she J
should stamp on the floor. As soon as
she was alone with her father she I
handed him the saw.
Now, the room Mackins was confined |
In communicated with another, the
door Of which was locked. Tom had |
already cut a hole In it with his knife
and now sawed one big enough to adj
NIT an arm. The key was on the 9TH
er side Of the door. and. turning 1t. he
found egress into the other room.
Then he changed clothes with Ellen.
who was big. Strong girl nearly as
tall as himself, and with God save
you" from her passed through the
next room. entered a hall. mounted to
a third story. where he dropped on the
roof of an adjoining building on which
there was an outside staircase In the
rear. and thence to freedom.
When the sheriff came he found e.
len dressed in her fathers clothes and
her father gone.
Neither Tom Mackins nor the real
murderer was ever found Tom left
the country. and in time his wife and
daughter followed him. Had he not
made his escape he would either have
been hanged or spent long years in
jail. In q pew land he made a for