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A Safe Investment

A Safe Investment image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
July
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

In the second yeur ot the lato civil war I was niarrieci, and went to live with my hutband in a small village oti tho Hudson, sonie fifty or eixty miles from New York. Th house we occu pied was a largo, rauibling mansión, of considerable ntiquity for this country, and stood a litt e part from the reet of the village, surrouiided by broad fields, ai:d coiuiiianding a glorieus view of the river and the hills of the Highlanda. It jad been built before the Revolution by my husband's great grandfather, and, though destitute of maDy "Modern imDrovements," was still a comfortable and pleasant residenco. My husband was a lawyer and a largo real estp.te owuer in the neighborhood, and at Ihe period of whioh 1 write, ■Bas reat!y perplexed, like many other persous in the North, by the perilous state of the times, and especially about the safe investment of his fu;;d8, aa the suspension of specie payments, the great :ise in gold, and the military disasters m Virginia, made it altnost impossible to teil where it would bo safe to deposit or to use one s money ia any largo amount. In tho course of his transactions in real estáte it happened ono day, Ihathe received what was for ua tbca a largo sum, about ten thousacd dollars, which ie brought home and placed in my charge, telling me at the samo time that ie should have to be absent daring tho evening, attending to gomo business on the other side of the river, and should not bo at home until about midnight. "You can place the moncy in the gare, dear," he said, as he gave it lo me, "aid ;o-morrow I will try aDd find soma way to invost it securely." So saying, ho stepped into the Tiuggy, whieh was standing at the door, and drove away, taking with him our hirod nan, Silas, and leaving me with no one n the house but Dinah, an oíd colorad woman, who fultilled in our modest lousehold the functions of eook and naid-of-all-work, as ehe had long done n the family of my oVD parents, who, on my marriage, had yielded her to me as a valuable part of my dower. Dinah was indeod a character. Shc was tall and very stout, weighing, she would never teil huw mucb, more than ,wo hundred pounds. She was very lack, and as lazy as she was black. I do not think any one could move more Jdibera ly than Dinah did, that is, to move at all. And, by a wondcrful dislensatioD, she peemud to feel thnt whatever her other faults might be, bIio was trong on the poiot of locomotion, For whea shc had been moving with a ponlerous slowness almont maddening to a erson of ordinary quickness, ono of her 'avorite expressions was, "Well, Miss '-■illie, what shall I fly onto next ?" iow 8he accomplished all see did, tbo irownies only know. Wc usjd to some. imes iilmost tromble when there was any special hurry about our domestic arrangements, and yet Dinah always managed to bring affairs to a consummation uet when a minute more would have r ui ut il everything, and with undisturbed ront, would slowly enuncíate, "Well, nis8, what shall I fly onto next ?" It was nearly dark wben my husband departed, and, after giving my orders to Diuab, or rather my suggestions, I lefl icr, and made tho tour of the house, to Bee that all was safe and propcrly locked up. This duty attended to, I wont to my bed roem, intending to pass tho tjme in reading UDtil myhusbaud should return. It was a large room on the ground üoor, with two Freucli windows opening on a broad verandah. The windows were draped with long yellow-silk curbains, between which the moonlight faintly eutered, dimmed by tbe shadow of the roof of the piazza, and partly intercepted by the fringe of woodbine wbich hung fron it. My bed stood with its foot toward the windows, and its head about half a yard from the wall. It was an old fashioned etructure hung with yellow silk like tho windows, but I slept with the hangiügs drawn back and fastened to the head-board. The bed was bo large that no one ever thought of movir.g it except in those seasons of household panic called house-cleaninga, when the combined strength of three or four men was called into requisition to draw it into tho middle of the room. So elaborately oarved was it that it went by the name oí Westmingter Abbey in the family. At one end of the room, at no great distance from the bed, was a largo safo built into the huge chimnoy of tho mansión, with a door high enugh for a person to enter standing upright. Ilero I was aooustomed to placo, every cvening, our plate on ehelves which extended around the uides, en which aleo wero placed boxescontaining papers and other valuables. Opposito tho foot of the bedstead, between the Windows, was a mirror, running from Ihe floor almost to the ceiling. Liko all the other furniturc in the room, it was old and handsome. How many happy scènes it had