Year: 1865

fathers ways as well as 1 did. But h'
was unsuspicious to a fault.


One Friday evening my father hac
ridden to the town, and had come bacB
with his gold. All the maids and the
men we're sitting at their supper in Oul
great kitchen, and I stood by the noisy
fire waiting for my father to come down
to them. He always came in to theil
meal, said word to those who we're near,
est to him, and then retired with me to
his own parlOr, his supper, and his pipe
of peace.


On the particular evening in question.
he walked into the room, swinging some
thing in his hand. 1t was the leathern
bag that carried the money but it was
empty. I knew that its place was in the
bureau in my fathers roOm,-nOt empty,
but full.


Father, I said " where's the money
Why haven't you locked it up in the
bag?"


Everybody in the room heard my ques-
ton, for there was always a hush when
the master came among his men, and
everybody in the room heard his answer


Where's the money, missile I
mounted the lighthouse when l came in,
to get the keys I left there in the morn
ing, caught the bag in the corner of the
table, and tumbled all the coin into the
drawer. There it may lie. It's safe
enough"


In an hour more, I had been dismissed
with my usual kiss, and was shut close in
my own room. have said that I should
describe the house. have only partly
done so. The great range of stables and
farm buildings, at the corner Of which the
actual house was built, were partly made
out of the ruins of an old manor house
that had fallen into decay with fallen
family. The only part of the buildings
thatstill showed any signs ofarchitectural
beauty was one gable end, where the
stables abutted on the modern house -
There stood still an old room on a third
with great mullioned windows, each in q
gable of its own, that stood out from the
old roof. Two of these large windows
looked out to the west and on the south
side, which adjoined the modern house
was a smaller attic window, apparently
inserted since the dismantling of the
building, for instead of mullions, it con-
tanned rough sash. The base of this
little window Ct was some five feet ir
height was on the floor of the attic, and
nearly level with the projecting cornict
of the house. Between the cornice and
the sill of the window was a space oi
about yard, The staircase of the ole
house led from what had been the hal
(now filed with gardening tools and ac.
cumulutions Of outdoor rubbish) into g
room on the first floor, and up into the
top room with the three windows. Al
some former time it had been proposed
to use both the old and new buildings fol
domestic purposes, and bridge passage
had been built between the frst-fool
landing of the old staircase, and the room
which I occupied. The door which led
from my room to the little passage had
been since furnished with many stout
locks and bolts, but they were all on my
side. 1t was a special delight to me tc
escape through my own door, and wander
about the premises. I had taken posses,
sion of the great attic with the great old
windows, and there I kept my treasures
and did my best-loved work, as my
father in his lighthouse. My father
condoned my independence, and would
only say. as he bade me good night:


Mind you lock your private from
door, little missile. I would not have
thee stolen"


| On the night in question, 1 lay lOng
J awake. I heard all the servants who
slept in the house mount to their rooms
Then I heard my father locking and bar
ring the two doors of the passage, ant
ascend in his turn, pausing minute tt
, listen at my room, before he retired tt
his own. Still I lay awake, and grew
restless in my bed. I began TO think o
, all that I had done in the day, and Of al
meant to do tomorrow. 1 was going
down to fish in the beck with Beriah, thu
stable-h help, and Mary, the dairy
: 1 had been cutting a new hazel top t.
my rod, up in my Sanctum in the Olt
? buildings. And where was my knif
: that I had been cutting with? NJ,
S knife that my father had brought m,
G from the town a year ago, and that
G loved so very fondly? 1 had left it il
- the attic. Of course no one would g
D there. It was quite safe. But how sill.
! to leave It'll Could go and fetch it?-
D No: certainly not. My father would b
? very angry with me for going out in tn
t night. I must gotO sleep. But shoul'

c ike to sec how the attic looks in tn
/ broad moonlight that shines in my room