Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 September 1883 — UP THE FLUE. [ARTICLE]

UP THE FLUE.

u H.ovl must have some rare experiences to tell us, Mrs. Boswell,” said persuasive Lieut. Russel, while we waited for the mail stage. “You have been at this frontier post ever since Capt. Boswell was stationed here ?” “Yes; we have been here eightyears,” she replied, with the rare smile that glorified her face. “I have passed through many trying ordeals here, but I really think that I had an adventure in the East, before I married the Captain, equal to anything that I have experienced.” “Will you relate it and oblige us?” urged Russel. • . “Mrs. Boswell,” said Dan, the irrepressible youngster of our party, “Jim,” jerking his thumb toward the Lieutenant, “is out West here on purpose to spill ink for the New York papers. You can become a heroine of romance if you will.” “Thank you,” said our little hostess. “I don’t mind accepting the honor.” Three of us were sitting in an inner apartment of the small frontier'hostelry. The bar-room was packed with miners, and we had chosen to have our supper served by ourselves, as we had appointed to go on to Custer City in company. Mrs. Boswell was much below the medium size, quick of speech, light of movement as a bird, and graceful as a fawn. “It was in 18—,” she began; “I had J'ust made the acquaintance of'Capt. Jos well, he having some business matters to arrange with father, had called at our place several times. Finally, there came a rare day in autumn, and he and father were closeted the greater part of the day, overhauling papers, memoranda, deeds and receipts. My father at that time was doing a great deal of business as an attorney. “At tea-time father said to me: ‘Bess, you won’t mind an evening alone, so long as Thomas is about, will you?’ “I said no, for, although there were many robberies being committed in the neighboring cities, private families in the suburbs felt ho fear. Our house was a mile from the city proper, and a half mile from neighbors either way. “ ‘We find,’ he continued, ‘ that the Captain has got to hunt up some papers concerning the estate before he can give Barron a satisfactory title. We shall go to Judge Whitcomb’s offfice, and our search may be so successful that 11 o’clock will find us home again. Still, we may be detained .longer. Shan’t I stop and tell your cousin Milly to come down and spend the night with you ?” l^“‘No —yes,’ I contradictorily answered. ‘Do as you please; lam not timid in the least, wifli Thomas about.’ “ ‘But Capt. Boswell is going to leave $5,000 here until he returns.’ “ ’Does any one know about the money ?’ “ ‘Only ourselves.’ f “ ‘Then lam not afraid. Beside, you are likely to be back before graveyards yawn and thieves do walk abroad.’ “Thomas brought the horse round, and, while father spoke to him, I touched the Captain’s sleeve: “ ‘Where is your money left ?’ “Tn your father’s desk in the library.’ Then he looked with a tender, inquiring glance into my face (how the little woman’s cheeks flushed at the memory), and said: ‘Little girl, if you are in the least afraid, we will not go to-night, although it is absolutely necessary,’ “I told him, honestly, that I was not afraid. I never had that strata of timidity tin my make-up, peculiar to womankind; and so they rode away. “I sang about my work, as I put thjngs in shape around the room, and viewed the brilliant sunset, without a fear of care. “Thomas, our new man-of-all-work, was very busy puttering about the grounds, tying up grape-vines and mulching evergreens. I knew there was some coarse aftermath upon the hill, that father was anxious to have put on the strawberry beds, and, seeing Thomas go up there with his basket, I tied a scarf over my head, took another basket, and went up to help him. “As I passed up the hill, I saw a man in the highway speaking to him. I Jiestitated about going on, but the man made only a moment’s pause, and then went down the the hill, and was soon concealed by a turn in the highway. “ ‘Who ; was that Thomas?’l inquired. “ ‘Oh, miss, it was a man from the mills, saying that my brother has had a bad fall on the dam, and is bellowing for me to come and see him. His legs be broke entirely.’ “ ‘What will you do?’ * ‘I told the man I could not come to to see him to-day—but if I went, miss,

I would be suro to be back by 11 o’clock, if not earlier.’ “‘You may go, Thomas, if your brother is hurt so bad. Papa will not be away long.’ “‘.But, my young lady—■’ “‘Never mind me in such a case as this.’ I always was very tender-heart-ed. ‘ You may go, and 1 will njn right back to the house.’ “He talked a few moments more, was profuse in his thanks for my kindness, and then started down for the city. I took up the two baskets, and went singing to the house. “1 sat an hour by the open window, enjoying intensely this being alone, and the quiet beauty of the cool, autumn evening. “Perhaps you will wonder at this, ” and the dimples played about her pretty mouth, “but little birds were singing a new song in my heart, and the quiet let me hear the sweet echoes. “But directly I chided myself for being rather careless, as the road was a thoroughfare, and a chance straggler might-surprise me. I arose, closed my window, and, obeying some strange, impressive power, I walked through the hall into the library, took my father’s key from the accustomed place, unlocked bis desk, found the 'package of $5,000, and, placing it in my bosom, -re locked the door, and returned to the sitting-room. I did not light a lamp; I had no need'of a fire, as that from the kitchen stove warmed., the sitting-room sufficiently in this mild weather.“The house was old-fashioned, very, with a fireplace in the sitting-room opening up into a chimney of capacity sufficient for a foundry stack. We had cheerful open fires later on; but the house, being an aiffiestral pile, was getting somewhat dilapidated, and the partition separating the flues in the large chimney had fallen in. Men had been set to "clear out the riibbish and make repairs, but the work, half done, was suspended on account of the arrival of Capt. Boswell and this important business affair. “I would have enjoyed immensely to kindle a sparkling fire in the huge, wide fireplace, but as affairs were I could not. So I mused in darkness for hours. I really took no heed of time, until my quick ears caught the sound of a foot-fall approaching, close up to the doorstep, I could have taken my oath. It was so light an echo that I sprang to my feet, thinking that my cousin Milly, absent when my father called, returning later had come down to stay with me. I sprang up with a smile to answer her knock, albeit I was a bit jealous of her pretty face; but no knock came, and the echoes died out, and altogether I concluded that I had deceived myself in regard to them. Anyhow, I would light the lamp. I did so, and was startled to find it past 10 o’clock. I had gotten sufficiently aroused from my reverie now to want a book from the library shelves. I took up my lamp and went'singing into the room. “I obtained the desired volume, stepped down from the stool, and—“lf ever any one felt themselves dying I did at that moment. My song died on my lips, while a thousand thoughts seemed to flash into my mind in one instant. Involuntarily I gasped, and then with a strong effort of the will power, for which I am famous, I took up the song again and sang it to the close. “Among other things, I remembered that the lock was off the library door for repairs. I remembered the lateness of the hour and the probability that all the people were in bed and asleep. I remembered the footsteps in the dooryard, and—there was a fresh, pungent smell of tobacco-smoke in the room. A scent of smoke that was not in the room when I was there and placed the package of money in my bosom. “Do you wonder that my brain reeled and my heart stopped beating for an instant? Beside, whoever the robber was, he would soon begin work, not knowing how early my father and the Captain might return. And I should be murdered. Somewhere within a few yards or a few feet of me, the robber assassin was concealed—either in the recess behind the cabinet, or under the long, draped, paper-strewn table. “A faint sound outside nearly made me drop the lamp from my hand; still I had unconsciously left my first song and was singing: For his bride a soldier won her. And a winning tongue had he. “I knew that temporary salvation — power and liberty to leave that room even—depended upon my appearing unconscious of the robber’s proximity. “I got out of the library and found myself in the sitting-room. A hasty glance at the door showed the key allsent from the lock. “Treachery! “I wonder that this new revelation did not suffocate me. The man on the highway—the injured brother —Thomas has betrayed us. He had overheard about the money. A robber was in the house and another was outside. My retreat would be cut off. How thoughts ran riot through my mind. How would they kill me? "Would I suffer long? At that instant I was sure that I heard a faint creak of the library door at the far end of the long hall. “One swift, despairing glance around me, one wild idea of escape, and I extinguished the light upon the table, and, crouching in the fireplace, I rested one foot upon the andiron, swung out the iron crane, stepped the other foot upon the strong support, and rose up into the flue. Something touched my head. Thank God' it was the rope with which the dislodged bricks had been hoisted out. Grasping this carefully with my hands, I held myself like a wedge in the opening. If I had envied large, noble-looking women before, I now had reason to be thankful for my diminutive form and ninety odd pounds of avoirdupois. “I had little time, however, to consider anything excepting the imminent danger of dislodging a fragment of brick or mortar, , and thus discovering my hiding place, for the clock began with sonorous peals to strike 11. Under cover of its echoes there were swift, soft steps in the hall, and the bolt of the outer door was withdrawn. The huge flue must have acted like a telephone, for I heard every sound with fearful distinctness. First, there was a pause by the door of the sitting-

room, then breathing in it, then whispering. “I heard Thomas distinctly, when he said: “ ‘She isn’t here; she’s gone' to bed; but the money is in the library.’ “ ‘Be cautious,’ advised a strange voice, ‘and we may not have to hurt her.’ “They carefully retreated, and my heart struck off the seconds against my ribs, in a wav that was suffocating, for I knew that their search would soon be over, and what then ? “In less than five minutes they were whispering in the room again. “ ‘Curse her!* aspirated Thomas, ‘she took the money with her.’ “ ‘Then we’ll have it if— ’ “The pause- meant all that words could convey. “The cold sweat was coming out of every pore of my body. The dust of the creosote had penetrated my mouth aqd nostrils, and I' had to take one hand from the rope in their absence, and place a finger upon my lips to prevent sneezing. “ ‘Come, hurry!’ was the angry watchword exchanged between them, and I'heard the stairs creaking as. they ascended to my chamber. Thomas was familiar with all the house. “Why did I not drop down now and escape outside? “First, then, they had locked the outer*door and withdrawn the key, to prevent a surprise from without. Second, there might by a third‘con federate outside. But the most important rea-son-of all was, it seemed to me that I never could get out of the aperture that had allowed me entrance into the chimney. I ran the risk of discovery and death in any case. “Oh, why did not my father and his companions return ? It might be hours first. “They had found me absent from my chamber and the adjoining rooms. They no longer used extreme caution. They hurried from one apartment to the other. I could feel the jar of moving furniture, and closet doors were opened hastily. The upper* part of the house was ransacked, and then they came down tffie stairs upon the run. Time was precious to them now. With direful oaths they rummaged the lower floors, and finally returned to the sitting-room. “‘I saw the light here last,’ said Thomas, moving with Iris lamp across the room, ‘and here is the lamp on the table.’ “ ‘She must have got out.’ “ ‘No; I watched for her; and every window is fastened on the inside.’ Then he continued: ‘Curse her! she’s a witch 1’ and baffled they stood and poured volumes of oaths after me. ‘l’d like to catch and knife her myself now.’ How he ground it out between his teeth. “ ‘Shall we search more?* “‘lt’s no use; we’ve turned over everything under which a mouse could hide.’ “ ‘What, then? Shall we waylay the old man and fix him ?’ “ ‘They haven’t the money; it was left here.’ “ ‘The cellar,’ suggested the voice. “Once more they dashed out only to return in hot haste now, for there was the trot and rumble of a horse and carriage on the bridge between us and the city. “ ‘Stay,’ urged the stranger, ‘trump up some kind of a story, and we may secure the money yet. ’ “ ‘I would,’ replied Thomas “but the girl’s a witch, and lam just as sure that she is somewhere near us all the time, and would hand me over to justice’— “There was a scamper outside and the sound of feet running toward the river came down the wide mouth at the top of the chimney. Father and Capt. Boswell drove in the yard and up to the door, just as the clock struck 12. “‘Thomas!’called my father, in his ringing tones, ‘come and take care of the horse.’ “Receiving no response from his us-ually-punctual factotum, he sprang up the steps and uttered an exclamation of horror at finding the door open. “ ‘Boswell,’ said he, ‘we certainly saw a light here when we came dewn the hill.’ “ ‘Quick, Jason,’ said the Captain, ‘there has been foul play here.’ “‘Foul play? My God! my poor little girl.” “ ‘Father,’ I strove to call, but the first attempts, choked in dust and soot, ended in a hysterical hiccough. “ ‘Where is that? What is it ?’ called my distracted father, and both men dashed for the library. “I now strove to descend, but the movement brought down bushels of mortar and broken bricks from all sides, and closed up the flue. I bethought me of the rope, and by sticking my toes in here and there, I went up the chimney hand over hand. “Agile as a cat, when I reached the top of the low chimney I sprang down upon the roof and began calling loudly for father. “You should have heard " them run through the hou-e and halloo before they located my voice. At last the Captain came out of doors. “ ‘Will you get me a ladder, please,’ said I, ‘I want to get down from here.’ “‘A ladder, Jason,’ shouted the Captain, ‘the little girLis on the roof.’ “ ‘For the love of Heaven, girl, how came you there ?’ said my father, as I landed upon the ground and began shaking the soot from my clothes. “ ‘I went up there through the chimney, papa. But you had better put up the horse —you will have to groom him yourself to-night—and then I will tell you all about it.’ “The Captain led me into the house, for I was trembling violently. “ ‘Now,’ said father, being absent only a moment or two without letting me have time to mop the smut from my face and hands, ‘now tell us whato this means—my little girl climbing the ridge-pole like a cat at midnight ?’ “In a few moments matters were explained. “ ‘Thomas, the villain!’ ejaculated my father. ‘l*ll have him if I have to hunt the two continents for him, and he shall have his deserts.’ “Hte kept his word. Thomas got a term in the State’s prison. “When I gave the-Captain his money I should have burst out into hysterical sobbing, only I remembered the soot

in time to prevent shading myself in black crayon; and Capt. Boswell believed that stature and bulk xyere not always certificates of the best materials, and”— “And," finished Dan, our jester, “it may be .paid, Mrs. Boswell, that you actually flue to his arms.” She smiled and bowed, as the sonorous tones of the driver came in among us: “Stage ready, gentlemen.”