Year: 1875

dry injunctions respecting hers,
tho principal being not TO trust it
to the postofiice, for she had had
no faith in it since she had learned
from the newspapers that postmen
were not always honest; and
though she remorsefully added
that she had not a word to say
against the cd man who had been
letter carrier at - for twenty
years, still she would not like to
put temptations in lis way in the
share of two hundred pounds
that was to apprentice her oldest
hoy, pay the school fees for the
next, and release her from an incu-
bus Of small debts that had trouh-
led her ever since the sudden de-
cease Of her husband.


After much discussion of various
ways and means of providing for
the salty of the valuable packet, it
was resolved that one or the other
of tic sisters should carry it in her
bosom during the day, while at
night it might safely rcpose at the
bottom of the little trunk that
stood on chair by the bedside /;
and this arrangement being decid-
ed on, they prepared to enjoy Lon
don Gs only intelligent strangers
can.


Too modest and ladylike to at
tract notice by any peculiarity of
dress on manner, and too humble
to divine how often their fresh.
sweet faces Grew upon them an ad.
miring glance, they "did" the prin-
cipal sights with hearty apprecia-
tion of them felt only once in
lifetime. But pleasure, when it
takes the form of craning ones
neck to admire pictures, or travers-
ing the galleries Of Kensington, or
climbing the steps at the Crystal
Palace, soon grows fatiguing; and
after spending their last evening
breathless and rapt and audi
tors at good entertainment. the
sisters went to rest not altogether
sorry that the term allotted for
their stay in town had come to an
end. An early train on the NOR
row was to speed them back to
----, wi:h its quaint High street,
ruined castle towering above the
avenue OF elrls leading to its gates,
and those brcezes from The sur
rounding for which the murl1y
atmosphere Of the great city had
been so poor an exchange.


Was Katie dreaming of these
invigorating breezes when she sud-
denly awolSe from her slumbers I
A minute ago she had fGncied that
she was sitting under the trees
with Miriam, talking a little sor-
rowful Of some past trouble; but
now the grass, the ferns, the flick
ering sunbeams that played across
them-all, all were gone (; only the
blast of the cold that had chilled
her into wakefulness was still
sweeping across her cheek.


She raised herself on her elbow
but the night was so dark that
nothing in the room could be dis
cerned except in the immediate
neighborhood Of the window, and
that-gracious heavens was
wide open.


Numberless tales OF thefts per-
petrated in this manner flashed in
to her mind as soon as she made
the discovery, and she recol.
lected, now that it was to late, how
In their weariness and excitement,
both she and Miriam lad been less
careful in looking TO the fastenings
than was their custom.


Before she could summons cour-
age to rise, or decide whether to
awaken her sister, or first ascer-
tanning if anything had been alb
stracted from the chamber, n sound
mt the window made her Quiver
with increasing alarm. A dark
figure was there-a figure but dim
ly seen in the obscurity of the
starless nigbt--was even then eau
tieusly STEPPING through it. Katie
covered down in the bed, afraid to
move or to cry out for help; for
the bell was not within reach, and
a desperate man intent upon plum
der, might murder her and her
equally helpless sister IL they frus-
tratod him.


III -. a. a.