reflected in the hundred years it had stood thore ! Tho night was exoeodingly hot, aud I thoreforo left tho Windows opon though I drew tho curtnins before I 6eated myself at the table in tho center of tho room, lig'i'e 1 the candios, and begau to read, in ordor to pass the heavy time before the return of my huwband. After a while, I heard the clock strike 9, al which hcur Dinnh always went to bed. Her cbamber was ia the attie, the third story of the house. Rememberiog some-household matter about which I wished to f pcak to her, I started hurriodly up, and went into the entry to intercept her before she got up Btairs. I had to wait about a minuto before she carne, and our co'loquy coutinued three or four minutes more. Whon I rettirned to my bedroom, feeling somewhat tired, I resolved to go to bed, as, at that late huur in tho country, it was certiin that no visitors would cali, and my husband could lot himself in with the latch-key, which he always carried. I thought, however, I would try to keep awako by reading, and accordingly placed a light-stand and the candles at tüe head of my bed. I then olosed and iastened the windows, undrebsed, and got into bed. They key of of the safo I placed, as usual, uuder my pillow. After reading perhaps half an hour, I grew weary of t ie book, aud, quietly laying it di wn, remained for some minutes meditatmg witli tuy eyes fixed on the mirror opposito tho foot of tho bed, ia which I could see myself reflected, frreiher with the yellow eilk curtains bihind my bead. 1 was thinking, not unnaiurally, how pretty I looked, and how happy I was with Buch a lovinghusband auci sucli a largo eum of money secure in our safe, wbeu suddeuljr I saw in the mirror a sight that made my heart stand still. A hand appeared between the curtains, drawing thern slowly apart, and grasping cautiously the head-board. It wu8 a man's hand, largo and ooarse and dark, as if belonging to a tnulatto, or to one greatly tanned by exposuro to the weather. My fiíst impulse was to start from ;he bed and scream for help. I repressed it by a etrong efiort of will, aud lay aerfectly inotionless, except that I sartialíy closed my eyes, keeping them only euffiíiently opon to watch the mirror. As quick aslightuing my mind ook in tha situation. Iti tho few minutes of my absence from the room, while :a!king to Dinah in the entry, a thief, a ■obber, a possible murderor, had stolen in by tue piazza windows, and had hiddeu himself either under tho bed or be ïind its drapod head. He was doubtes armed; and, if I criod out, and attempted to escape from the room, he could oasily reach the door bofore I oould, and for his own security would jrobably put me to death. Dinah was too distant, and too foeblo and olumsy, o afford.me any assistanco, and besides was by this time fast aslocp in the third story. The man doubtless knew that my husband had that day reseived a arge sum of money, and had gone oíf across the river, leaving me alone, or nearly alone, in the house. Ho had entered, caring only for the money, and anxious, above all things, to escape undetected and unrecognized. If I let ïim koow that I ivas aware of bis preeeuco, I should espose myself to murder and perhaps to ou trage worse than murder. My obvious policy wa?, to keep quiet and to feign sleep. I thought also of the money, and was not altogether willing to resign that without an effort to save it, and to have at least some clew to the idontity of the thief. . confesa, however, that this last consideration was a very strong one, and I ain afraid that, if I could have seen my way clear to an escape from the room and tho house, I should have fled incon.inently, without stopping to seo more han tliat terrible hand. A moment which seemed an boür passed while these thoughts rushed through my mind. I lay perfectly still, with my half-closed cyes watcbing tlie mirror. Slowly and noiselessly the fright'ul hand pulled up i:s owncr, until I could eee the hoad and face refleoted in ;he g'ass, and glaring at me with fierce jet wary eyes. The man was a mulato, very dark, with evil passions written d evei-y lineament. I could scarcely ■efrain from shuddering at tho sight of lis hateful visage, and speedily closed my eyes to shut it out. I was not quito ready for the ordeal hrough which I knew I must soon pass. I wanted to move my light stand a little out cf the way, and to so arrange tho bed clothes that I could spring from the bed without impediment. I therefore gave a little sigh, and moved as if about to awake, slightly opening my eyes at the same time. Tho head and the hand disappeared. I then compoedly made the desired changes in the position of the stand and the arrangement of tho clothes, put my watch with the key of the safe under "the pillow - so near the cdge that thoy could be easily taken out, as I know they would be - estinguisbed one of my candles, aaid my prayers, and closing my eyes, renigned myself to my fato, with no very sanguine or