Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 April 1884 — BRAVERY AMPLY REWARDED. [ARTICLE]

BRAVERY AMPLY REWARDED.

In the winter of 1842 a gentleman and his daughter, a young lady, while traveling through Canada arrived about night-fall at an old-fashioned tavern. The gentleman concluded to stop there instead of going on to the village of S , which was ten miles distant, and which they had thought to reach. The daughter - Carrie—expressed het willingness, as the tavern presented a comfortable appearance, and they alighted, when it was plainly to be seen that the gentleman was quite lame, so much so that he was obliged to use a cane. The landlord came out, and calling a boy to take the horse and sleigh to the barn, he ushered Mr. Spencer and his daughter into, a pleasant sitting room, where a bright fire was burning on the hearth, which proved very acceptable tqour travelers who had been in the sleigh since morning. “Your room will be ready by suppertime, sir,” said the landlord as he left the room and went into the bar-room. Supper was shortly announced, and after refreshing themselves, Mr. Spencer and Carrie returned to the cozy sit-ting-room, where they talked and chatted until half-past eight. They were then shown to their room, which was on the second story, in a wing somewhat distant from the main portion. The room was very long, with a high ceiling. On one side was a window,and on the other a door. Just above the door was a bust of King George 111. The room was plainly furnished, containing two beds, a wash stand, and a few chairs. Carrie took in the whole room at a glance, and. it must be confessed, had there not been a cheerful fire burning, she would have felt nervous about sleeping there. As it was, the warm glow lit up the room into comparative cheerfulness. While she and her father sat by the fire her eye wandered to the bust above the door, when she noticed that the eyeballs had evidently been knocked out, leaving two empty spaces. “Well, Carrie,” said Mr. Spencer, presently, “I think you had better lock the door, I am going to count my money.” After Carrie had done so he drew out a money belt, heavy with bills, and proceeded to count them. While doing so Carrie’s eyes involuntarily wandered again to the bust, when, to her horror and astonishment, in place of the empty spaces were two glittering eyes, greedily watching every movement of her father. The young girl could scarcely repress a scream; bnt.controlling herself she looked toward the fire, while her father went on counting a large roll of bills. 7" . ~ “I must have been mistaken,” thought the fair girl. “What could make me have such a strange fancy, though?” she continued, glancing again at the bust. The eyesw ere still there—two burning, savage eyes, that brightened when Mr. Speneer went on counting. “Good Heavens!” thought Carrie, “what shall we do! We are evidently in a den of thieves and will be murdered for my poor father’s money. ” How to Communicate their danger to her father, without those terrible eyes noticing it, Carrie did not think. Suddenly a bright idea came to her. “Father,” she said aloqd, “let me take a card and pencil. I wish to make a memorandum of some items I want to purchase in the village. ” E^eyfather handed them to her, after stowing his belt away. Carrie wrote tremblingly, in a fine hand. “Father, do not be frightened; we are in a trap. Go to the opposite side of the room, where your face will be in the dark, and look at the bust above the door. In it you will see two glittering eyes that have watched you count your money." “Read it,” she said aloud, handing the card to her father. “I want you to see if you think I am too extravagant.” Her father betrayed no emotion while he read, but said: “You a|p pretty extravagant, Carrie. I suppose you think your father is made of money,*; and arose and went to. the washstand, which was in thp dark corner. Once there he glanced toward the bust, and that glance confirmed his daughter's extraordinary statement. When he came back to his seat, Carrie saw that the eyes were gone. Then, leaning toward her farther, she said in alow tone: ’ \ “You see it is as I said. I have

thought of a plan, howevef, by which we can both escape.. You would be perfectly helpless in an affray of any kind, on account of your lame leg, so I must try to save us both.” Then"followed a whispered consultation. during which Carrie kept her eyes fixed on the bust, but the glittering orbs had not come back. As she concluded, Carrid went to the window, threw it up, and looked out. Beckoning to her father, who caime, she said or rather whispered: “Yon see’ this shed, father? Well, they will probably come up on it and •get’in the window. Ido not think they will make the attack before twelve, k sb I will get out of this window, jump from this shed, go to the barn And take our horse and go to 8 for help.” Flinging a wrap over her slight figure she embraced her father tenderly, and bidding him not to worry over her, she jumped lightly out on the shed and disappeared. Mr. Spencer watched her for & while, then closing the window took out a watch, saw that it was nine o’clock, and proceeded to work. He first covered up the fire, blew out the light, and rolled up a blanket with which he had made a dummy. This he placed in the bed which his daughter was to occupy. Then he sat down and waited—oh, how anxiously! Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes went by, and no sound came from the vicinity of the barn. Taking off his boots he crepty noiselessly to the window and peeped out, but he could see nothing. Then creeping to the washstand he laid his money belt in the drawer and closed ;t. He then threw himself on the bed and once more waited. After an hour had apparently gone by, Mr. Spencer threw off his coat and vest, tumbled up the bed, hobbled to the door, unlocked it, and stepped out into the hall. This was all in accordance with Carrie’s plan. “Landlord! landlord!” he shouted. He went back into the room and noiselessly threw up the window, nil the time shouting for the landlord. That ■worthy came flying up the stairs, and late as it was, he was still dressed. “Oh, landlord!” gasped Mr. Spencer, rushing toward him. “I have been robbed! my money is all gone!” “Gone!” echced the landlord, in dismay. , ■ . ~ “Who could have stolen it?” groaned Mr. Spencer. “I had $5,000 in a belt, and it is gone—stolen!” The landlorjhlit the candle and looked around, chagrifi depicted on every feature. “Why don't you wake your daughter, sir ?” he questioned. Mr. Spencer hurried to her bed. “Carrie, Carrie!” he called, but no answer came; and the landlord, drawing near with the light, saw the dummy, and cried: “Why, man, the girl isn’t there!” “What?” gasped Mr. Spencer. “Oh, I see it all! The wicked girl has robbed me while I slept, and run off to meet her lover, from whom I was taking her.” He ran to the window, followed by the landlord. “Yes, yes, here are footprints in the snow and shed!” cried the landlord, while Mr. Spencer groaned aloud. “How long do you think she has been gone, sir?” asked the landlord. “For an hour or more, the deceitful jade!” replied Mr. Spencer. “Then there's no use to look for her, sir,” said the landlord. “Oh, but I must!” cried Mr. Spencer, as he began descending the stairway, followed by the landlord, who hail believed every word Mr. Spencer said. They proceeded to the barn, followed by the landlord’s confederates. They found her horse gone, and her mode of flight was easily explained. “You may as well give her up, sir,” said the landlord, consolingly. “I suppose I may,” groaned Mr. Spencer, and they returned to the house. As they left the barn he heard the landlord whisper to one of his confederates : “The jolfs up, Jim —we’d better let the old man alone.” Once more entering the room, Mr. Spencer threw himself upon the bed and awaited the return of his brave daughter. “God bless her and hiring her back in safety,” he murmured. Meanwhile all grew still, and the hours rolled by. The fire had been rakedup and crackled on merrily. The eyes were not looking from the bust; they had evidently disappeared for the night. At last, after what seemed an age to the anxious watcher, he heard a loud knock on the front entrance, and five minutes afterward heard the landlord stumble to the door. Then followed a confused jumble of curses and struggles, then a rush of many feet up the long hall and stairway. The next minute the door was thrown open and his daughter rushed in, followed by the officers, who dragged in the landlord and his confederates. ■ “Oh, father!” she cried, “you are safe, safe!” and throwing her arms around his neck the brave girl burst into happy tears. The sheriff and his posse of men held the landlord and his confederates in a vice-like grasp, while Carrie related the adventures of her perilous ride. “After I left the barn I led Tommy to the fence, all unsaddled, sprang on him, wound my arms tightly around his neck, and whispered, ‘Go, Tommy!' and away he went like the wind.- Up and down, over the frozen road we went My arms felt like ice, I''thought I should certainly freeze and after what seemed to me an age of cold and pain and misery we dashed into the main street of 8 • As we came up in front of the tavern the stage drove up and the inmates sprang out and rushed to my assistance. I must have been almost insensible, for I had to be carried in by the landlord. I was given warm drinks until I fairly recovered, and was able to relate my story. I told them my suspicions and my fears, and this gentleman”—here Carrie paused, and turning to a fine-looking man “ near her, said, “Mr. James, by his ready iseiief in what I told, and his energy and spirit in arousing the sheriff and his men, ha’ been the main cause in bringing assistance.*

Mr. Spencer grasped the young man'ri hand and thanked him. “Your plan succeeded admirably, (parHe,” he said, and advancing to the washstand ho took out tho money-belt, saying, “my money is all right, as you see.” The landlord quivered with rage as he saw how completely he had been defeated. As the men began to search the room tjie landlord protested his innocence, declaring that they had no right to hold him or his men prisoners, or to search the house. Breaking open the door alxive which was the bust* the men rushed in. The room was empty save for a long ladder which reached a shelf above the dpor. A hole above the shelf disclosed thq bust to be broken in half, so that a man could easily climb up the ladder, get on the shelf, thrust bis head in the bust, which was large enough for an ordinary man’s head, and see all that was going on in the adjoining room. 'This certainly looked suspicious, but absolute proof was yet wanting. Oq returning to the room Occupied by Mr. Spencer, they again searched every nook and corner. Suddenly Carrie and, Mr. James, who had been standing by the fife-place, gave a loud cry, for on close examination they had found spots oi blood on the bricks which formed the hearth. They began to pull up the pricks, which proved to be loose, when Carrie, feeling faint, gave way to the sheriff and his men, who soon had them all pulled up, when a cavity was disclosed containing the murdered body of a gentleman whem Mr. James and the sheriff remembered to have stopped at S , Three days before. The evidence was conclusive. The landlord and his confederates were well guarded through the night, and the next day they were sentenced and suffered the extreme penalty of the law.