dofinito hope of extrication from my dangerous position. I made my breathing regular and tt little louder than when I was awako, aud lay with my clieok on my hand, counterfeiting 'eep. At last the stillness beoatne more terrible than even my first agony of foar. Sevcral times I fancied that I heard a soft step approach from the place of concealment. As often I was deceived. Then, again that dreadful stillncss, in whicli I counted tho tieking of the watch through tho pillow. It wn a positivo relief when he carne out from behind tho curtain, stopped at the bed and stood looking at me, as I was wcll aware, though my eyos were closed. I forced myself to brenthe audibly and regularly. He carne oloser ; he bent over me. He passed the lighted candle slowly before my faco two or thrce times. I feit the hea't and saw the light through my cSosed lids, whioh must have quivered, though he did not observe their motion. Heaven gave me strength not to move or cry out. Satisfied, apparently, he put baok the candlestick on the stand, and his hand crept softly and slowly undr the pillow, and, one by one, he removed ray watch and the key of the safe. He stood so long looking at me, that I feit impelled to open my eyes suddonly upon him. As ho wulked Boftly toward tho Bafo, I diil partly open them, and cautiously watched liim through my eyeloebes. I heard him fumbling with thu look, and onoe he looked ovor toward the bed. - My eyes were wide open, but I olosod tliuuj in time not to be detected. Watehing him stoalthily, I saw him open the door of the case, go back to the stnud for the candió, and return to the safe, Tfbioh he entered without withdrawing the key frum the lock. Here was th) opportunity for whioh I had waitod and watched. I sprang lightly from the bed, wiih one bound reached tho safe, dasled the door to, turned the key, nd with one long and loud sliriok feil prostrate and senseleas on the floor of the dark roora. How long I lay upon the floor, I do not know - probably for a few minutes only - but, as I wag unconscious, it seetned, wbon I oamo to myself, ai if the interval had been a long one. I was aroused by bis bl ws upon the iron door and found myself weak after the long, nerveus tensión, but stili cairo. I remember tbe satisfaction with which I thought, while I lay there before rising, tbat be could not escape, miugled with a vaguo and foolish dread that be might in bis rage burn the valuablo contenta ot tbe Befe. He pounded desperately on the door, and swore fearfully at finding himself entrapped. But, na I took no aoiioe of his outcries, he soon grew quiet. Presently I rose, and, lighting a candle dresaed myself with all possible baste and witb trembling finger, turning often to look at the safe, from under tho closed d r of wbich I more than bitlf ezpected to see blood trickling - why, I cannot teil, excapt that my mind was full of images of horror. I was soon in readiness. I had no meaos of ascertaining the time, as he bad my watch in his pocket, and there was no cloek in the room. TakiDg the candle, I hastened to arouse Dioab, who, as I shook her, slowly opened her eyes, and with scarcely any more than her usual elowness pronounoed her formula : - "Well, Miss Lillie, what shall I fly- Lord a massy 1 vrhat's de matter wid the chile ? You ain't seen a ghost - have you, honey ?" "No, Dinah ; but I've seen something worse than a ghost. I've caught a rob ber, and lie's in the safe. What time ia it?" and, looking at the clock, that tick ed slowly and deliberately-as how could Dinah's clock help doing ? - I saw to my great relief that it was nearlj midnight. We had scarccly got down stairs when I heard the sound of whoels. A moment more and my husband was in my arms, listcning with amazement to a rapid narrativo of my singular adventure. I would not suffer him to opon the safe until Silas had summoned assistance from the neighboring bouses. I feired that my desperate prisoner might still escape. When the safe was opened there sat my burglar on the trunk, half stupefied for want o. air, a knife in one baad, the package of money in the other, and tbe burned out candle at his fect. He was recognized as an old offender, who had not been long out of State PriBon, to which in due course of law be was sood sent back for a term of yeare, whicb, I devoutly hope, may last as long as he .livus; for I oonfess I sbould not feel easy to hear that he was again at large. The look of rage he gave me on coming out of the safe will not soon be obliterated from my memory. My husband, I nood hardly say, wai greatly pleased with my safe nvcstmeot and 'complimented me highly on the courage and coolnees which had doubtless saved my life as well as oar money. The love and pride with which he regardodme, and with whioh he atways, to this day, rehearses ray exploit, wtreof themselves a sufficieot compensation for the horror and the agony of that long mar night.-

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus